-- CFRA, an independent research provider, has providedwith the following research alert. Analysts at CFRA have summarized their opinion as follows:
ALL reported Q1 operating EPS of $10.65 vs. $3.53 in the prior year, topping our $6.85 estimate and the $7.24 consensus forecast. The strong results were led by improved underwriting performance. Q1 revenue growth of 3% was below our 4%-8% forecast, though P-C earned premiums rose 5.5%. The combined ratio improved to 82.0% from 97.4% on 44% lower catastrophe losses. The underlying combined ratio (ex-catastrophes) improved to 80.3% from 83.1%, validating the success of previous rate increases. The recent $2B sale of the employer voluntary benefits business, part of ALL's broader restructuring strategy, will free up capital for redeployment into core P-C operations. We expect ALL to maintain pricing discipline despite anticipated increased competition, particularly in auto insurance. The company's strong underlying underwriting results demonstrate the success of aggressive rate increases that were implemented to address adverse claim trends. We look forward to management's pricing outlook on the April 30 call.