News Release

« Back

Brown & Brown, Inc. Attains Yet Another New Level Of Record Earnings

October 08, 2003

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., and TAMPA, Fla., Oct 8, 2003 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- Brown & Brown, Inc. (NYSE: BRO) announced record quarterly earnings for the third quarter of 2003 of $26,051,000 compared with $20,178,000 recorded in the third quarter of 2002, an increase of 29.1%. Net income per share rose 31.0% to $0.38 per share, compared with $0.29 per share in the third quarter of last year. Total revenue for the quarter ended September 30, 2003 was up 20.7% to $133,545,000, compared with the revenue of $110,657,000 for the same quarter in 2002.

Total revenue for the nine months ended September 30, 2003 was $416,139,000, compared with revenue for the same period in 2002 of $336,595,000, up 23.6%. Net income for the nine months ended September 30, 2003 was $84,521,000, or $1.23 per share, compared with the $61,741,000, or $0.91 per share, posted during the same period last year. This represents an increase of 35.2% in per share earnings.

J. Hyatt Brown, Chairman and CEO, commented, "Forty-three consecutive quarters of record earnings is a signal accomplishment. Our results are a credit to our established strategy, and affirm the depth of expertise and dogged discipline of the men and women who comprise our winning team."

Jim W. Henderson, President and Chief Operating Officer noted, "Part of our corporate history is the successful acquisition of agencies in various stages of the insurance pricing cycle. In the third quarter, we acquired three operations: Canfield and Associates, Inc.; Washington Insurance Services, Inc.; and The Hoffman Company. More recently, we have experienced an increase in the number of agencies that have expressed an interest in joining Brown & Brown. We believe that this activity is in part due to the current moderation of insurance pricing and the shrinkage of market access due to downgrades and dislocations of risk bearers. We will continue to identify the best opportunities and invest in those evidencing sustainable earnings growth and high quality people."

Brown & Brown, Inc. and its subsidiaries offer a broad range of insurance and reinsurance products and services, as well as risk management, employee benefit administration, and managed health care programs. Providing service to business, public entity, individual and trade association clients nationwide, the Company is ranked by Business Insurance magazine as the United States' sixth largest independent insurance intermediary. Our Web address is www.bbinsurance.com.

This press release may contain certain statements relating to future results which are forward-looking statements. These statements are not historical facts, but instead represent only the Company's belief regarding future events, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of the Company's control. It is possible that the Company's actual results and financial condition may differ, possibly materially, from the anticipated results and financial condition indicated in these forward-looking statements. Further information concerning the Company and its business, including factors that potentially could materially affect the Company's financial results, are contained in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Some factors include: general economic conditions around the country; downward commercial property and casualty premium pressures; the competitive environment; the integration of the Company's operations with those of businesses or assets the Company has acquired or may acquire in the future and the failure to realize the expected benefits of such integration; and the potential occurrence of a disaster that affects certain areas of the States of Arizona, California, Florida and/or New York, where significant portions of the Company's business are concentrated. All forward- looking statements included in this press release are made only as of the date of this press release, and we do not undertake any obligation to publicly update or correct any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that subsequently occur or of which we hereafter become aware.


                             Brown & Brown, Inc.
                      CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
                    (in thousands, except per share data)
                                 (unaudited)


                                  For the                    For the
                             Three Months Ended          Nine Months Ended
                                 September 30             September 30
                              2003         2002         2003         2002
    REVENUES
    Commissions and fees  $132,146     $109,799     $413,656     $334,887
    Investment income          309          924        1,084        2,222
    Other income
     (loss), net             1,090         (66)        1,399        (514)
     Total revenues        133,545      110,657      416,139      336,595

    EXPENSES
    Employee compensation
     and benefits           66,882       53,527      201,215      164,531
    Non-cash stock grants
     compensation              375        1,463        1,824        3,025
    Other operating
     expenses               17,479       15,815       56,114       47,173
    Amortization             4,209        3,435       12,963       10,194
    Depreciation             2,116        1,859        6,062        5,319
    Interest                   858        1,162        2,811        3,556
     Total expenses         91,919       77,261      280,989      233,798

    Income before income
     taxes and minority
     interest               41,626       33,396      135,150      102,797

    Income taxes            15,575       12,830       50,629       39,550

    Minority interest,
     net of income tax          --          388           --        1,506

    Net income            $ 26,051     $ 20,178     $ 84,521     $ 61,741

    Net income per share:
     Basic                   $0.38        $0.30        $1.24        $0.92
     Diluted                 $0.38        $0.29        $1.23        $0.91

    Weighted average number
     of shares outstanding:
     Basic                  68,532       68,266       68,327       66,979
     Diluted                68,995       68,994       68,944       67,745


                             Brown & Brown, Inc.
                           INTERNAL GROWTH SCHEDULE
                         Core Commissions and Fees(1)
                    Three Months Ended September 30, 2003
                                (in thousands)
                                 (unaudited)

                      Quarter   Quarter   Total    Total     Less    Internal
                       Ended     Ended     Net      Net    Acquisition  Net
                      9/30/03   9/30/02   Change  Growth %  Revenues  Growth %

    Florida Retail   $34,732   $31,417  $3,315    10.6%      $428      9.2%
    National Retail   36,130    31,765   4,365    13.7%     4,975     (1.9)%
    Western Retail    25,238    19,479   5,759    29.6%     5,370      2.0%
    Total Retail      96,100    82,661  13,439    16.3%    10,773      3.2%

    Professional
     Programs          9,870     4,222   5,648   133.8%     5,766     (2.8)%
    Special Programs  10,698     6,834   3,864    56.5%     3,928     (0.9)%
     Total Programs   20,568    11,056   9,512    86.0%     9,694     (1.6)%

    Brokerage          6,691     5,821     870    14.9%        54     14.0%

    TPA Services       7,585     7,279     306     4.2%        --      4.2%

    Total Core
     Commissions
     and Fees (1)   $130,944  $106,817 $24,127    22.6%   $20,521    3.4%


                  Reconciliation of Internal Growth Schedule
                        to Total Commissions and Fees
              Included in the Consolidated Statements of Income
            for the Three Months Ended September 30, 2003 and 2002
                                (in thousands)
                                 (unaudited)


                                                    Quarter        Quarter
                                                     Ended          Ended
                                                    9/30/03        9/30/02

    Total core commissions and fees (1)             $130,944       $106,817
    Contingent commissions                             1,202          1,633
    Adjustment for upfront annual
     commissions (2)                                      --          (492)
    Divested business                                     --          1,841

    Total Commission & Fees                         $132,146       $109,799

(1) Total core commissions and fees are our total commissions and fees less (i) contingent commissions (revenue derived from special revenue-sharing commissions from insurance companies based upon the volume and the growth and/or profitability of the business placed with such companies during the prior year), (ii) adjustment for upfront annual commissions (explained below), and (iii) divested business (commissions and fees generated from offices, books of business or niches sold by the Company or terminated).

(2) Commissions from a Florida-based workers' compensation carrier that changed its agency commission payment policy from paying on a monthly basis to paying on an up-front annual basis only for year 2002. Beginning January 1, 2003, this carrier reverted back to paying commissions on a monthly basis.


                             Brown & Brown, Inc.
                         CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
                                (in thousands)
                                 (unaudited)



                                                September 30,     December 31,
                                                      2003            2002
    ASSETS
    Current assets:
     Cash and cash equivalents                       $68,743        $91,247
     Restricted cash                                 126,354         79,796
     Short-term investments                              471            446
     Premiums, commissions and fees receivable       145,540        144,244
     Other current assets                             14,619         16,527
      Total current assets                           355,727        332,260

    Fixed assets, net                                 25,209         24,730
    Goodwill, net                                    225,663        176,269
    Other intangible assets, net                     231,383        203,984
    Investments                                        9,264          8,585
    Deferred income taxes, net                            --          1,788
    Other assets                                       6,780          6,733
      Total assets                                  $854,026       $754,349

    LIABILITIES
    Current liabilities:
     Premiums payable to insurance companies        $214,802       $191,682
     Premium deposits and credits due customers       17,292         16,723
     Accounts payable                                  8,055         12,054
     Accrued expenses                                 56,010         46,586
     Current portion of long-term debt                25,663         27,334
      Total current liabilities                      321,822        294,379

    Long-term debt                                    45,298         57,585

    Deferred income taxes, net                         2,262             --

    Other liabilities                                  9,634          8,943

    Minority Interest                                     --          1,852

    SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
    Common stock, par value $0.10 per share;
    authorized 280,000 shares; issued and
    outstanding, 68,646 at 2003 and 68,178 at 2002     6,865          6,818
    Additional paid-in capital                       169,473        159,564
    Retained earnings                                295,825        223,102
    Accumulated other comprehensive income             2,847          2,106

     Total shareholders' equity                      475,010        391,590

      Total liabilities and shareholders' equity    $854,026       $754,349

SOURCE Brown & Brown, Inc.

Cory T. Walker, Chief Financial Officer, Brown & Brown,
+1-386-239-7250
http://www.bbinsurance.com

Print Page Email Page Email Alerts