James River increases executive payouts despite targets

Published 07/03/2025, 23:56
James River increases executive payouts despite targets

In a recent development, James River Group Holdings, Ltd. (NASDAQ:JRVR), a Bermuda-based insurance company with a market capitalization of $186 million and annual revenue of $708 million, has adjusted its executive compensation payouts for the year 2024. The company’s stock has faced significant challenges, declining over 57% in the past year. According to InvestingPro, which offers comprehensive analysis of over 1,400 US stocks, the company’s overall financial health score is currently rated as WEAK. The company’s Board of Directors, following the recommendation of the Compensation and Human Capital Committee, exercised discretion to increase the cash incentive awards for certain executives under its Short-Term Incentive Plan (STI Plan).

This decision was made on Monday, despite the company’s performance targets not being fully met. The STI Plan’s metrics, including Adjusted EBIT and group Adjusted Combined Ratio, were impacted by various strategic activities the company undertook. The company’s revenue has declined by 12.6% over the last twelve months, reflecting these operational challenges. These activities encompassed exploring strategic alternatives and the execution of two retroactive reinsurance transactions in the Excess & Surplus Lines segment.

To determine the adjusted payouts, the Board excluded costs related to the strategic activities, reinsurance premiums for the transactions, and the value of employee retention awards associated with the company’s strategic exploration. However, the segment Adjusted Combined Ratio goals for business segment leaders remained unaltered.

The executives receiving modified payouts include CEO Frank N. D’Orazio with $745,268 at 77.1% of the target, CFO Sarah C. Doran with $441,012 also at 77.1%, President and CEO of the Excess and Surplus Lines segment Richard J. Schmitzer with $395,943 at 59.1%, President and CEO of the Specialty Admitted Insurance segment William K. Bowman with $279,300 at 93.1%, and Chief Underwriting Officer Michael J. Hoffmann with $255,586 at 77.1%.

The adjustments to the incentive payouts reflect the company’s decision to reward its executives despite the financial metrics being affected by its strategic decisions. This information is based on a press release statement filed with the SEC. James River Group Holdings has not provided any further details on the potential impact of these compensatory changes on its financial performance or its strategic direction moving forward.

In other recent news, James River Group reported a significant earnings miss for the fourth quarter of 2024, with a net loss of $94.04 million, or $2.28 per diluted share. This was a notable decline from the previous year’s net income of $17.43 million. The adjusted net operating loss was $40.8 million, or $0.99 per share, falling short of analysts’ estimates of a $0.49 per share loss. Revenue also came in below expectations at $126.71 million, compared to the forecasted $140.58 million. The shortfall was attributed to a $52.8 million payment related to an adverse development reinsurance contract and a $27 million deemed dividend.

Strategic moves included the sale of JRG Reinsurance Company Ltd. and a $160 million loss portfolio transfer for their Excess and Surplus (E&S) business. Despite these efforts, the Specialty Admitted Insurance segment saw a 32% decrease in gross written premium, while the E&S segment experienced a slight increase. James River Group’s CEO, Frank D’Orazio, expressed optimism for 2025, citing opportunities in a favorable rate environment. Additionally, the company announced a nominal cash dividend of $0.01 per common share and a change in board leadership, with Christine LaSala appointed as the new Non-Executive Chairperson.

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