Fairfax Q1 shareholder net profit plunges, partially due to loss on investments

Shareholders attend the Fairfax Financial Holdings annual general meeting in Toronto on Wednesday, April 9, 2014. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

TORONTO — Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. says its net income attributable to shareholders plunged to US$125.5 million in the first quarter, in part due to a loss on investments.

The Toronto-based insurance company, which reports in U.S. dollars, says it earned US$4.49 per diluted share, compared with US$28.91 per share or US$806 million a year earlier.

The results included US$214.4 million in losses on investments, compared with a gain of US$908.7 million in the first quarter of 2021. Fairfax says it had US$262.9 million in net gains on common stocks, but had US$494.1 million in unrealized losses on bonds due to rising interest rates.

Gross premiums written up increased 21.9 per cent to US$6.62 billion while net premiums rose 27.8 per cent to US$5.3 billion.

Revenues for the three months ended March 31 were US$5.98 billion, down from nearly US$6 billion in the year-ago period. 

Fairfax was expected to earn US$3.96 per share on US$6.15 billion in revenues, according to financial data firm Refinitiv.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 28, 2022.

Companies in this story: (TSX:FFH)

The Canadian Press

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