DGICA Donegal Group Inc - 10-K

Item 1A.

Risk Factors.

Risk Factors

Risks Relating to the Property and Casualty Insurance Industry

Industry trends, such as increasing loss severity due to higher rates of litigation against the insurance industry and individual insurers, the willingness of courts to expand covered causes of loss, rising jury awards, escalating medical, automobile and property repair costs and other factors may contribute to increased costs and result in ultimate loss settlements that exceed the reserves of our insurance subsidiaries.

Loss severity in the property and casualty insurance industry has increased in recent years, principally driven by factors such as distracted driving, larger court judgments, higher jury awards and increasing medical and automobile and property repair costs, including increases due to inflation and supply chain disruption. In particular, future cost volatility for automobile replacement costs and repair parts could occur because of exposure to governmental trade policies, including tariffs, or geopolitical events. In addition, many classes of complainants have brought legal actions and proceedings, some of which may be funded by third-party litigation financing, that tend to increase the size of judgments. The propensity of policyholders and third-party claimants to utilize specialized plaintiff firms and litigate and the willingness of courts to expand causes of loss and the size of awards, to eliminate exclusions and to increase coverage limits may result in ultimate settlements of current and future losses that exceed the loss reserves of our insurance subsidiaries.

Our insurance subsidiaries are subject to catastrophe losses and losses from other severe weather events, which are unpredictable and may adversely affect our results of operations, liquidity and financial condition.

The underwriting results of our insurance subsidiaries are subject to weather and other conditions that may adversely affect our financial condition, liquidity or results of operations. Because the occurrence and severity of catastrophes are inherently unpredictable and may vary significantly from year to year and region to region, our historical results of operations may not be indicative of our future results of operations. Our property and casualty insurance operations expose us to claims arising from catastrophic events affecting multiple policyholders. Such catastrophic events consist of various natural disasters, including, but not limited to, hurricanes, tropical storms, tornadoes, windstorms, hailstorms, fires and wildfires, flooding, landslides, earthquakes, severe winter weather events and man-made disasters such as terrorist attacks, explosions and infrastructure failures. Historically, our insurance subsidiaries have experienced weather-related losses from hurricanes and tropical storms in Mid-Atlantic and Southern states, tornadoes and hailstorms in Mid-Atlantic, Midwestern and Southern states and severe winter weather events in Mid-Atlantic and Midwestern states.

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Losses from catastrophic events are a function of both the extent of our insurance subsidiaries’ exposures, the frequency and severity of the events themselves and the level of reinsurance coverage our insurance subsidiaries purchase. The increased frequency and severity of weather-related catastrophes and other losses, such as from wildfires and flooding, incurred by the industry in recent years may be indicative of changing weather patterns due to climate change. Should those patterns continue to emerge, increased weather-related catastrophes in the states in which our insurance subsidiaries operate would lead to higher overall losses that they may be unable to offset through pricing actions.

Our insurance subsidiaries seek to reduce their exposure to catastrophe losses through their underwriting strategies and their purchase of catastrophe reinsurance. Advancements in economic capital modeling and catastrophe risk modeling assist our insurance subsidiaries in measuring risk concentrations and inform their reinsurance purchase decisions. Nevertheless, reinsurance may prove inadequate under certain circumstances. While the emerging science regarding climate change and its connection to extreme weather events continues to be studied, climate change, to the extent it produces rising temperatures and changes in weather patterns, could affect the frequency and severity of weather events and other losses and thus impact the affordability and availability of catastrophe reinsurance coverage for our insurance subsidiaries. Our insurance subsidiaries’ ability to appropriately manage catastrophe risk depends partially on catastrophe models, which may be affected by inaccurate or incomplete data, the uncertainty of the frequency and severity of future events and the uncertain impact of changing climate conditions that tend to occur gradually over time.

Changing climate conditions could lead to new or revised regulations with which our insurance subsidiaries would have to comply. Such regulations could impact the ability of our insurance subsidiaries to manage their exposures in areas impacted by increased weather activity, require our insurance companies to alter the terms and conditions of their policies or impact the ability of our insurance subsidiaries to obtain sufficient pricing increases to offset higher loss activity.

Our insurance subsidiaries must establish premium rates and loss and loss expense reserves from forecasts of the ultimate costs they expect will arise from risks underwritten during the policy period, and the profitability of our insurance subsidiaries could be adversely affected if their premium rates or reserves are insufficient to satisfy their ultimate costs.

One of the distinguishing features of the property and casualty insurance industry is that it prices its products before it knows its costs, since insurers generally establish their premium rates before they know the amount of losses they will incur. Accordingly, our insurance subsidiaries establish premium rates from forecasts of the ultimate costs they expect to arise from risks they have underwritten during the policy period. Proposed increases in premium rates are subject to regulatory approval on a state-by-state basis, and there is a lag between the time that our insurance subsidiaries file for such approval and the date upon which our insurance subsidiaries can implement any such approved premium rate increase across their book of business for a product in a particular state. The premium rates our insurance subsidiaries charge may not be sufficient to cover the ultimate losses they incur. Further, our insurance subsidiaries must establish reserves for losses and loss expenses as balance sheet liabilities based upon estimates involving actuarial and statistical projections at a given time of what our insurance subsidiaries expect their ultimate liability to be. Significant periods of time often elapse between the occurrence of an insured loss, the reporting of the loss and the settlement of that loss. It is possible that our insurance subsidiaries’ ultimate liability could exceed these estimates because of the future development of known losses, the existence of losses that have occurred but are currently unreported and larger than historical settlements of pending and unreported claims. The process of estimating reserves is inherently judgmental and can be influenced by a number of factors, including the following:

trends in claim frequency and severity;

changes in operations;

emerging economic and social trends;

economic and social inflation;

the level of insurance fraud; and

changes in the regulatory and litigation environments.

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If our insurance subsidiaries determine that their reserves are insufficient to cover their ultimate liability, they will increase their reserves. An increase in reserves results in an increase in losses and a reduction in net income for the period in which our insurance subsidiaries recognize a deficiency in reserves. Accordingly, an increase in reserves may adversely impact the business, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations of our insurance subsidiaries.

The financial results of our insurance subsidiaries depend primarily on their ability to underwrite risks effectively and to charge adequate rates to policyholders.

The financial condition, cash flows and results of operations of our insurance subsidiaries depend on their ability to underwrite and set rates accurately for a full spectrum of risks across a number of lines of insurance. Rate adequacy is necessary to generate sufficient premium to pay losses, loss adjustment expenses and underwriting expenses and to realize a profit.

The ability to underwrite and set rates effectively is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including those related to:

the availability of sufficient, reliable data;

the ability to conduct a complete and accurate analysis of available data;

the ability to recognize in a timely manner changes in trends and to project both the severity and frequency of losses with reasonable accuracy;

uncertainties generally inherent in estimates and assumptions;

the ability to project changes in certain operating expense levels with reasonable certainty;

the development, selection and application of appropriate rating formulae or other pricing methodologies;

the effective development, governance and appropriate use of modeling tools to assist with correctly and consistently achieving the intended results in underwriting and pricing;

the ability to innovate with new pricing strategies and the success of those innovations upon implementation;

the ability to secure regulatory approval of premium rates on an adequate and timely basis;

the ability to predict policyholder retention accurately;

unanticipated court decisions, legislation or regulatory action;

unanticipated changes in our claim settlement practices;

changes in driving patterns for auto exposures;

changes in weather patterns for property exposures;

changes in the medical sector of the economy that impact bodily injury loss costs;

changes in new and used car prices, auto repair costs and auto parts prices, including the increasing integration of sophisticated technology-related components;

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the impact of emerging technologies, including driver assistance technologies and autonomous vehicles, on pricing, insurance coverages and loss costs;

the impact of inflation and other factors on the cost and availability of construction materials and labor;

the impact of medical advances on the cost and duration of bodily injury claims;

the ability to monitor property concentration in catastrophe-prone areas, such as hurricane, earthquake, wildfire and wind/hail regions; and

the general state of the economy in the states in which our insurance subsidiaries operate.

Such risks may result in our insurance subsidiaries basing their premium rates on inadequate or inaccurate data or inappropriate assumptions or methodologies and may cause our estimates of future changes in the frequency or severity of claims to be incorrect. As a result, our insurance subsidiaries could underprice risks, which would negatively affect our margins, or our insurance subsidiaries could overprice risks, which could reduce their premium volume and competitiveness. In either event, underpricing or overpricing risks could adversely impact our operating results, financial condition and cash flows.

We face risks associated with technological change, including artificial intelligence, data modernization and cloud migration, and the profitability of our insurance subsidiaries could be adversely affected if their competitors deploy such technologies more effectively or at greater scale.

The insurance industry is undergoing rapid technological change, including the expanded use of artificial intelligence, machine learning, advanced analytics, process automation and GenAI. Since 2018, Donegal Mutual has undertaken a multi-year modernization of its core systems, including replacement of legacy policy administration systems, implementation of a cloud-based data infrastructure and, beginning in 2026, migration of its Guidewire claims, billing and policy administration systems to the Guidewire cloud platform. Donegal Mutual has also begun deploying and piloting certain GenAI-enabled solutions to provide operating efficiencies and data-driven insights.

These initiatives involve significant cost, operational complexity and reliance on third-party vendors. They may result in implementation delays, cost overruns, data migration errors, system integration challenges, cybersecurity vulnerabilities, service disruptions or diversion of management attention. These initiatives may not be completed as planned or achieve intended operational efficiencies or other benefits. Any disruption or failure could adversely affect the underwriting, billing or claims operations of our insurance subsidiaries and materially adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

In addition, competitors, including larger insurers and technology-enabled companies, may have greater financial resources, broader data assets and more advanced analytical capabilities, enabling them to develop and scale artificial intelligence, automation and cloud-based solutions more rapidly or effectively than our insurance subsidiaries can. If competitors more effectively utilize technology to enhance risk selection, refine pricing, reduce expenses, improve claims handling or strengthen customer and agent experience, they may achieve superior underwriting performance or market share. More sophisticated use of data and analytics by competitors could also increase adverse selection risks for insurers with comparatively less advanced capabilities.

Our increasing reliance on third-party cloud platforms and technology providers exposes our insurance subsidiaries to vendor dependency and concentration risks. Any service disruption, cybersecurity incident or strategic misalignment involving a key vendor could impair the operations of our insurance subsidiaries or increase their costs.

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The use of artificial intelligence and GenAI presents additional operational, regulatory and reputational risks. Artificial intelligence models may produce inaccurate or unintended results, and evolving legal and regulatory standards governing artificial intelligence, data usage and algorithmic decision-making may increase compliance costs or restrict certain practices. Use of GenAI may also create unforeseen exposures or coverage issues under the policies our insurance subsidiaries issue or introduce new forms of claims fraud or cybercrime. If our insurance subsidiaries are unable to adapt to technological developments or compete effectively with organizations that deploy such technologies at greater scale, their competitive position and financial performance could be materially adversely affected.

Loss or significant restriction of the use of specific rating attributes, analytical models or technologies in the pricing and underwriting of insurance products by our insurance subsidiaries could adversely affect their future profitability.

Our insurance subsidiaries consider a variety of rating attributes in making risk selection and pricing decisions for personal lines insurance products where allowed by state law. There is increasing regulatory debate as to whether use of certain rating attributes is unfairly discriminatory. For example, consumer groups and regulators often call for the prohibition or restriction on the use of credit scoring in underwriting and pricing. In addition, there is increasing regulatory attention on the governance over and use of analytical models and technologies, including artificial intelligence systems, to ensure that such technologies comply with laws that address unfair trade practices and unfair discrimination. Laws or regulations that significantly curtail the use of specific rating attributes or other analytical models and technologies in the underwriting process could reduce the future profitability of our insurance subsidiaries.

Changes in applicable insurance laws or regulations or changes in the way insurance regulators administer those laws or regulations could adversely affect the operating environment of our insurance subsidiaries and increase their exposure to loss or put them at a competitive disadvantage.

Property and casualty insurers are subject to extensive supervision in their domiciliary states and in the states in which they do business. This regulatory oversight includes matters relating to:

licensing and examination;

approval of premium rates;

market conduct;

policy forms;

limitations on the nature and amount of certain investments;

claims practices;

mandated participation in involuntary markets and guaranty funds;

reserve adequacy;

insurer solvency;

transactions between affiliates;

the amount of dividends that insurers may pay; and

restrictions on underwriting standards.

Such regulation and supervision are primarily for the benefit and protection of policyholders rather than stockholders.

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The NAIC and state insurance regulators re-examine existing laws and regulations from time to time, specifically focusing on areas such as:

insurance company investments;

issues relating to the solvency of insurance companies;

risk-based capital guidelines;

restrictions on the terms and conditions included in insurance policies;

certain methods of accounting;

reserves for unearned premiums, losses and other purposes;

the values at which insurance companies may carry investment securities and the definition of other-than-temporary impairment of investment securities; and

interpretations of existing laws and the development of new laws.

Changes in state laws and regulations, as well as changes in the way state regulators view related-party transactions in particular, could change the operating environment of our insurance subsidiaries and have an adverse effect on their business.

Insurance companies are subject to assessments, based on their market share in a given line of business, to assist in the payment of unpaid claims and related costs of insolvent insurance companies. Such assessments could adversely affect the financial condition of our insurance subsidiaries.

Our insurance subsidiaries are subject to assessments pursuant to the guaranty fund laws of the various states in which they conduct business. Generally, under these laws, our insurance subsidiaries can be assessed, depending upon the market share of our insurance subsidiaries in a given line of insurance business, to assist in the payment of unpaid claims and related costs of insolvent insurance companies in those states. We cannot predict the number and magnitude of future insurance company failures in the states in which our insurance subsidiaries conduct business, but future assessments could adversely affect the business, financial condition and results of operations of our insurance subsidiaries.

Risks Relating to Our Business

Our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual currently conduct business in a limited number of states, with a concentration of business in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. Any single catastrophe occurrence or other condition affecting losses in these states could adversely affect the results of operations of our insurance subsidiaries.

Our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual conduct business in 21 states located primarily in the Mid-Atlantic, Midwestern, Southern and Southwestern regions of the country. A substantial portion of their business consists of private passenger and commercial automobile, homeowners, commercial multi-peril and workers’ compensation insurance in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. While our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual actively manage their respective exposure to catastrophes through their underwriting processes and the purchase of reinsurance, a single catastrophic occurrence, destructive weather pattern, general economic trend, terrorist attack, regulatory development or other condition affecting one or more of the states in which our insurance subsidiaries conduct substantial business could materially adversely affect their business, financial condition and results of operations. Common catastrophic events include hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, wind and hailstorms, fires and wildfires, explosions and severe winter storms.

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If the independent agents who market the products of our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual do not maintain their current levels of premium writing with us and Donegal Mutual, fail to comply with established underwriting guidelines of our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual or otherwise inappropriately market the products of our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual, the business, financial condition and results of operations of our insurance subsidiaries could be adversely affected.

Our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual market their insurance products solely through a network of approximately 2,000 independent insurance agencies. This agency distribution system is one of the most important components of the competitive profile of our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual. As a result, our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual depend to a material extent upon their independent agents, each of whom has the authority to bind one or more of our insurance subsidiaries or Donegal Mutual to insurance coverage. To the extent that such independent agents’ marketing efforts fail to result in the maintenance of their current levels of volume and quality or they bind our insurance subsidiaries or Donegal Mutual to unacceptable insurance risks, fail to comply with the established underwriting guidelines of our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual or otherwise inappropriately market the products of our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual, the business, financial condition and results of operations of our insurance subsidiaries could suffer.

The business of our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual may not continue to grow and may be materially adversely affected if our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual cannot retain existing, and attract new, independent agents or if insurance consumers increase their use of insurance distribution channels other than independent agents.

The ability of our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual to retain existing, and to attract new, independent agents is essential to the continued growth of the business of our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual. If independent agents find it easier to do business with the competitors of our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual, our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual could find it difficult to retain their existing business or to attract new business. While our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual believe they maintain good relationships with the independent agents they have appointed, our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual cannot be certain that these independent agents will continue to sell the products of our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual to the consumers these independent agents represent. Some of the factors that could adversely affect the ability of our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual to retain existing, and attract new, independent agents include:

the significant competition among insurance companies to attract independent agents;

the labor-intensive and time-consuming process of selecting new independent agents;

the insistence of our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual that independent agents adhere to certain standards;

the ability of our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual to pay competitive and attractive commissions, bonuses and other incentives to independent agents; and

the ongoing consolidation of independent agencies, which may result in the acquisition of independent agencies from which our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual currently receive business by larger entities with which our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual do not have business relationships.

While our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual sell insurance to policyholders solely through their network of independent agencies, many competitors of our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual sell insurance through a variety of delivery methods, including independent agencies, captive agencies and direct sales. To the extent that current and potential policyholders change their distribution channel preference, the business, financial condition and results of operations of our insurance subsidiaries may be adversely affected.

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Competition within the property and casualty insurance industry may adversely impact the revenues and profit margins of our insurance subsidiaries.

The property and casualty insurance industry is intensely competitive, and the pricing of insurance products is subject to significant fluctuations and uncertainties. Competition can be based on many factors, including:

the perceived financial strength of the insurer;

premium rates;

policy terms and conditions;

policyholder service;

reputation; and

experience.

Our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual compete with many regional and national property and casualty insurance companies, including direct sellers of insurance products, insurers having their own agency organizations and other insurers represented by independent agents. Many of these insurers have greater capital than our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual, have substantially greater financial, technical and operating resources, have substantially greater exposure and access to potential customers and have equal or higher ratings from A.M. Best than our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual. In addition, our competitors may become increasingly better capitalized in the future as the property and casualty insurance industry continues to consolidate.

The greater capitalization of many of the competitors of our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual enables them to operate with lower profit margins and, therefore, allows them to market their products more aggressively, to take advantage more quickly of new marketing opportunities and to offer lower premium rates. In addition to established insurers, our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual compete with a growing number of start-ups, some of which have received substantial infusions of capital, that seek to disrupt traditional business platforms and distribution channels. Our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual may not be able to maintain their current competitive position in the markets in which they operate if their competitors offer prices for their products that are lower than the prices our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual are prepared to offer. Moreover, if these competitors lower the price of their products and our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual meet their pricing, the profit margins and revenues of our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual may decrease and their ratios of claims and expenses to premiums may increase. All of these factors could materially adversely affect the financial condition and results of operations of our insurance subsidiaries and their A.M. Best ratings.

If A.M. Best downgrades the rating it has assigned to Donegal Mutual or any of our insurance subsidiaries, it would adversely affect their competitive position.

Industry ratings are a factor in establishing and maintaining the competitive position of insurance companies. A.M. Best, an industry-accepted source of insurance company financial strength ratings, rates Donegal Mutual and our insurance subsidiaries. A.M. Best ratings provide an independent opinion of an insurance company’s financial health and its ability to meet its obligations to its policyholders. We believe that the financial strength rating of A.M. Best is material to the operations of Donegal Mutual and our insurance subsidiaries. For example, certain lenders require customers to purchase insurance from an insurance carrier that has received an A.M. Best rating that exceeds a certain level. Currently, Donegal Mutual and our insurance subsidiaries each have an A (Excellent) rating from A.M. Best. In May 2025, A.M. Best affirmed its A (Excellent) ratings of Donegal Mutual and our insurance subsidiaries. However, if A.M. Best were to downgrade the rating of Donegal Mutual or any of our insurance subsidiaries, it would adversely affect the competitive position of Donegal Mutual or that insurance subsidiary and make it more difficult for it to market its products and retain its existing policyholders.

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Economic disruption related to a future pandemic may adversely affect our revenues, profitability, results of operations, cash flows, liquidity and financial condition.

We cannot predict the ultimate impact that the economic and financial disruption related to a pandemic may have on us. Risks related to a pandemic include, but are not limited to, the following:

the business operations or a specific operational function of our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual could be disrupted by the illness of significant numbers of their employees and remedial efforts that would be required upon discovery of exposure to a communicable illness within their facilities;

the business operations of our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual are dependent upon technology systems for which regular physical access is required to maintain critical operational capabilities, and the business operations of our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual would be adversely impacted by government mandates requiring closure of facilities where those technology systems are located or restricting physical access to such facilities;

the revenues of our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual may decrease as a result of reduced demand for their insurance products as economic disruption adversely impacts current and potential insurance customers;

our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual may incur an increase in their losses and loss expenses in certain lines of business as a result of a pandemic and related economic disruption, and such losses and loss expenses may exceed the reserves our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual have established or may establish in the future;

our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual may incur increased costs related to legal disputes over policy coverages or exclusions and their defense against litigation related to a pandemic;

legislative, judicial and regulatory actions may expand coverage definitions, retroactively mandate coverage or otherwise require our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual to pay losses for damages that their policies explicitly excluded or did not intend to cover;

legislative, judicial and regulatory actions may require our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual to reduce or refund premiums, suspend cancellation of policies for non-payment of premiums or otherwise grant extended grace periods and time allowances for the payment of premium balances due to them;

our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual may not be able to collect premium balances due to them, resulting in reduced operating cash flows and an increase in premium write-offs that would increase their operating expenses;

our insurance subsidiaries may suffer declines in the market values of their investments as a result of financial market volatility related to pandemic concerns and related economic disruption; and

economic disruption related to a pandemic could result in significant declines in the credit quality of issuers, ratings downgrades or changes in financial market conditions and regulatory changes that might adversely impact the value of the fixed-maturity investments that our insurance subsidiaries own.

Dividends from our insurance subsidiaries are a significant source of funds for the payment of our operating expenses and dividends to our stockholders; however, there are regulatory restrictions and business considerations that may limit the amount of dividends our insurance subsidiaries may pay to us.

As a holding company, we rely on dividends from our insurance subsidiaries as a significant source of funds to meet our corporate obligations and to pay dividends to our stockholders. The amount of dividends our insurance subsidiaries can pay to us is subject to regulatory restrictions and depends on the amount of surplus our insurance subsidiaries maintain. From time to time, the NAIC and various state insurance regulators consider modifying the method of determining the amount of dividends that an insurance company may pay without prior regulatory approval. The maximum amount of ordinary dividends that our insurance subsidiaries can pay to us in 2026 without prior regulatory approval is approximately $66.4 million. Other business and regulatory considerations, such as the impact of dividends on surplus that could affect the ratings of our insurance subsidiaries, competitive conditions, RBC requirements, the investment results of our insurance subsidiaries and the amount of premiums that our insurance subsidiaries write could also adversely impact the ability of our insurance subsidiaries to pay dividends to us.

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The growth and profitability of our insurance subsidiaries depend, in part, on the effective maintenance and ongoing development of Donegal Mutual’s information technology systems, and the allocation of related costs to our insurance subsidiaries may adversely impact their profitability.

Our insurance subsidiaries utilize Donegal Mutual’s information technology systems to conduct their insurance business, including policy quoting and issuance, claims processing, processing of incoming premium payments and other important functions. As a result, the ability of our insurance subsidiaries to grow their business and conduct profitable operations depends on Donegal Mutual’s ability to maintain its existing information technology systems and to develop new technology systems that will support the business of Donegal Mutual and our insurance subsidiaries in a cost-efficient manner and provide information technology capabilities equivalent to those of our competitors. The allocation among our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual of the costs of developing and maintaining Donegal Mutual’s information technology systems may adversely impact our insurance subsidiaries’ expense ratio and underwriting profitability, and such costs may exceed Donegal Mutual’s and our expectations.

Donegal Mutual is currently in the midst of a multi-year effort to modernize certain of its key infrastructure and applications systems, and the allocation of related costs to our insurance subsidiaries has resulted in an increase to their expense ratio. These new systems are intended to provide various benefits to the member companies of the Donegal Insurance Group, including streamlined workflows and business processes, service enhancements for their agents and policyholders, opportunities to implement new product models and innovative business solutions, greater utilization of data analytics and operational efficiencies. From 2020 to 2024, we implemented five major releases of new systems. In 2025, Donegal Mutual implemented the final two major releases of new systems for the remaining lines of business the Donegal Insurance Group issues currently and for the conversion of remaining legacy renewal policies of the Donegal Insurance Group. The conversion process will continue into 2027 as legacy policies renew on a state-by-state rollout schedule. During 2025, Donegal Mutual also began planning for the migration of its claims, billing and policy administration application systems from on-premise versions to cloud-based versions of these applications that we expect will occur in a phased approach over the next two years. Even with Donegal Mutual’s and our best planning and efforts and the involvement of third-party experts, Donegal Mutual may not complete the implementation of these new systems within its planned timeframes or budget. Further, Donegal Mutual’s information technology systems may not deliver the benefits Donegal Mutual and we expect and may fail to keep pace with our competitors’ information technology systems. As a result, Donegal Mutual and our insurance subsidiaries may not have the ability to grow their business and meet their profitability objectives.

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While we are currently placing less emphasis on pursuing acquisitions because Donegal Mutual and we believe there are opportunities for profitable organic growth, our strategy to grow in part through acquisitions of other insurance companies exposes us to risks that could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

The affiliation with, and acquisition of, other insurance companies involves risks that could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. The risks associated with these affiliations and acquisitions include:

the potential inadequacy of reserves for losses and loss expenses of the other insurer;

the need to supplement management of the other insurer with additional experienced personnel;

conditions imposed by regulatory agencies that make the realization of cost-savings through integration of the operations of the other insurer with our operations more difficult;

our management’s lack of familiarity with the geography, demographics and distribution systems in the markets the other insurer serves that cause the other insurer to fail to meet the growth and profitability objectives we anticipated at the time of the acquisition or affiliation;

potential difficulties with integration of information technology systems and other operations;

the need of the other insurer for additional capital that we did not anticipate at the time of the acquisition or affiliation; and

the use of more of our management’s time in improving the operations of the other insurer than we originally anticipated.

If we cannot obtain sufficient capital to fund the organic growth of our insurance subsidiaries and to make acquisitions, we may not be able to expand our business.

Our strategy is to expand our business through the organic growth of our insurance subsidiaries and through our strategic acquisitions of regional insurance companies. Our insurance subsidiaries may require additional capital in the future to support this strategy. If we cannot obtain sufficient capital on satisfactory terms and conditions, we may not be able to expand the business of our insurance subsidiaries or to make future acquisitions. Our ability to obtain additional financing will depend on a number of factors, many of which are beyond our control. For example, we may not be able to obtain additional debt or equity financing because we or our insurance subsidiaries may already have substantial debt at the time, because we or our insurance subsidiaries do not have sufficient cash flow to service or repay our existing or additional debt or because financial institutions are not making financing available. In addition, any equity capital we obtain in the future could be dilutive to our existing stockholders.

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The investment portfolios of our insurance subsidiaries consist primarily of fixed-income securities; therefore, the investment income and the fair value of the investment portfolios of our insurance subsidiaries could decrease as a result of a number of factors.

Our insurance subsidiaries invest the premiums they receive from their policyholders and maintain investment portfolios that consist primarily of fixed-income securities. The effective management of these investment portfolios is an important component of the profitability of our insurance subsidiaries. Our insurance subsidiaries derive a significant portion of their operating income from the income they receive on their invested assets. A number of factors may affect the quality and/or yield of their investment portfolios, including the general economic and business environment, government monetary policy, changes in the credit quality of the issuers of the fixed-income securities our insurance subsidiaries own, changes in market conditions and regulatory changes. The fixed-income securities our insurance subsidiaries own consist primarily of securities issued by domestic entities that are backed by either the credit or collateral of the underlying issuer. Factors such as an economic downturn, disruption in the credit market or the availability of credit, a regulatory change pertaining to a particular issuer’s industry, a significant deterioration in the cash flows of the issuer or a change in the issuer’s marketplace may adversely affect the ability of our insurance subsidiaries to collect principal and interest from the issuer in which they invest.

The investments of our insurance subsidiaries are also subject to risk resulting from interest rate fluctuations. As we experienced when market interest rates increased significantly in 2022, increasing interest rates or a widening in the spread between interest rates available on U.S. Treasury securities and corporate debt or asset-backed securities will typically have an adverse impact on the market values of fixed-rate securities. If interest rates decline, our insurance subsidiaries will generally have a lower overall rate of return on investments of cash their operations generate. In addition, in the event of the call or maturity of investments in a low interest rate environment, our insurance subsidiaries may not be able to reinvest the proceeds in securities with comparable interest rates. Changes in interest rates may reduce both the profitability and the return on the invested capital of our insurance subsidiaries.

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We and our insurance subsidiaries depend on key personnel. The loss of any member of our executive management or the senior management of our insurance subsidiaries could negatively affect the continuation of our business strategies and achievement of our growth objectives.

The loss of, or failure to attract, key personnel could significantly impede our financial plans, growth, marketing and other objectives and those of our insurance subsidiaries. The continued success of our insurance subsidiaries depends to a substantial extent on the ability and experience of their senior management. Our insurance subsidiaries and we believe that our future success is dependent on our ability to attract and retain additional skilled and qualified personnel and to expand, train and manage our employees. We and Donegal Mutual have employment agreements with our senior officers, including all of our named executive officers.

The reinsurance agreements on which our insurance subsidiaries rely do not relieve our insurance subsidiaries from their primary liability to their policyholders, and our insurance subsidiaries face a risk of non-payment from their reinsurers as well as the non-availability of reinsurance in the future.

Our insurance subsidiaries rely on reinsurance agreements to limit their maximum net loss from large single catastrophic risks or excess of loss risks in areas where our insurance subsidiaries may have a concentration of policyholders. Reinsurance also enables our insurance subsidiaries to increase their capacity to write insurance because it has the effect of leveraging the surplus of our insurance subsidiaries. Although the reinsurance our insurance subsidiaries maintain provides that the reinsurer is liable to them for any reinsured losses, the reinsurance agreements do not generally relieve our insurance subsidiaries from their primary liability to their policyholders if the reinsurer fails to pay the reinsurance claims of our insurance subsidiaries. To the extent that a reinsurer is unable to pay losses for which it is liable to our insurance subsidiaries, our insurance subsidiaries remain liable for such losses. At December 31, 2025, our insurance subsidiaries had approximately $90.7 million of reinsurance receivables from third-party reinsurers relating to paid and unpaid losses. Any insolvency or inability of these reinsurers to make timely payments to our insurance subsidiaries under the terms of their reinsurance agreements would adversely affect the results of operations of our insurance subsidiaries.

Michigan law requires several of our insurance subsidiaries to provide certain medical benefits under the personal injury protection, or PIP, coverage of the personal automobile and commercial automobile policies they write in the state of Michigan. Michigan law also requires those insurance subsidiaries to be members of the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association, or MCCA, in order to write automobile insurance. MCCA receives funding through assessments that its members collect from policyholders in the state and provides reinsurance for PIP claims that exceed a set retention. At December 31, 2025, our insurance subsidiaries had approximately $45.5 million of reinsurance receivables from MCCA relating to paid and unpaid losses. The MCCA has generated significant operating deficits in recent years, and applicable Michigan law allows MCCA to assess its member companies for all losses and deficits through adjustments to future assessments. Although we currently consider the risk to be remote, should MCCA be unable to fulfill its payment obligations to our insurance subsidiaries in the future, the financial condition and results of operations of our insurance subsidiaries could be adversely affected.

In addition, our insurance subsidiaries face a risk of the non-availability of reinsurance or an increase in reinsurance costs that could adversely affect their ability to write business or their results of operations. Market conditions beyond the control of our insurance subsidiaries, such as the amount of surplus in the reinsurance market and the frequency and severity of natural and man-made catastrophes, affect both the availability and the cost of the reinsurance our insurance subsidiaries purchase. If our insurance subsidiaries cannot maintain their current level of reinsurance or purchase new reinsurance protection in amounts that our insurance subsidiaries consider sufficient, our insurance subsidiaries would either have to accept an increase in their net risk retention or reduce their insurance writings, either of which could adversely affect them. For example, due to increased reinsurance pricing and reduced reinsurance market capacity, our insurance subsidiaries increased their net retentions under several of their reinsurance programs for 2024 and 2025.

Index

The disruption or failure of Donegal Mutual’s information technology systems or the compromise of the security of those systems that results in the theft or misuse of confidential information could materially impact adversely the business of Donegal Mutual and our insurance subsidiaries.

Our insurance subsidiaries’ business operations depend significantly upon the availability and successful operation of Donegal Mutual’s information technology systems. In addition, in the normal course of their operations, Donegal Mutual and our insurance subsidiaries collect, utilize and maintain confidential information regarding individuals and businesses. While Donegal Mutual has established various security measures to protect its information technology systems and confidential data, unanticipated computer viruses, malware, ransomware, power outages, unauthorized access or other cyberattacks could disrupt those systems or result in the misappropriation or loss of confidential data. Donegal Mutual could experience technology system failures or other outages that would impact the availability of its information technology systems. Donegal Mutual has experienced brief disruptions of systems in the past, including those systems that allow underwriting and processing of new policies. Disruption in the availability of Donegal Mutual’s information technology systems could affect the ability of Donegal Mutual and our insurance subsidiaries to underwrite and process their policies timely, process and settle claims promptly and provide expected levels of customer service to agents and policyholders.

While Donegal Mutual has identified threats to the security of its information technology systems, Donegal Mutual and we are unaware of any significant breach of the security measures Donegal Mutual maintains. A significant breach of the security of Donegal Mutual’s information technology systems that results in the misappropriation or misuse of confidential information could damage the business reputation of Donegal Mutual and our insurance subsidiaries and could expose Donegal Mutual and our insurance subsidiaries to litigation. The financial impact to Donegal Mutual, us and our insurance subsidiaries of a significant breach could be material.

Risks Relating to Us and Our Common Stock

The price of our common stock may be adversely affected by its low trading volume.

Our Class A common stock and our Class B common stock have limited liquidity. Reported average daily trading volume for our Class A common stock and our Class B common stock for the year ended December 31, 2025 was approximately 128,268   shares and approximately   1,288 shares, respectively. This limited liquidity could subject our shares of Class A common stock and our shares of Class B common stock to greater price volatility.

Donegal Mutual is our controlling stockholder. Donegal Mutual and its directors and executive officers have potential conflicts of interest between the best interests of our stockholders and the best interests of the policyholders of Donegal Mutual.

Donegal Mutual controls the election of all of the members of our board of directors. Six of the ten members of our board of directors are also directors of Donegal Mutual. Donegal Mutual and we share the same executive officers. These common directors and executive officers have a fiduciary duty to our stockholders and also have a fiduciary duty to the policyholders of Donegal Mutual. Among the potential conflicts of interest that could arise from these separate fiduciary duties are the following:

we and Donegal Mutual periodically review the percentage participation of Atlantic States and Donegal Mutual in the underwriting pool that Donegal Mutual and Atlantic States have maintained since 1986;

our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual annually review and then establish the terms of certain reinsurance agreements between our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual;

we and Donegal Mutual allocate certain shared expenses among ourselves and our insurance subsidiaries in accordance with various inter-company expense-sharing agreements; and

we and our insurance subsidiaries may enter into other transactions or contractual relationships with Donegal Mutual.

Index

Donegal Mutual has sufficient voting power to determine the outcome of substantially all matters submitted to our stockholders for approval.

Each share of our Class A common stock has one-tenth of a vote per share and generally votes as a single class with our Class B common stock. Each share of our Class B common stock has one vote per share and generally votes as a single class with our Class A common stock. Donegal Mutual has the right to vote approximately   70% of the combined voting power of our Class A common stock and our Class B common stock and has sufficient voting control to and has acted to:

elect all of the members of our board of directors, who determine our management and policies; and

control the outcome of any corporate transaction or other matter submitted to a vote of our stockholders for approval, including mergers or other acquisition proposals and the sale of all or substantially all of our assets, in each case regardless of how all of our stockholders other than Donegal Mutual vote their shares.

The interests of Donegal Mutual in maintaining this greater-than-majority voting control of us may have an adverse effect on the price of our Class A common stock and the price of our Class B common stock because of the absence of any potential “takeover” premium and may, therefore, be inconsistent with the interests of our stockholders other than Donegal Mutual.

Donegal Mutual’s majority voting control of us, certain provisions of our certificate of incorporation and by-laws and certain provisions of Delaware law make it remote that anyone could acquire actual control of us unless Donegal Mutual were in favor of another person’s acquisition of control of us.

Donegal Mutual’s majority voting control of us, certain anti-takeover provisions in our certificate of incorporation and by-laws and certain provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law, or the DGCL, could delay or prevent the removal of members of our board of directors and could make a merger, tender offer or proxy contest involving us more expensive as well as unlikely to succeed, even if such events were in the best interests of our stockholders other than Donegal Mutual. These factors could also discourage a third party from attempting to acquire control of us. In particular, our certificate of incorporation and by-laws include the following anti-takeover provisions:

our board of directors is classified into three classes, so that our stockholders elect only one-third of the members of our board of directors each year;

our stockholders may remove our directors only for cause;

our stockholders may not take stockholder action except at an annual or special meeting of our stockholders;

the request of stockholders holding at least 20% of the combined voting power of our Class A common stock and our Class B common stock is required for a stockholder to call a special meeting of our stockholders;

our by-laws require that stockholders provide advance notice to us to nominate candidates for election to our board of directors or to propose any other item of stockholder business at a stockholders’ meeting;

we do not permit cumulative voting rights in the election of our directors;

our certificate of incorporation does not provide for preemptive rights in connection with any issuance of securities by us; and

our board of directors may issue, without stockholder approval unless otherwise required by law, preferred stock with such terms as our board of directors may determine.

Index

We have authorized preferred stock that we could issue without stockholder approval to make it more difficult for a third party to acquire us.

We have 2.0 million authorized shares of preferred stock that we could issue in one or more series without further stockholder approval, unless the DGCL or the rules of the NASDAQ Global Select Market otherwise require, and upon such terms and conditions, and having such rights, privileges and preferences, as our board of directors may determine. Our potential issuance of preferred stock may make it more difficult for a third party to acquire control of us.

Because we are an insurance holding company, no person can acquire or seek to acquire a 10% or greater interest in us without first obtaining approval of the insurance commissioners of the states of domicile of each of our insurance subsidiaries.

We own insurance subsidiaries domiciled in the states of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Virginia, and Donegal Mutual is domiciled in Pennsylvania and owns or controls insurance companies domiciled in Georgia and New Mexico. The insurance laws of each of these states provide that no person can acquire or seek to acquire a 10% or greater interest in us without first filing specified information with the insurance commissioners of those states and obtaining the prior approval of the proposed acquisition of a 10% or greater interest in us by each of the state insurance commissioners based on statutory standards designed to protect the safety and soundness of us and our insurance subsidiaries. These approval requirements may make it more difficult for a third party to acquire control of us.

Item 7.

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Overview

Donegal Mutual Insurance Company (“Donegal Mutual”) organized us as an insurance holding company on August 26, 1986. See “Business - History and Organizational Structure” for more information. Our insurance subsidiaries are Atlantic States Insurance Company (“Atlantic States”), Michigan Insurance Company (“MICO”), The Peninsula Insurance Company and its wholly owned subsidiary, Peninsula Indemnity Company (collectively, “Peninsula”), and Southern Insurance Company of Virginia (“Southern”). Our insurance subsidiaries and their affiliates write commercial and personal lines of property and casualty coverages exclusively through a network of independent insurance agents in certain Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Southern and Southwestern states. The commercial lines products of our insurance subsidiaries consist primarily of commercial automobile, commercial multi-peril and workers’ compensation policies. The personal lines products of our insurance subsidiaries consist primarily of homeowners and private passenger automobile policies.

At December 31, 2025, Donegal Mutual held approximately 44% of our outstanding Class A common stock and approximately 85% of our outstanding Class B common stock. This ownership provides Donegal Mutual with approximately 70% of the combined voting power of our outstanding shares of Class A common stock and our outstanding shares of Class B common stock.

Donegal Mutual and Atlantic States have participated in a proportional reinsurance agreement, or pooling agreement, since 1986. Under the pooling agreement, Donegal Mutual and Atlantic States contribute substantially all of their respective premiums, losses and loss expenses to the underwriting pool, and the underwriting pool, acting through Donegal Mutual, then allocates 80% of the pooled business to Atlantic States. Thus, Donegal Mutual and Atlantic States share the underwriting results of the pooled business in proportion to their respective participation in the underwriting pool. The operations of our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual are interrelated due to the pooling agreement and other factors. While maintaining the separate corporate existence of each company, our insurance subsidiaries conduct business together with Donegal Mutual and its insurance subsidiaries as the Donegal Insurance Group. The Donegal Insurance Group is not a legal entity, is not an insurance company and does not issue or administer insurance policies. Rather, it is a trade name that refers to the group of insurance companies that are affiliated with Donegal Mutual. See “Business - Relationship with Donegal Mutual” for more information regarding the pooling agreement and other transactions with our affiliates.

Donegal Mutual and our insurance subsidiaries operate together as the Donegal Insurance Group and share a combined business plan designed to achieve market penetration and underwriting profitability objectives. The products our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual offer are generally complementary, thereby allowing Donegal Insurance Group to offer a broader range of products to a given market and to expand Donegal Insurance Group’s ability to service an entire personal lines or commercial lines account. Distinctions within the products of Donegal Mutual and our insurance subsidiaries generally allow the individual companies to manage certain risk segments through variations in coverage, terms and pricing. Therefore, the underwriting profitability of the business the individual companies write directly will vary. However, because the pool homogenizes the risk characteristics of the predominant percentage of the business Donegal Mutual and Atlantic States write directly and each company shares the underwriting results according to each company’s participation percentage, each company realizes its percentage share of the underwriting results of the pool.

In July 2013, our board of directors authorized a share repurchase program pursuant to which we have the authority to purchase up to 500,000 additional shares of our Class A common stock at prices prevailing from time to time in the open market subject to the provisions of the SEC Rule 10b-18 and in privately negotiated transactions. We did not purchase any shares of our Class A common stock under this program during 2025 or 2024. We have purchased a total of 57,658 shares of our Class A common stock under this program from its inception through December 31, 2025.

On April 29, 2022, Donegal Mutual disclosed that it will, at its discretion, purchase shares of our Class A common stock and our Class B common stock at market prices prevailing from time to time in the open market subject to the provisions of SEC Rule 10b-18 and in privately negotiated transactions. Such disclosure did not stipulate a maximum number of shares that may be purchased under this program. Donegal Mutual purchased 776,332 and 1,057,282 shares of our Class A common stock during 2025 and 2024, respectively. Donegal Mutual purchased 43,404 shares of our Class B common stock during 2025. Donegal Mutual did not purchase any shares of our Class B common stock during 2024.

Index

In September 2025, Donegal Mutual and Southern entered into a renewal rights agreement with an affiliate of a farm-focused Pennsylvania-based mutual insurance group to provide a continuation option for their farm policyholders when they begin to non-renew all farm policies as they expire beginning in the second quarter of 2026. Donegal Mutual and Southern determined that the costs required to modernize the legacy farm product and systems were higher than the projected return on investment for this non-core line of business that represents approximately $6 million in premiums. None of our other insurance subsidiaries offered farm policies. We currently include farm policies within other commercial lines in our line of business reporting.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

We combine our financial statements with those of our insurance subsidiaries and present them on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP.

Our insurance subsidiaries make estimates and assumptions that can have a significant effect on amounts and disclosures we report in our financial statements. The most significant estimates relate to the reserves of our insurance subsidiaries for property and casualty insurance unpaid losses and loss expenses. While we believe our estimates and the estimates of our insurance subsidiaries are appropriate, the ultimate amounts may differ from the estimates we provided. We regularly review our methods for making these estimates, and we reflect any adjustment we consider necessary in our results of operations for the period in which we make an adjustment.

Liability for Losses and Loss Expenses

Liabilities for losses and loss expenses are estimates at a given point in time of the amounts an insurer expects to pay with respect to incurred policyholder claims based on facts and circumstances the insurer knows at that point in time. For example, legislative, judicial and regulatory actions may expand coverage definitions, retroactively mandate coverage or otherwise require our insurance subsidiaries to pay losses for damages that their policies explicitly excluded or did not intend to cover. At the time of establishing its estimates, an insurer recognizes that its ultimate liability for losses and loss expenses will exceed or be less than such estimates. Our insurance subsidiaries base their estimates of liabilities for losses and loss expenses on assumptions as to future loss trends, expected claims severity, judicial theories of liability and other factors. However, during the loss adjustment period, our insurance subsidiaries may learn additional facts regarding individual claims, and, consequently, it often becomes necessary for our insurance subsidiaries to refine and adjust their estimates for these liabilities. We reflect any adjustments to the liabilities for losses and loss expenses of our insurance subsidiaries in our consolidated results of operations in the period in which our insurance subsidiaries make adjustments to their estimates.

Our insurance subsidiaries maintain liabilities for the payment of losses and loss expenses with respect to both reported and unreported claims. Our insurance subsidiaries establish these liabilities for the purpose of covering the ultimate costs of settling all losses, including investigation and litigation costs. Our insurance subsidiaries base the amount of their liability for reported losses primarily upon a case-by-case evaluation of the type of risk involved, knowledge of the circumstances surrounding each claim and the insurance policy provisions relating to the type of loss the policyholder incurred. Our insurance subsidiaries determine the amount of their liability for unreported claims and loss expenses on the basis of historical information by line of insurance. Our insurance subsidiaries account for inflation in the reserving function through analysis of costs and trends and reviews of historical reserving results. Our insurance subsidiaries monitor their liabilities closely and recompute them periodically using new information on reported claims and a variety of statistical techniques. Our insurance subsidiaries do not discount their liabilities for losses and loss expenses.

Index

Reserve estimates can change over time because of unexpected changes in assumptions related to our insurance subsidiaries’ external environment and, to a lesser extent, assumptions related to our insurance subsidiaries’ internal operations. For example, our insurance subsidiaries have experienced an increase in claims severity and a lengthening of the claim settlement periods on bodily injury claims during the past several years. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic and related government mandates and restrictions resulted in various changes from historical claims reporting and settlement trends during 2020 and resulted in significant increases in loss costs in several following years due to a number of factors, including supply chain disruption, higher new and used automobile values, increases in the cost of replacement automobile parts and rising labor rates. These trend changes caused significant disruption to historical loss patterns and gave rise to greater uncertainty as to the pattern of future loss settlements. Uncertainties regarding future trends include social inflation, availability and cost of replacement automobile parts and building materials, availability and cost of skilled labor, the rate of specialized plaintiff attorney involvement in claims, plaintiff attorney utilization of litigation financing and the cost of medical technologies and procedures. Assumptions related to our insurance subsidiaries’ external environment include the absence of significant changes in tort law and the legal environment that increase liability exposure, consistency in judicial interpretations of insurance coverage and policy provisions and the rate of loss cost inflation. Internal assumptions include consistency in the recording of premium and loss statistics, consistency in the recording of claims, payment and case reserving methodology, accurate measurement of the impact of rate changes and changes in policy provisions, consistency in the quality and characteristics of business written within a given line of business and consistency in reinsurance coverage and collectability of reinsured losses, among other items. To the extent our insurance subsidiaries determine that underlying factors impacting their assumptions have changed, our insurance subsidiaries make adjustments in their reserves that they consider appropriate for such changes. Accordingly, our insurance subsidiaries’ ultimate liability for unpaid losses and loss expenses will likely differ from the amount recorded at December 31, 2025. For every 1% change in our insurance subsidiaries’ loss and loss expense reserves, net of reinsurance recoverable, the effect on our pre-tax results of operations would be approximately $7.1   million.

The establishment of appropriate liabilities is an inherently uncertain process and we can provide no assurance that our insurance subsidiaries’ ultimate liability will not exceed our insurance subsidiaries’ loss and loss expense reserves and have an adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition. Furthermore, we cannot predict the timing, frequency and extent of adjustments to our insurance subsidiaries’ estimated future liabilities, because the historical conditions and events that serve as a basis for our insurance subsidiaries’ estimates of ultimate claim costs may change. As is the case for substantially all property and casualty insurance companies, our insurance subsidiaries have found it necessary in the past to increase their estimated future liabilities for losses and loss expenses in certain periods and, in other periods, their estimated future liabilities for losses and loss expenses have exceeded their actual liabilities for losses and loss expenses. Changes in our insurance subsidiaries’ estimates of their liability for losses and loss expenses generally reflect actual payments and their evaluation of information received subsequent to the prior reporting period.

Our insurance subsidiaries recognized a decrease in their liability for losses and loss expenses of prior years of $10.3 million, $15.0 million and $16.7 million in 2025, 2024 and 2023, respectively. Our insurance subsidiaries made no significant changes in their reserving philosophy or claims management personnel, and they have made no significant offsetting changes in estimates that increased or decreased their loss and loss expense reserves in those years. The 2025 development represented 1.5% of the December 31, 2024 net carried reserves and resulted primarily from lower-than-expected loss emergence in all lines of business except other commercial lines (which is primarily commercial umbrella liability) for accident years prior to 2025. The majority of the 2025 development related to decreases in the liability for losses and loss expenses of prior years for Southern and Peninsula. The 2024 development represented 2.2% of the December 31, 2023 net carried reserves and resulted primarily from lower-than-expected loss emergence in the commercial multi-peril, personal automobile and homeowner lines of business, offset partially by higher-than-expected loss emergence in the workers’ compensation and commercial automobile lines of business, for accident years prior to 2024. The majority of the 2024 development related to decreases in the liability for losses and loss expenses of prior years for Atlantic States and MICO. The 2023 development represented 2.5% of the December 31, 2022 net carried reserves and resulted primarily from lower-than-expected loss emergence in the personal automobile and commercial automobile lines of business for accident years prior to 2023. The majority of the 2023 development related to decreases in the liability for losses and loss expenses of prior years for Atlantic States and MICO.

Index

Excluding the impact of severe weather events and the COVID-19 pandemic, our insurance subsidiaries have noted stable amounts in the number of claims incurred and the number of claims outstanding at period ends relative to their premium base in recent years across most of their lines of business. However, the amount of the average claim outstanding has increased gradually over the past several years due to various factors such as increased property and automobile repair and replacement costs, rising medical loss costs and increased litigation trends and lengthening of repair completion times for property and automobile claims. We have also experienced a general slowing of settlement rates in litigated claims. Our insurance subsidiaries could have to make further adjustments to their estimates in the future. However, on the basis of our insurance subsidiaries’ internal procedures, which analyze, among other things, their prior assumptions, their experience with similar cases and historical trends such as reserving patterns, loss payments, pending levels of unpaid claims and product mix, as well as court decisions, economic conditions and public attitudes, we believe that our insurance subsidiaries have made adequate provision for their liability for losses and loss expenses.

Atlantic States’ participation in the underwriting pool with Donegal Mutual exposes Atlantic States to adverse loss development on the business that Donegal Mutual contributes to the underwriting pool. However, pooled business represents the predominant percentage of the net underwriting activity of both companies, and Donegal Mutual and Atlantic States share proportionately any adverse risk development relating to the pooled business. The business in the underwriting pool is homogeneous and each company has a pro-rata share of the entire underwriting pool. Since the predominant percentage of the business of Atlantic States and Donegal Mutual is pooled and the results shared by each company according to its participation level under the terms of the pooling agreement, the intent of the underwriting pool is to produce a more uniform and stable underwriting result from year to year for each company than either would experience individually and to spread the risk of loss between the companies.

Index

Our insurance subsidiaries’ liability for losses and loss expenses by major line of business at December 31, 2025 and 2024 consisted of the following:

(in thousands)

Commercial lines:

Automobile

Workers’ compensation

Commercial multi-peril

Other

Total commercial lines

Personal lines:

Automobile

Homeowners

Other

Total personal lines

Total commercial and personal lines

Plus reinsurance recoverable

Total liability for losses and loss expenses

We have evaluated the effect on our insurance subsidiaries’ loss and loss expense reserves and our stockholders’ equity in the event of reasonably likely changes in the variables we consider in establishing loss and loss expense reserves. We established the range of reasonably likely changes based on a review of changes in accident year development by line of business and applied it to our insurance subsidiaries’ loss reserves as a whole. The selected range does not necessarily indicate what could be the potential best or worst case or the most-likely scenario. The following table sets forth the effect on our insurance subsidiaries’ loss and loss expense reserves and our stockholders’ equity in the event of reasonably likely changes in the variables considered in establishing loss and loss expense reserves:

Change in Loss and Loss

Expense Reserves Net of

Reinsurance

Adjusted Loss and Loss

Expense Reserves Net of

Reinsurance at

December 31, 2025

Percentage Change in

Equity at

December 31, 2025(1)

Adjusted Loss and Loss

Expense Reserves Net of

Reinsurance at

December 31, 2024

Percentage Change in

Equity at

December 31, 2024(1)

(dollars in thousands)

Base

Net of income tax effect.

Index

Our insurance subsidiaries base their reserves for unpaid losses and loss expenses on current trends in loss and loss expense development and reflect their best estimates for future amounts needed to pay losses and loss expenses with respect to incurred events currently known to them plus incurred but not reported (“IBNR”) claims. Our insurance subsidiaries develop their reserve estimates based on an assessment of known facts and circumstances, review of historical loss settlement patterns, estimates of trends in claims severity, frequency, legal and regulatory changes and other assumptions. Our insurance subsidiaries consistently apply actuarial loss reserving techniques and assumptions, which rely on historical information as adjusted to reflect current conditions, including consideration of recent case reserve activity. Our insurance subsidiaries use the point estimate their actuaries select. For the year ended December 31, 2025, the actuaries developed a range from a low of $666.6 million to a high of $746.1 million and selected a point estimate of $705.2 million. The actuaries’ range of estimates for commercial lines in 2025 was $543.0 million to $607.8 million, and the actuaries selected a point estimate of $574.4 million. The actuaries’ range of estimates for personal lines in 2025 was $123.5 million to $138.3 million, and the actuaries selected a point estimate of $130.8 million. For the year ended December 31, 2024, the actuaries developed a range from a low of $672.1 million to a high of $740.4 million and selected a point estimate of $704.4 million. The actuaries’ range of estimates for commercial lines in 2024 was $533.0 million to $587.5 million, and the actuaries selected a point estimate of $558.2 million. The actuaries’ range of estimates for personal lines in 2024 was $139.1 million to $153.0 million, and the actuaries selected a point estimate of $146.2 million.

Our insurance subsidiaries seek to enhance their underwriting results by carefully selecting the product lines they underwrite. For personal lines products, our insurance subsidiaries insure standard and preferred risks in private passenger automobile and homeowners lines. For commercial lines products, the commercial risks that our insurance subsidiaries primarily insure are business offices, wholesalers, service providers, contractors, artisans and light manufacturing operations. Our insurance subsidiaries have limited exposure to asbestos and other environmental liabilities. Through the consistent application of this disciplined underwriting philosophy, our insurance subsidiaries have avoided many of the “long-tail” issues other insurance companies have faced. We consider workers’ compensation to be a “long-tail” line of business, in that workers’ compensation claims tend to be settled over a longer time frame than those in the other lines of business of our insurance subsidiaries.

The following table presents 2025 and 2024 claim count and payment amount information for workers’ compensation. Workers’ compensation losses primarily consist of indemnity and medical costs for injured workers.

For the Year Ended December 31,

(dollars in thousands)

Number of claims pending, beginning of period

Number of claims reported

Number of claims settled or dismissed

Number of claims pending, end of period

Losses paid

Loss expenses paid

Management Evaluation of Operating Results

We believe that our focused business strategy has positioned us well for 2026 and beyond. Because our insurance subsidiaries do not prepare GAAP financial statements, we evaluate the performance of our commercial lines and personal lines segments utilizing statutory accounting practices (“SAP”), which include financial measures that reflect the growth trends and underwriting results of our insurance subsidiaries.

Index

We use the following financial data to monitor and evaluate our operating results:

Year Ended December 31,

(in thousands)

Net premiums written:

Commercial lines:

Automobile

Workers’ compensation

Commercial multi-peril

Other

Total commercial lines

Personal lines:

Automobile

Homeowners

Other

Total personal lines

Total net premiums written

Components of combined ratio:

Loss ratio

Expense ratio

Dividend ratio

Combined ratio

Revenues:

Net premiums earned:

Commercial lines

Personal lines

Total net premiums earned

Net investment income

Investment gains

Other

Total revenues

Year Ended December 31,

(in thousands)

Components of net income:

Underwriting income (loss):

Commercial lines

Personal lines

SAP underwriting income (loss)

GAAP adjustments

GAAP underwriting income (loss)

Net investment income

Investment gains

Other

Income before income tax expense

Income tax expense

Net income

Index

Non-GAAP Information

We prepare our consolidated financial statements on the basis of GAAP. Our insurance subsidiaries prepare financial statements based on SAP. SAP financial measures are considered non-GAAP financial measures under applicable SEC rules because the SAP financial measures include or exclude certain items that the most comparable GAAP financial measures do not ordinarily include or exclude. Our calculation of non-GAAP financial measures may differ from similar measures other companies use. As a result, investors should exercise caution when comparing our non-GAAP financial measures to the non-GAAP financial measures other companies use. The SAP financial measures we utilize are net premiums written and statutory combined ratio.

Net Premiums Written

We define net premiums written as the amount of full-term premiums our insurance subsidiaries record for policies effective within a given period less premiums our insurance subsidiaries cede to reinsurers. Net premiums earned is the most comparable GAAP financial measure to net premiums written. Net premiums earned represent the sum of the amount of net premiums written and the change in net unearned premiums during a given period. Our insurance subsidiaries earn premiums and recognize them as revenue over the terms of their policies, which are one year or less in duration. Therefore, increases or decreases in net premiums earned generally reflect increases or decreases in net premiums written in the preceding 12-month period compared to the comparable period one year earlier.

The following table provides a reconciliation of our net premiums earned to our net premiums written for 2025:

(in thousands)

Commercial Lines

Personal

Lines

Total

Net premiums earned

Change in net unearned premiums

Net premiums written

The following table provides a reconciliation of our net premiums earned to our net premiums written for 2024:

(in thousands)

Commercial Lines

Personal

Lines

Total

Net premiums earned

Change in net unearned premiums

Net premiums written

The following table provides a reconciliation of our net premiums earned to our net premiums written for 2023:

(in thousands)

Commercial Lines

Personal

Lines

Total

Net premiums earned

Change in net unearned premiums

Net premiums written

Statutory Combined Ratio

The combined ratio is a standard measurement of underwriting profitability for an insurance company. The combined ratio does not reflect investment income, net investment gains or losses, federal income taxes or other non-operating income or expense. A combined ratio of less than 100% generally indicates underwriting profitability.

The statutory combined ratio is a non-GAAP financial measure that is based upon amounts determined under SAP. We calculate our statutory combined ratio as the sum of:

Index

the statutory loss ratio, which is the ratio of calendar-year net incurred losses and loss expenses to net premiums earned;

the statutory expense ratio, which is the ratio of expenses incurred for net commissions, premium taxes and underwriting expenses to net premiums written; and

the statutory dividend ratio, which is the ratio of dividends to holders of workers’ compensation policies to net premiums earned.

The calculation of our statutory combined ratio differs from the calculation of our GAAP combined ratio. In calculating our GAAP combined ratio, we do not deduct installment payment fees from incurred expenses, and we base the expense ratio on net premiums earned instead of net premiums written. Differences between our GAAP loss ratio and our statutory loss ratio result from anticipating salvage and subrogation recoveries for our GAAP loss ratio but not for our statutory loss ratio.

The following table presents comparative details with respect to our GAAP and statutory combined ratios for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023:

Year Ended December 31,

GAAP Combined Ratios (Total Lines)

Loss ratio - core losses

Loss ratio - weather-related losses

Loss ratio - large fire losses

Loss ratio - net prior-year reserve development

Loss ratio

Expense ratio

Dividend ratio

Combined ratio

Statutory Combined Ratios

Commercial lines:

Automobile

Workers’ compensation

Commercial multi-peril

Other

Total commercial lines

Personal lines:

Automobile

Homeowners

Other

Total personal lines

Total commercial and personal lines

Index

Results of Operations

YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2025 COMPARED TO YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2024

Net Premiums Earned

Our insurance subsidiaries’ net premiums earned decreased to $921.2   million for 2025, a decrease of $15.5 million, or 1.7%, compared to 2024, primarily reflecting lower new business writings, offset partially by solid premium retention and renewal premium increases. Our insurance subsidiaries earn premiums and recognize them as income over the terms of the policies they issue. Such terms are generally one year or less in duration. Therefore, increases or decreases in net premiums earned generally reflect increases or decreases in net premiums written in the preceding twelve-month period compared to the same period one year earlier.

Net Premiums Written

Our insurance subsidiaries’ 2025 net premiums written decreased 4.0% to $904.8 million, compared to $942.3 million for 2024. Commercial lines net premiums written increased $16.0 million, or 2.9%, for 2025 compared to 2024. We attribute the increase in commercial lines net premiums written primarily to solid premium retention and a continuation of renewal premium increases in lines other than workers’ compensation, offset partially by lower new business writings. Personal lines net premiums written decreased $53.5 million, or 13.6%, for 2025 compared to 2024. We attribute the decrease in personal lines net premiums written primarily to planned attrition due to lower new business writings and strategic non-renewal actions, offset partially by a continuation of renewal premium rate increases and solid retention.

Investment Income

For 2025, our net investment income increased 17.2% to $52.6 million, compared to $44.9 million for 2024, due primarily to higher average invested assets and an increase in the average investment yield compared to the prior year.

Net Investment Gains

Our net investment gains for 2025 were $619,342, compared to $5.0 million for 2024. The net investment gains for 2025 and 2024 were primarily related to increases in the market value of the equity securities held at the end of the respective periods, with the increase in 2025 offset largely by net realized investment losses on the strategic sales of available-for-sale fixed-maturity securities. We did not recognize any impairment losses during 2025 or 2024.

Losses and Loss Expenses

Our insurance subsidiaries’ loss ratio, which is the ratio of incurred losses and loss expenses to premiums earned, was 61.3% for 2025, compared to 64.5% for 2024. Our insurance subsidiaries’ commercial lines loss ratio increased slightly to 62.1% for 2025, compared to 62.0% for 2024. The commercial multi-peril loss ratio decreased to 56.4% for 2025, compared to 57.5% for 2024. The commercial automobile loss ratio decreased to 63.5% for 2025, compared to 68.5% for 2024. The workers’ compensation loss ratio decreased to 67.4% for 2025, compared to 67.7% for 2024. The personal lines loss ratio decreased to 60.0% for 2025, compared to 68.0% for 2024, due primarily to the continued benefit of earned premium rate increases and lower weather-related losses. The personal automobile loss ratio decreased to 57.7% for 2025, compared to 68.5% for 2024. The homeowners loss ratio decreased to 66.0% for 2025, compared to 66.7% for 2024. Our insurance subsidiaries experienced favorable loss reserve development of approximately $10.3 million, or 1.1   percentage points of the loss ratio, during 2025 in their reserves for prior accident years, compared to approximately $15.0 million, or 1.6 percentage points of the loss ratio, during 2024. The favorable loss reserve development in 2025 resulted primarily from lower-than-expected loss emergence in the commercial multi-peril, personal automobile, commercial automobile, homeowners, other personal lines and workers’ compensation lines of business, offset partially by unfavorable development in the other commercial lines of business (which is primarily umbrella liability). Weather-related losses of $56.9 million, or 6.2 percentage points of the loss ratio, for 2025 decreased from $67.7 million, or 7.2 percentage points of the loss ratio, for 2024, with the decrease primarily impacting the commercial multi-peril and homeowners lines of business. Large fire losses, which we define as individual fire losses in excess of $50,000, were $43.9 million, or 4.8 percentage points of the loss ratio, for 2025, compared to $45.8 million, or 4.9 percentage points of the loss ratio, for 2024.

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Underwriting Expenses

Our insurance subsidiaries’ expense ratio, which is the ratio of policy acquisition and other underwriting expenses to premiums earned, was 33.8% for 2025, compared to 33.7% for 2024. The impact from costs that Donegal Mutual Insurance Company allocated to our insurance subsidiaries related to its systems modernization project represented approximately 1.2 percentage points of the expense ratio for 2025.

Policyholder Dividends

Our insurance subsidiaries pay policyholder dividends primarily on workers’ compensation policies on a sliding scale based on the profitability of a given policy.

Combined Ratio

Our insurance subsidiaries’ combined ratio was 95.4% and 98.6% for 2025 and 2024, respectively. The combined ratio represents the sum of the loss ratio, the expense ratio and the dividend ratio, which is the ratio of workers’ compensation policy dividends incurred to premiums earned. We attribute the decrease in our combined ratio primarily to the decrease in the loss ratio.

Interest Expense

Our interest expense for 2025 increased to $1.4 million, compared to $946,020 for 2024. We attribute the increase to higher interest rates on borrowings under our lines of credit during 2025 compared to 2024.

Income Taxes

Our income tax expense was $18.3 million for 2025, compared to $11.5 million for 2024. Our effective tax rate for 2025 and 2024 was 18.7% and 18.4%, respectively.

Net Income and Earnings Per Share

Our net income for 2025 was $79.3 million, or $2.18 per share of Class A common stock on a diluted basis and $2.01 per share of Class B common stock, compared to $50.9 million, or $1.53 per share of Class A common stock on a diluted basis and $1.38 per share of Class B common stock, for 2024. We had 31.4 million and 30.0 million Class A shares outstanding at December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. We had 5.6 million Class B shares outstanding for both periods. There are no outstanding securities that dilute our shares of Class B common stock.

Book Value Per Share

Our stockholders’ equity increased by $94.6 million during 2025, primarily due to our net income, after-tax unrealized gains within our available-for-sale fixed-maturity portfolio and other increases, offset partially by the cash dividends we declared during the year, resulting in an increase in our book value per share to $17.33 at December 31, 2025, compared to $15.36 a year earlier.

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YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2024 COMPARED TO YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2023

Net Premiums Earned

Our insurance subsidiaries’ net premiums earned increased to $936.7 million for 2024, an increase of $54.6 million, or 6.2%, compared to 2023, primarily reflecting solid premium retention and renewal premium increases. Our insurance subsidiaries earn premiums and recognize them as income over the terms of the policies they issue. Such terms are generally one year or less in duration. Therefore, increases or decreases in net premiums earned generally reflect increases or decreases in net premiums written in the preceding twelve-month period compared to the same period one year earlier.

Net Premiums Written

Our insurance subsidiaries’ 2024 net premiums written increased 5.2% to $942.3 million, compared to $895.7 million for 2023. Commercial lines net premiums written increased $19.5 million, or 3.7%, for 2024 compared to 2023. We attribute the increase in commercial lines net premiums written primarily to strong premium retention and a continuation of renewal premium increases in lines other than workers’ compensation, offset partially by planned attrition in states we exited or classes of business we have targeted for profit improvement. Personal lines net premiums written increased $27.1 million, or 7.4%, for 2024 compared to 2023. We attribute the increase in personal lines net premiums written primarily to renewal premium rate increases and solid policy retention, offset partially by planned attrition due to non-renewal actions and lower new business writings.

Investment Income

For 2024, our net investment income increased 10.0% to $44.9 million, compared to $40.9 million for 2023, due primarily to higher average reinvestment yields and higher average invested assets for 2024 compared to 2023.

Net Investment Gains

Our net investment gains for 2024 were $5.0 million, compared to $3.2 million for 2023. The net investment gains for 2024 and 2023 were primarily related to increases in the market value of the equity securities held at the end of the respective periods. We did not recognize any impairment losses during 2024 or 2023.

Losses and Loss Expenses

Our insurance subsidiaries’ loss ratio, which is the ratio of incurred losses and loss expenses to premiums earned, was 64.5% for 2024, compared to 69.1% for 2023. Our insurance subsidiaries’ commercial lines loss ratio decreased to 62.0% for 2024, compared to 64.8% for 2023. This decrease resulted primarily from the commercial multi-peril loss ratio decreasing to 57.5% for 2024, compared to 73.1% for 2023, primarily due to a decrease in severity of non-weather claims, offset partially by increases in the commercial automobile and workers’ compensation loss ratios due primarily to increases in loss emergence for prior accident years. The commercial automobile loss ratio increased to 68.5% for 2024, compared to 63.0% for 2023. The workers’ compensation loss ratio increased to 67.7% for 2024, compared to 59.0% for 2023. The personal lines loss ratio decreased to 68.0% for 2024, compared to 75.6% for 2023, due primarily to increases in net premiums earned related to premium rate increases. The personal automobile loss ratio decreased to 68.5% for 2024, compared to 78.5% for 2023. The homeowners loss ratio decreased to 66.7% for 2024, compared to 73.6% for 2023. Our insurance subsidiaries experienced favorable loss reserve development of approximately $15.0 million, or 1.6   percentage points of the loss ratio, during 2024 in their reserves for prior accident years, compared to approximately $16.7 million, or 1.9 percentage points of the loss ratio, during 2023. The favorable loss reserve development in 2024 resulted primarily from lower-than-expected loss emergence in the commercial multi-peril, personal automobile and homeowner lines of business, offset partially by higher-than-expected loss emergence in the workers’ compensation and commercial automobile lines of business, for accident years prior to 2024. Weather-related losses of $67.7 million, or 7.2 percentage points of the loss ratio, for 2024 increased from $72.9 million, or 8.3 percentage points of the loss ratio, for 2023, with the decrease primarily impacting the commercial multi-peril and homeowners lines of business. Large fire losses, which we define as individual fire losses in excess of $50,000, were $45.8 million, or 4.9 percentage points of the loss ratio, for 2024, compared to $45.4 million, or 5.2 percentage points of the loss ratio, for 2023.

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Underwriting Expenses

Our insurance subsidiaries’ expense ratio, which is the ratio of policy acquisition and other underwriting expenses to premiums earned, was 33.7% for 2024, compared to 34.7% for 2023. We attribute the decrease to the impacts of various expense reduction initiatives, including agency incentive program revisions, commission schedule adjustments, targeted staffing reductions, and hiring restrictions for open employment positions, among others. These impacts were offset partially by an increase in underwriting-based incentive costs as well as higher technology systems-related expenses that were primarily due to increased costs related to our ongoing systems modernization project, a portion of which Donegal Mutual Insurance Company allocates to our insurance subsidiaries. We expect the impact from allocated costs from Donegal Mutual Insurance Company to our insurance subsidiaries related to the ongoing systems modernization project peaked at approximately 1.3 percentage points of the expense ratio for 2024 and will subside gradually in 2025 and subsequent years.

Policyholder Dividends

Our insurance subsidiaries pay policyholder dividends primarily on workers’ compensation policies on a sliding scale based on the profitability of a given policy.

Combined Ratio

Our insurance subsidiaries’ combined ratio was 98.6% and 104.4% for 2024 and 2023, respectively. The combined ratio represents the sum of the loss ratio, the expense ratio and the dividend ratio, which is the ratio of workers’ compensation policy dividends incurred to premiums earned. We attribute the decrease in our combined ratio primarily to the decreases in the loss and expense ratios.

Interest Expense

Our interest expense for 2024 increased to $946,020, compared to $619,813 for 2023. We attribute the increase to higher interest rates on borrowings under our lines of credit during 2024 compared to 2023.

Income Taxes

Our income tax expense was $11.5 million for 2024, compared to $637,972 for 2023. Our effective tax rate for 2024 and 2023 was 18.4% and 12.6%, respectively.

Net Income and Earnings Per Share

Our net income for 2024 was $50.9 million, or $1.53 per share of Class A common stock on a diluted basis and $1.38 per share of Class B common stock, compared to $4.4 million, or $0.14 per share of Class A common stock on a diluted basis and $0.11 per share of Class B common stock, for 2023. We had 30.0 million and 27.8 million Class A shares outstanding at December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. We had 5.6 million Class B shares outstanding for both periods. There are no outstanding securities that dilute our shares of Class B common stock.

Book Value Per Share

Our stockholders’ equity increased by $66.0 million during 2024, primarily due to our net income, stock issuances under our stock compensation plans and other increases exceeding the cash dividends we declared during the year and resulting in an increase in our book value per share to $15.36 at December 31, 2024, compared to $14.39 a year earlier.

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Financial Condition

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Liquidity is a measure of an entity’s ability to secure enough cash to meet its contractual obligations and operating needs as they arise. Our major sources of funds from operations are the net cash flows generated from our insurance subsidiaries’ underwriting results, investment income and maturing investments.

We have historically generated sufficient net positive cash flow from our operations to fund our commitments and build our investment portfolio, thereby increasing future investment returns. The pooling agreement with Donegal Mutual historically has been cash flow positive because of the profitability of the underwriting pool. Because we settle the pool monthly, our cash flows are substantially similar to the cash flows that would result from the underwriting of direct business. We maintain a high degree of liquidity in our investment portfolio in the form of marketable fixed maturities, equity securities and short-term investments. We structure our fixed-maturity investment portfolio following a “laddering” approach so that projected cash flows from investment income and principal maturities are evenly distributed from a timing perspective. This laddering approach provides an additional measure of liquidity to meet our obligations and the obligations of our insurance subsidiaries should an unexpected variation occur in the future. Net cash flows provided by operating activities in 2025, 2024 and 2023 were $70.2 million, $67.4 million and $28.6 million, respectively.

At December 31, 2025, we had no outstanding borrowings under our line of credit with M&T and had the ability to borrow up to $20.0 million at interest rates equal to the then-current Term SOFR rate plus 2.11%. At December 31, 2025, Atlantic States had a $35.0 million outstanding advance with the FHLB of Pittsburgh that carries a fixed interest rate of 3.806% and is due in September 2026. We discuss in Note 9 – Borrowings our estimate of the timing of the amounts payable for the borrowings under our lines of credit based on their contractual maturities.

We estimate the timing of claim payments associated with the liabilities for losses and loss expenses of our insurance subsidiaries based on historical experience and expectations of future payment patterns. Amounts Atlantic States assumes pursuant to the pooling agreement with Donegal Mutual represent a substantial portion of our insurance subsidiaries’ gross liabilities for losses and loss expenses, and amounts Atlantic States cedes pursuant to the pooling agreement represent a substantial portion of our insurance subsidiaries’ reinsurance recoverable on unpaid losses and loss expenses. We include cash settlement of Atlantic States’ assumed liabilities from the pool in monthly settlements of pooled activity, as we net amounts ceded to and assumed from the pool. Although Donegal Mutual and we do not anticipate any changes in the pool participation levels in the foreseeable future, any such change would be prospective in nature and therefore would not impact the timing of expected payments by Atlantic States for its percentage share of pooled losses occurring in periods prior to the effective date of such change.

The cash dividends we declared to our stockholders totaled $26.3 million, $23.2   million and $22.2 million in 2025, 2024 and 2023, respectively. There are no regulatory restrictions on our payment of dividends to our stockholders, although there are restrictions under applicable state laws on the payment of dividends from our insurance subsidiaries to us, which is a significant source of cash for payment of stockholder dividends by us. Our insurance subsidiaries are required by law to maintain certain minimum surplus on a statutory basis and are subject to regulations under which their payment of dividends from statutory surplus is restricted and may require prior approval of their domiciliary insurance regulatory authorities. Our insurance subsidiaries are also subject to risk-based capital (“RBC”) requirements. The amount of statutory capital and surplus necessary for our insurance subsidiaries to satisfy regulatory requirements, including the RBC requirements, was not significant in relation to our insurance subsidiaries’ statutory capital and surplus at December 31, 2025. Amounts available for distribution to us as dividends from our insurance subsidiaries without prior approval of insurance regulatory authorities in 2026 are approximately $50.8 million from Atlantic States, $10.2 million from MICO and $5.4 million from Peninsula, or a total of approximately $66.4 million.

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Investments

At December 31, 2025 and 2024, our investment portfolio of primarily investment-grade bonds, common stock, short-term investments and cash totaled $1.5 billion and $1.4 billion, respectively, representing 64.0% and 61.6%, respectively, of our total assets. See “Business - Investments” for more information.

December 31,

Percent of

Percent of

(dollars in thousands)

Amount

Total

Amount

Total

Fixed maturities:

Total held to maturity

Total available for sale

Total fixed maturities

Equity securities

Short-term investments

Total investments

The carrying value of our fixed maturity investments represented 94.5% and 95.6% of our total invested assets at December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively.

Our fixed maturity investments consisted of high-quality marketable bonds, of which 96.4% and 95.6% were rated at investment-grade levels at December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively.

At December 31, 2025, the net unrealized loss on our available-for-sale fixed maturity investments, net of deferred taxes, amounted to $7.6 million, compared to $27.4 million at December 31, 2024.

Impact of Inflation

Our insurance subsidiaries establish their property and casualty insurance premium rates before they know the amount of losses and loss settlement expenses or the extent to which inflation may impact such expenses. Consequently, our insurance subsidiaries attempt, in establishing rates, to anticipate the potential future impact of inflation. Our insurance subsidiaries account for inflation in the reserving function through analysis of costs and trends and reviews of historical reserving results.

Impact of Changing Climate Conditions

Insured losses from severe weather events could significantly impact the underwriting results of our insurance subsidiaries. Losses from catastrophic events are a function of both the extent of our insurance subsidiaries’ exposures, the frequency and severity of the events themselves and the level of reinsurance coverage our insurance subsidiaries purchase. The increased frequency and severity of weather-related catastrophes and other losses, such as from wildfires and flooding, incurred by the industry in recent years may be indicative of changing weather patterns due to climate change. Should those patterns continue to emerge, increased weather-related catastrophes in the states in which our insurance subsidiaries operate would lead to higher overall losses that they may be unable to offset through pricing actions.

Our insurance subsidiaries seek to reduce their exposure to catastrophe losses through their underwriting strategies and their purchase of catastrophe reinsurance. While the emerging science regarding climate change and its connection to extreme weather events continues to be studied, climate change, to the extent it produces rising temperatures and changes in weather patterns, could affect the frequency and severity of weather events and other losses and thus impact the affordability and availability of catastrophe reinsurance coverage for our insurance subsidiaries. Our insurance subsidiaries’ ability to appropriately manage catastrophe risk depends partially on catastrophe models, which rely on historical data that might not be representative of the frequency and severity of future events. Such models might also be unable to anticipate the uncertain impact of changing climate conditions that tend to occur gradually over time. Because the policies of our insurance subsidiaries renew not less frequently than annually, our insurance subsidiaries have the ability to respond to the impact of changing climate conditions through adjustments to their underwriting standards, pricing, and policy terms and conditions, subject to applicable regulatory approvals.

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Changing climate conditions could lead to new or revised regulations with which our insurance subsidiaries would have to comply. Such regulations could impact the ability of our insurance subsidiaries to manage their exposures in areas impacted by increased weather activity, require our insurance companies to alter the terms and conditions of their policies or impact the ability of our insurance subsidiaries to obtain sufficient pricing increases to offset higher loss activity.

Impact of New Accounting Standards

In September 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the “FASB”) issued guidance that amended previous guidance on the impairment of financial instruments by adding an impairment model that requires an entity to recognize expected credit losses as an allowance rather than impairments as credit losses are incurred. The intent of this guidance is to reduce complexity and result in a more timely recognition of expected credit losses. In November 2019, the FASB issued guidance that delayed the effective date for “smaller reporting companies,” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K, to annual and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2022 from December 15, 2019. We were a smaller reporting company at the time this guidance was issued, and our adoption of this guidance on January 1, 2023 resulted in an after-tax decrease in retained earnings of $1.9 million. The adoption of this guidance did not have a significant impact on our results of operations or cash flows.

In November 2023, the FASB issued guidance that amended previous guidance on the disclosure of reportable segments. The guidance requires disclosure of incremental segment information including the title and position of the individual identified as the chief operating decision maker, a narrative explanation of how the chief operating decision maker uses each reported measure of a segment’s profit or loss in assessing performance and determining how to allocate resources, as well as quantification of significant segment expenses and other items. We refer to Note 18 - Segment Information for further information and disclosure of items required within the amended and enhanced guidance. The adoption of this guidance did not have an impact on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

In December 2023, the FASB issued guidance to enhance the transparency and usefulness of income tax disclosures. The guidance requires disclosure of specific categories in the rate reconciliation table and additional information for reconciling items that meet a quantitative threshold of equal to or greater than 5 percent of the amount computed by multiplying pretax income or loss by the applicable statutory income tax rate. The guidance also requires disaggregated disclosure of the amount of income taxes paid for federal, state and foreign taxes. We refer to Note 11- Income Taxes for further information and disclosure of items required within the amended and enhanced guidance. The adoption of this guidance did not have an impact on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

In November 2024, the FASB issued guidance requiring disaggregated disclosure of income statement expenses in the notes to financial statements. The guidance requires disclosure of certain expenses, including employee compensation, depreciation and selling expenses. The guidance will not impact current income statement expense captions that industry-specific guidance requires. The guidance is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2026. The adoption of this guidance will not have an impact on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

As of December 31, 2025 and 2024, we did not have any off-balance sheet arrangements as defined in Item 303(a)(4)(ii) of Regulation S-K.

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