Item 1A. Risk Factors
Many factors affect our business, financial condition and results of operations, some of which are beyond our control. If any of the following risks or uncertainties occur, our business, financial condition or results of operations may be materially and adversely affected. In that event, the trading price of our securities could decline, and investors could lose all or part of their investment in our securities. Before making an investment in our securities, investors should carefully consider the risk factors discussed below, together with the other information in this report, including the section entitled “ Forward-looking Statements” and “ Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations ,” and the other reports and materials filed by us with the SEC.
RISKS RELATED TO OUR BUSINESS
As a property and casualty insurer, we may experience significant losses, and our financial results may vary from period to period, due to our exposure to catastrophic events and severe weather conditions, the frequency and severity of which could be affected by the unpredictability of future catastrophic events and severe weather conditions.
Our property and casualty insurance operations expose us to risks arising from catastrophes. Catastrophes can be caused by various natural events, including but not limited to hurricanes, tropical storms, tornadoes, windstorms, earthquakes, hail, sinkholes, severe winter weather and fires, or man-made events, such as terrorist attacks (including those involving nuclear, biological, chemical or radiological events), cybercrimes or consequences of war or political instability. We may incur catastrophe losses that exceed the amount of:
catastrophe losses experienced in prior years;
catastrophe losses projected to be incurred, using third-party catastrophe modeling software;
catastrophe loss estimates used to develop prices for our products; or
our current reinsurance coverage (which would cause us to have to pay such excess losses).
The frequency and severity of weather conditions are inherently unpredictable, but the frequency and severity of property claims generally increase when severe weather conditions occur. We write all of our policies in Florida, a state that has experienced significant hurricanes in recent years, which some weather analysts believe is consistent with a period of sustained greater hurricane activity. There is a growing consensus today that climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of catastrophic events or severe weather conditions which, in addition to the attendant increase in claims-related costs, may also cause an increase in our reinsurance costs and/or negatively impact our ability to provide insurance to our policyholders in the future. In addition, increased catastrophic events could result in increased credit exposure to the reinsurers we transact business with. Our actual from events may be larger than anticipated should our reinsurers to meet their obligations.
We cannot predict how legal, regulatory and social responses to concerns around climate change may impact our business. Governmental entities may also respond to climate change by enacting laws and regulations that may increase our cost of providing insurance in the future, which could adversely affect demand.
Catastrophes could be more frequent or severe than contemplated in our pricing and risk management models, and may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations during any reporting period due to increases in our loss and loss adjustment expense. Catastrophes may also reduce liquidity and could impair our ability to maintain existing capital, or raise capital on acceptable terms or
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at all. In addition to catastrophes, the accumulation of losses from several smaller weather-related events in any reporting period may have a similar impact to our results of operations and financial condition.
Because we conduct all of our business in Florida, our financial results substantially depend on, and could be adversely affected by, the regulatory, legal, economic, political, demographic, competitive and weather conditions present in that state.
As of December 31, 2025, all of our policies in-force were written in Florida and all of our TIV was in Florida. Therefore, the prevailing regulatory, legal, economic, political, demographic, competitive, weather and other conditions in Florida will have a significant impact on our revenues and profitability. Furthermore, changes in such conditions in Florida could make doing business in Florida less attractive for us, which could have a more pronounced effect on us than it would on other insurance companies that are more geographically diversified.
In addition, due to Florida’s climate, we are subject to increased exposure to certain catastrophic events such as hurricanes, tropical storms and tornadoes, as well as an increased risk of losses from such events. The occurrence of one or more catastrophic events or other conditions affecting losses in Florida may cause a disproportionately adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.
Because we rely on insurance agents, the loss of these agent relationships, particularly our relationship with AmRisc, or our inability to attract and incentivize new agents could have an adverse impact on our business.
AmCoastal has a managing agency contract (the MGA contract) with AmRisc, pursuant to which AmRisc serves as AmCoastal’s managing general agent for binding and writing commercial residential property lines for condominium, townhome and homeowners association insurance written in Florida. The contract between AmCoastal and AmRisc is exclusive. Under the MGA contract with AmCoastal, AmRisc must produce a certain volume of business for AmCoastal. Therefore, failure of AmRisc to produce the required volume of business could cause us to lose substantial premiums and could require us to seek one or more alternative managing general agents. If we were unable to find one or more replacement managing general agents, our revenues could decrease, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Given the concentration of AmCoastal’s commercial business and operations with AmRisc, AmRisc may have substantial leverage in negotiations with AmCoastal regarding the MGA contract, and amendments to the terms and conditions of the MGA contract or other changes to the commercial relationship between AmRisc and AmCoastal could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Following the or expiration of the MGA contract, AmCoastal’s ability to compete for and solicit renewals of business previously underwritten by AmRisc may be limited by legal, commercial and other , including AmRisc’s relationship with other insurance producers that control the business. Such could have a material effect on our financial condition and results of operations due to the concentration of AmCoastal’s business with AmRisc.
As of December 31, 2025, we market our apartment and assisted living insurance products through a network of multiple independent wholesalers. These wholesalers and their brokers own the customer relationships and are not under our direct control. Our contracts restrict us from directly soliciting their policyholders, and most brokers also represent competing insurers. As a result, we must continually compete for their attention and business. Competitors may offer broader product options, lower premiums or higher broker commissions. Consequently, our success depends heavily on the strength of our broker relationships and our ability to offer competitive, well-aligned insurance solutions. Losing any of these wholesale relationships, or failing to attract, retain or motivate new brokers, could negatively impact new business production and retention of in-force policies.
Actual claims incurred may exceed our loss reserves for claims, which could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
Loss reserves represent our estimate of ultimate unpaid losses for claims that have been reported and claims that have been incurred but not yet reported. Loss reserves do not represent an exact calculation of liability, but instead represent our best estimate, generally utilizing actuarial expertise, historical information and projection techniques at a given reporting date.
The process of estimating our loss reserves involves a high degree of judgment and is subject to a number of variables. These variables can be affected by both internal and external events, such as changes in claims handling procedures, economic inflation, legal trends, legislative changes, emerging economic and social trends and varying judgments and viewpoints of the individuals involved in the estimation process, among others. In addition, application of statistical and actuarial methods in estimating our loss reserves may
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require the adjustment of overall reserves upward or downward from time to time. Future loss experience substantially in excess of our loss reserves could substantially harm our results of operations and financial condition.
Because of the inherent uncertainty in estimating loss reserves, including reserves for catastrophes and litigated claims, additional liabilities resulting from one insured event, or an accumulation of insured events, may exceed our existing loss reserves. If our reserves are inadequate, it may cause us to overstate our earnings for the periods during which our reserves for expected losses were insufficient and result in higher losses in future periods.
We may experience government-levied assessments. Although we may have the ability to collect this assessment from our policyholders, the timing of collection may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.
Our insurance subsidiary is subject to assessments levied by various governmental and quasi-governmental entities in Florida. For example, in May 2023, Florida enacted a consumer protection law that increased the maximum administrative fines that may be levied on insurance companies by the FLOIR by 250% generally, and 500% for violations stemming from a state of emergency such as a hurricane. While we may have the ability to recover these assessments from policyholders through policy surcharges in Florida, our payment of the assessments and our recoveries may not offset each other in the same reporting period in our financial statements and may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations in a particular reporting period.
We have identified and remediated material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting. Our failure to maintain adequate internal controls could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and stock price.
“Internal control over financial reporting” refers to those processes within a company that are designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP. Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 requires our management to annually assess the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. Management concluded that we did not maintain effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023; however, this weakness was remediated as of December 31, 2024 as described in more detail in Part II, Item 9A of our 2024 Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on March 10, 2025.
If we fail to maintain adequate internal controls, or if we have future material weaknesses in our internal controls, in each case in accordance with applicable standards, we may be unable to conclude on an ongoing basis that we have effective internal control over financial reporting in accordance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Because effective internal controls are necessary for us to produce reliable financial reports, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be harmed, investors could lose confidence in our reported financial information, and the market price for our stock could decline if our internal controls do not remain effective or if future material weaknesses in our internal controls are identified.
If we experience difficulties with our information technology or data security systems and/or outsourcing relationships, our ability to conduct our business could be negatively impacted, which could adversely affect our financial condition or results of operations.
We use computer systems to store, retrieve, evaluate and utilize customer, employee, company and third-party data and information. Our business is highly dependent upon our information technology systems and the ability of key vendors and third-party administrators to perform necessary business functions efficiently and without interruption. Our ability to process policies and adjust claims in a timely manner could be impaired by an unplanned shutdown or failure of one or more systems or facilities due to man-made or natural disruptions. These include an event leading to power outages, loss of facility access, a major internet failure, a pandemic or a failure of one or more of our information technology, telecommunications or other systems. Because our information technology and telecommunications systems interface with and often depend on third-party systems, we could experience service if demand for such service exceeds capacity or a third-party system or experiences . If sustained or repeated, such a business , system or service could result in a of our ability to write and process new and renewal business, provide customer service, pay in a timely manner or perform other necessary business functions.
Despite our ongoing evaluation of potential attackers’ techniques and tactics and our efforts in monitoring, training, planning and prevention, there is no assurance that our security measures will provide fully effective protection from information technology disruptions, such as those caused by cyber-attacks, system failures, human error, unauthorized access, natural disasters or malicious software. Because modern technology platforms and the malicious techniques used to obtain unauthorized access or to sabotage systems
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evolve rapidly, we may be unable to anticipate some techniques or to implement comprehensive counter measures. A material breach in the security of our information technology systems and data could include the theft of our confidential or proprietary information, including trade secrets, and the personally identifiable information of our customers, claimants, agents and employees. From time to time, we experience threats to our data and information technology systems, including system failures, service disruptions and attempts to gain unauthorized access. Disruptions or security breaches resulting in a loss or damage to our data or inappropriate disclosure of proprietary or confidential information, or the personally identifiable information of our customers, claimants, agents and employees, could cause significant damage to our reputation, affect our relationships with our customers, result in or regulatory , increase remediation costs and/or regulatory , and ultimately our business. Third parties to whom we outsource certain functions are also subject to the risks outlined above, any one of which may result in our incurring substantial costs and other consequences, including a material effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
In addition, we may transmit, receive and store personally identifiable, confidential and proprietary information by any number of standard data transmission methods or other electronic means. We may be unable to keep such information confidential in all events, especially with clients, vendors, service providers, counterparties and other third parties who may not have or use appropriate controls to protect confidential information. Furthermore, we are subject to compliance with laws and regulations enacted by U.S. federal and state governments, or enacted by various regulatory organizations or exchanges relating to the privacy and security of the information of clients, employees or others. The compromise of personally identifiable, confidential or proprietary information could result in remediation costs, legal liability, regulatory action and reputational harm.
Additionally, in the absence of overarching federal law, individual states are adopting their own privacy and cybersecurity laws and regulations. For example, in an effort to protect information systems, the NYDFS adopted regulation providing minimum standards for an organization’s cybersecurity program and requiring additional certification confirming compliance. In October 2017, the NAIC adopted a new Insurance Data Security Model Law, which is intended to establish the standards for data security and standards for the investigation and notification of data breaches applicable to insurance licensees in states adopting such law, with provisions that are generally consistent with the NYDFS cybersecurity regulation. In November 2023, NYDFS finalized amendments, effective in April 2024, to expand their cybersecurity regulation by requiring companies to, among other things, (i) establish and maintain a cybersecurity program designed to ensure the confidentiality, integrity and availability of their information systems; (ii) implement and maintain a written cybersecurity policy setting forth policies and procedures for the protection of their information systems and nonpublic information; and (iii) review and update any risk assessments at least annually, as well as whenever a change in the business or technology causes a material change to cyber risk. Though the NYDFS cybersecurity regulation helps to reduce the third-party risk and imposes specific technical safeguards, the evolving compliance and operational requirements of privacy and cybersecurity laws and regulations impose significant costs that are likely to increase over time and may restrict the way services involving data are offered, all of which may affect our business and results of operations.
Furthermore, in recent years the SEC maintained a focus on cybersecurity. In August 2023, the SEC adopted new cybersecurity disclosure rules, aimed at enhancing and standardizing disclosures made by public companies regarding cybersecurity risk management, strategy, governance and incident reporting. Some jurisdictions have also enacted laws requiring companies to notify individuals of data security breaches involving certain types of personal data. AmCoastal, in particular, processes sensitive personal information of its policyholders, which exposes AmCoastal to heightened risk. Many regulators have indicated an intention to take more aggressive enforcement actions regarding cybersecurity matters, and private litigation resulting from such matters is increasing and resulting in progressively larger judgments and settlements.
Loss of key vendor relationships, disputes with key vendors, or failure of a vendor to protect personally identifiable information of our customers, claimants or employees, or failure of a vendor to perform its duties in accordance with the contract or the applicable law, could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations or financial condition.
We rely on services and products provided by many third-party vendors. These include, for example, vendors of computer hardware and software and vendors of services such as claim adjustment services and payroll and benefits vendors who process sensitive personally identifiable information. In the event that one or more of our vendors suffers a bankruptcy, renews its contractual arrangement on terms less favorable to us, fails to comply with legal or regulatory requirements or otherwise becomes unable to continue to provide products or services, or fails to protect personally identifiable information of our customers, claimants or employees, we may suffer operational impairments and financial losses. An interruption in or the cessation of service by any service provider as a result of system failures, capacity constraints, financial difficulties or for any other reason could our operations, impact our ability to offer certain products and services and result in contractual or regulatory , liability from clients or employees, to our reputation and to our business. Moreover, in the event of a data involving any of our third-party vendors, our customers’,
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claimants’ or employees’ personally identifiable information could also be put at risk. The failure of the third-party vendor to adhere to service level standards, or perform their duties in accordance with applicable law, could impact our financial position. Any such data breach involving our third-party vendors, or failure to perform their duties, could result in significant mitigation or legal expenses for us, which could materially and adversely affect our reputation, relationships with our customers, business, results of operations and financial condition.
Our success has been and will continue to be greatly influenced by our ability to attract and retain the services of senior management, the loss of any of whom could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
Our senior executive officers play an integral role in the development and management of our business given their skills, knowledge of our business, years of industry experience and the potential difficulty of promptly finding qualified replacement employees. Due to the intense competition in our industry for senior executive officers with demonstrated ability, we cannot guarantee that any such officers will continue their employment with us. Additionally, we do not maintain any key person life insurance policies on any of our officers or employees. Losing any of our senior executive officers and/or not succeeding in attracting and retaining senior executive officers could have an adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.
Our acquisitions, mergers, dispositions and other strategic transactions may not be as successful as we anticipate, and could be difficult to integrate, divert management resources, result in unanticipated costs or dilute our existing stockholders.
Part of our continuing business strategy is to evaluate opportunities to acquire companies or merge with companies that complement our business model or enter into other strategic transactions that facilitate or expedite the accomplishment of our business goals. We may be unable to identify suitable counterparties to such a transaction. Even if we enter into an agreement in respect of an acquisition of another business, merger with another business, disposition of a business or other strategic transaction, we may not be able to finalize a transaction after significant investments of time and resources due to, among other things, a lack of regulatory approval or imposition of a burdensome condition by the regulator.
In connection with an acquisition, merger or other strategic transaction, we could incur debt, amortization expenses related to intangible assets, large and immediate write-offs, assume liabilities or issue stock that would dilute our current stockholders’ percentage of ownership. As a result, there is a risk of transaction-related litigation. Such strategic transactions could pose numerous risks to our operations, including risks relating to:
incurring substantial unanticipated integration costs;
diverting significant management attention and financial resources from our other operations and disrupting our ongoing business during the integration process;
losing key employees, particularly those of the merged operations;
keeping existing customers and retaining the acquired or merged business’ customers;
failing to realize the strategic benefits, the potential cost savings or other financial benefits of the acquisitions or mergers;
incurring unanticipated liabilities or claims from the acquired businesses and contractually-based time and monetary limitations on the seller’s obligation to indemnify us for such liabilities or claims; and
limitations on our ability to access additional capital when needed.
We are also subject to a certain level of risk regarding the actual condition of the businesses that we acquire or merge with. Until we actually assume operating control of such businesses and their assets and operations, we may not be able to ascertain the actual value or understand the potential liabilities of the acquired or merged entities and their operations. As a result, we may not be able to complete acquisitions, mergers or other strategic transactions or integrate the operations, products or personnel gained through any such acquisition, merger or other strategic transaction without a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
AMERICAN COASTAL INSURANCE CORPORATION
We face risks associated with investments in which we share ownership or management with third parties.
From time to time, we have and may continue to invest in entities in which we share ownership or management with third parties. In certain circumstances, we may not have complete control over governance, financial reporting, operations, legal and regulatory compliance or other matters relating to such entities. As a result, we may face certain operating, financial, legal, regulatory, compliance and other risks relating to these entities, including, but not limited to, risks related to the financial strength of other investors; the willingness of other investors to provide adequate funding for the entity; differing goals, strategies, priorities or objectives between us and other investors; our inability to unilaterally implement actions, policies or procedures with respect to the entity that we believe are favorable; legal and regulatory compliance risks relating to actions of the entity or other investors; and our inability to resolve disputes with other investors. As a result, investments in which we share ownership or management subject us to risk and may contribute significantly less than anticipated to our earnings and cash flows.
Our Senior Notes place certain restrictions on our operations and our failure to comply with such restrictions, including as a result of events beyond our control, could result in an event of default, which could materially and adversely affect our liquidity, financial condition and results of operations.
Our Senior Notes due 2027 (the "Senior Notes") place certain restrictions on the Company’s financial operations. Because we are a holding company, our assets consist primarily of the securities of our subsidiaries. The negative pledge provisions in the Senior Notes limit our ability to pledge securities of our subsidiaries and restrict dispositions of the capital stock of our subsidiaries. Our Senior Notes require us to maintain certain financial ratios and to comply with various operational and other covenants, including limitations on our ability to incur any indebtedness unless certain conditions are met. Details of these covenants can be found in Note 12 in our Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. Our failure to comply with such restrictions, including as a result of events beyond our control, could result in an event of default and an acceleration of the maturity of the Senior Notes. We cannot assure you that our assets or cash flow would be sufficient to fully repay the Senior Notes, if accelerated, or that we would be able to restructure the payments on the Senior Notes. This could have a material adverse impact on our liquidity, financial condition and results of operations.
RISKS RELATED TO THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY
Because we are operating in a highly competitive market, we may lack the resources to control our market share, which could adversely impact our business and results of operations.
The property and casualty insurance industry is highly competitive, and we believe it will remain highly competitive for the foreseeable future. The principal competitive factors in our industry are price, service, coverage options, underwriting guidelines, commission structure, rating and financial condition. We compete with other property and casualty insurers that underwrite commercial property and casualty insurance in the same geographic areas in which we operate and some of those insurers have greater financial resources and have a longer operating history than we do. In addition, our competitors may offer products for alternative forms of risk protection that we presently do not offer or are not similarly regulated in the admitted market, which could adversely affect the sales of our products. Customers may turn to our competitors as a result of price, our failure to deliver on customer expectations, service flaws, technology issues, gaps in operational support or other issues affecting customer experience. We also compete with new companies that continue to enter the insurance market. We may have difficulty controlling our market share due to an increase in reinsurance costs, inflation which increases actual losses and loss adjustment expenses, and from the high frequency and of events. Competition could limit our ability to retain existing business or to write new business at adequate rates, and such may cause a material effect on our results of operations and financial position.
In addition, industry developments could further increase competition in our industry. These developments could include:
an influx of new capital in the marketplace as existing companies attempt to expand their businesses and new companies attempt to enter the insurance business as a result of better market conditions, more competitive premium pricing and/or more favorable policy terms;
an increase in programs in which state-sponsored entities provide commercial property insurance in catastrophe-prone areas;
changes in state regulatory climates; and
the passage of federal proposals for an optional federal charter that would allow some competing insurers to operate under regulations different or less stringent than those applicable to us.
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These developments and others could make the property and casualty insurance marketplace more competitive by increasing the supply of insurance available. If competition limits our ability to write new business at adequate rates or reduces our policy retention rates, our future results of operations would be adversely affected.
Changes in state regulation may adversely affect our results of operation and financial condition.
As a holding company with an operating insurance company subsidiary, we are subject to the laws and regulations of Florida. From time to time, states pass legislation, and regulators take action, that has the effect of limiting the ability of insurers to manage risk, such as legislation prohibiting insurers from reducing exposures or withdrawing from catastrophe-prone areas, or mandating that insurers participate in residual markets. In addition, legislative initiatives and court decisions can seek to expand insurance coverage for insured losses beyond the original intent of the policies, which could cause our actual loss and loss adjustment expense to exceed our estimates. Further, our ability to adjust pricing to the extent necessary to offset losses or operating costs requires approval of insurance regulatory authorities.
Our ability to appropriately manage our catastrophe exposure by adjusting prices, modifying underwriting terms or reducing exposure to certain geographies may be limited due to considerations of public policy and the evolving political environment, which may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. We cannot predict whether and to what extent the adoption of new legislation and regulations would affect our ability to manage our exposure to catastrophic events.
The insurance industry is heavily regulated and further restrictive regulation may reduce our profitability and limit our growth.
The insurance industry is extensively regulated and supervised. Insurance regulatory authorities generally design insurance rules and regulations to protect the interests of policyholders, and not necessarily the interests of insurers, their stockholders, and other investors. This regulation relates to authorization for lines of business, capital and surplus requirements, investment limitations, underwriting limitations, transactions with affiliates, dividend limitations, changes in control, premium rates and a variety of other financial and non-financial components of an insurance company's business. We are subject to comprehensive regulation and supervision by the Office of Insurance Regulation in Florida, the state in which our insurance subsidiary is domiciled and licensed. Florida regulations are unique and complex and subject to change.
We strive to maintain all required licenses and approvals. However, we may not fully comply with the wide variety of applicable laws and regulations. The relevant authority's interpretation of the laws and regulations also may change from time to time. Regulatory authorities have relatively broad discretion to impose fines, and grant, renew or revoke licenses and approvals. If we do not have the required licenses and approvals or do not comply with applicable regulatory requirements, these authorities could preclude or temporarily suspend us from carrying on some or all of our activities or impose substantial fines. In addition, we may face individual and class action lawsuits by insureds and other parties for alleged violations of certain of these laws or regulations.
State statutes and administrative rules generally require each insurance company to register with the department of insurance in its state of domicile and to furnish information concerning the operations of the companies within the holding company system. Failure to comply with such requirements may materially affect the operations, management or financial condition of the insurers. As part of its registration, the insurance company must identify material agreements, relationships and transactions with affiliates, including loans, investments, asset transfers, transactions outside of the ordinary course of business, certain management, service, and cost sharing agreements, reinsurance transactions, dividends, and other financial and non-financial components of an insurer’s business. Florida imposes restrictions or requires prior regulatory approval of specific corporate actions, which may adversely affect our ability to operate, innovate, obtain necessary rate adjustments in a timely manner or grow our business profitably. For example, the FLOIR notified our subsidiary, AmCoastal and its officers and directors, that it was required to show why those officers and directors were not a substantial contributing cause of the insolvency of our former subsidiary, UPC, pursuant to section 624.4073 Fla. Stat., which prohibits officers and directors of insolvent insurers from serving as officers or directors of another insurer unless that officer or director demonstrates that their actions or were not a significant contributing cause of the . We have been in discussions with the FLOIR and will continue working with the FLOIR on this issue. Our ability to comply with these laws and regulations, and to obtain necessary regulatory action in a timely manner is, and will continue to be, to our .
AMERICAN COASTAL INSURANCE CORPORATION
Currently, the federal government’s role in regulating or dictating the policies of insurance companies is limited. However, from time to time, Congress has considered, and may in the future consider, proposals that would increase the role of the federal government in insurance regulation, either in addition to or in lieu of state regulation. For example, the Dodd-Frank Act established a Federal Insurance Office (FIO) within the U.S. Department of Treasury to collect data on the insurance industry, recommend changes to the state system of insurance regulation and preempt certain state insurance laws. The potential impact on our business as a result of the Dodd-Frank Act and the FIO’s current and future recommendations remains unclear; however, the implementation of any federal insurance regulations that constrain our business opportunities or reduce investment flexibility could negatively impact our business.
In recent years, the state insurance regulatory framework has come under increased federal scrutiny. Changes in federal legislation, regulation and/or administrative policies in several areas, including changes in financial services regulation and federal taxation, could negatively affect the insurance industry and us. In addition, Congress and some federal agencies from time to time investigate the current condition of insurance regulation in the United States to determine whether to impose federal or national regulation or to allow an optional federal charter, which would allow insurance companies to choose to be regulated by state insurance regulations or a single federal regulatory agency, similar to the option available to most banks. Further, the NAIC and state insurance regulators continually reexamine existing laws and regulations, specifically focusing on modifications to holding company regulations, interpretations of existing laws and the development of new laws and regulations. We cannot predict what effect, if any, proposed or future legislation or NAIC initiatives may have on the manner in which we conduct our business.
As part of potential, or future, industry-wide investigations, we may from time to time receive requests for information from government agencies and authorities at the state or federal level. If we are subpoenaed for information by government agencies and authorities, potential outcomes could include law enforcement proceedings or settlements resulting in fines, penalties and/or changes in business practices that could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations. In addition, these investigations may result in changes to laws and regulations affecting the industry.
Changes to insurance laws or regulations, or new insurance laws and regulations, may be more restrictive than current laws or regulations and could significantly increase our compliance costs, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and our prospects for future growth. Additionally, our failure to comply with certain provisions of applicable insurance laws and regulations could result in significant fines or penalties being levied against us and may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations or financial condition.
Our inability to obtain reinsurance on acceptable terms could increase our loss exposure or limit our ability to underwrite policies, which could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
We use, and we expect to continue to use, reinsurance to help manage our exposure to property risks. Reinsurance is insurance for insurers and is fundamentally a promise by the reinsurer to pay possible future claims in exchange for the payment of a premium by the insurance company seeking reinsurance. Both the availability of reinsurance and the cost of reinsurance are subject to prevailing market conditions beyond our control, which can affect business volume and profitability. We may be unable to maintain our current reinsurance coverage, to obtain additional reinsurance coverage in the event our current reinsurance coverage is exhausted by a catastrophic event, or to obtain other reinsurance coverage in adequate amounts or at acceptable rates. Similar risks exist whether we are seeking to replace coverage terminated during the applicable coverage period or to renew or replace coverage upon its expiration. Market conditions beyond our control determine the availability and cost of reinsurance. For example, reinsurance may be more difficult or costly to obtain after several years with higher frequencies of major catastrophes. We may be to reduce per event or aggregate retentions when renewing or replacing our coverage due, in part, to the frequency and of storms in prior years and the trends in the state of Florida, which would increase our risk exposure and could ultimately lead to us paying higher . We provide no assurance that we can obtain sufficient reinsurance to cover resulting from one or more storms or other events in the future, or that we can obtain such reinsurance in a timely or cost- manner. If we are to renew our expiring coverage or to obtain new reinsurance coverage, either our net exposure to risk would increase or, if we are to accept an increase in net risk exposures, we may have to reduce the amount of risk we underwrite or accept higher reinsurance costs. Any of these alternatives may have a material effect on our results of operations and our financial condition.
AMERICAN COASTAL INSURANCE CORPORATION
Our inability to collect from our reinsurers on our reinsurance claims could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operation, financial condition and cash flow.
We use reinsurance as a tool to manage risks associated with our business. However, we remain primarily liable as the direct insurer on all risks for which we obtain reinsurance. Our reinsurance agreements do not eliminate our obligation to pay claims to insureds. As a result, we are subject to counterparty risk with respect to our ability to recover amounts due from reinsurers. The risk could arise in two situations: (i) our reinsurers may dispute some of our reinsurance claims based on contract terms, and we may ultimately receive partial or no payment, or (ii) the amount of losses that reinsurers incur related to worldwide catastrophes may materially harm the financial condition of our reinsurers and cause them to default on their obligations. Collectability of reinsurance is subject to the solvency of the reinsurers, interpretation of contract language and other factors. As a result, our exposure to counterparty risk under our reinsurance agreements may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and cash flow. A reinsurer’s , to make payments, or of its obligations under the terms of a reinsurance contract could have a material effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flow.
Our efforts to manage these risks through underwriting guidelines, collateral requirements, financial strength ratings and other oversight mechanisms may not be successful.
Our success depends on our ability to accurately price the risks we underwrite. Further, failure of any loss limitation methods we employ could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.
Our results of operations and financial condition depend on our ability to underwrite and set premium rates accurately for a wide variety of risks, such as building condition, occupancy and distance to coast. Rate adequacy is necessary to generate sufficient premiums to pay losses, loss adjustment expenses, and underwriting expenses and to earn a profit. While third-party administrators may underwrite on behalf of AmCoastal, we are responsible for setting the criteria under which our vendors operate. We must collect and properly analyze a substantial amount of data, closely monitor and timely recognize changes in trends and models and project both severity and frequency of losses with reasonable accuracy. Our ability to successfully perform these tasks is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, some of which are outside of our control.
In addition, our underwriting process is generally designed to limit our exposure to known and manageable risks. Various provisions of our policies, such as limitations or exclusions from coverage, which have been negotiated to limit our risks, may not be enforceable in the manner we intend. While our product exclusions and conditions may reduce the loss exposure to us and may eliminate known exposures to certain risks, it is possible that a court or regulatory authority could nullify or void policy exclusions and conditions, or that legislation could be enacted modifying or barring the use of these exclusions and limitations.
Our results of operations and financial conditions could be materially and adversely impacted if any component of our underwriting process does not operate in its intended manner.
We may fail to pay claims accurately and timely, which could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
We rely on internal claims personnel and an unaffiliated third-party claim administration vendor to evaluate and pay claims made under our policies in an accurate and timely manner. Commercial residential policies often cover several structures and result in complex claims. This level of complexity, along with factors such as (i) the accuracy of adjusters as they make their assessments and submit their estimates of damage, (ii) the training, background and experience of our claims representatives, and (iii) the ability of our claims personnel to maintain and update our claims processing procedures as laws and the litigation landscape change, could affect our ability to evaluate and pay claims in an accurate and timely manner. Any failure to pay claims accurately and timely could lead to litigation, undermine our reputation in the marketplace, impact our corporate image and affect our financial results.
AMERICAN COASTAL INSURANCE CORPORATION
Our investments are subject to market risks that may result in reduced returns or losses.
Our investment assets are invested by professional investment management firms under the direction of our management team in accordance with investment guidelines approved by the Investment Committee of the Board of Directors. Our investments are subject to market risks and risks inherent in individual securities. In particular, interest rates are highly sensitive to many factors, including monetary and fiscal policy, domestic and international economic and political issues, geopolitical events, economic sanctions, blockades and other factors beyond our control.
Our portfolio is primarily invested in fixed income securities, and changes in the general interest rate environment will affect our returns on, and the fair value of, our fixed maturity and short-term investments. A decline in interest rates reduces the interest rate payable on new fixed income investments, thereby negatively impacting our net investment income. Conversely, rising interest rates reduce the fair value of existing fixed maturities. The volatility of any losses may force us to liquidate securities, which may cause us to incur capital losses. Realized fixed income and equity losses and unrealized equity losses in our investment portfolio would generally reduce our book value and, if significant, could affect our ability to conduct business. In addition, defaults under, or impairments of, any of these investments as a result of financial problems with the issuer and, where applicable, its guarantor could reduce our net investment income and net realized investment or result in investment .
We are subject to risks associated with potential declines in credit quality related to specific issuers and a general weakening in the economy. We may experience credit or default losses in our portfolio, including as a result of the failure of the procedures we have implemented to monitor the credit risk of our invested assets, which could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
We may decide to invest an additional portion of our assets in equity securities, private equity limited partnership interests or other investments, which are generally subject to greater volatility than fixed maturity investments. Moreover, our private equity limited partnership interests are subject to transfer restrictions and may be illiquid. General economic conditions, stock market conditions, geopolitical events and many other factors beyond our control can adversely affect the fair value of our equity securities or other investments and could adversely affect our realization of net investment income. As a result of these factors, we may not realize an adequate return on our investments or we may incur losses on sales of our investments, which could reduce our net investment income and net realized investment gains or result in investment losses.
The fair value of our investment portfolio is also subject to valuation uncertainties. The valuation of investments is more subjective when the markets for these investments are illiquid and may increase the risk that the estimated fair value of our investment portfolio is not reflective of prices at which actual transactions would occur. Additionally, in the case of our private equity limited partnership interests, such valuations are determined by outside managers. Since the majority of our investments are held by our insurance subsidiary, significant decreases in the fair value of these investments will produce significant declines in the statutory surplus of our insurance business. A long-term material decline in statutory surplus could have an adverse effect on our financial strength ratings and our ability to write new and renewal insurance business, thus potentially reducing our future underwriting profits.
Our determination of the amount of credit allowances to record varies by investment type and is based upon our periodic evaluation and assessment of known and inherent credit risks associated with the respective investment type. We revise our evaluations and assessments as conditions change and new information becomes available, and we reflect changes in the credit allowance in our Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss). We base our assessment of whether a credit allowance is required, based on our case-by-case evaluation of the underlying reasons for the decline in fair value. However, we may not accurately assess whether a credit allowance is required and the recorded amounts for a credit allowance in our financial statements may be inadequate.
Federal and/or state tax legislation could be enacted that would lessen or eliminate some or all of the tax advantages we currently benefit from, including those governing received deductions and tax credits, which could adversely affect the value of our investment portfolio.
AMERICAN COASTAL INSURANCE CORPORATION
The property and casualty insurance and reinsurance industries are historically cyclical and the pricing and terms for our products may decline, which would adversely affect our profitability.
Historically, the financial performance of the property and casualty insurance and reinsurance industries has been cyclical, characterized by periods of severe price competition and excess underwriting capacity, or “soft” markets, followed by periods of high premium rates and shortages of underwriting capacity, or “hard” markets. We cannot predict with certainty when such a period may occur or how long any given hard or soft market will last. Downturns in the property and casualty market may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and our financial condition.
Losses from legal actions may materially affect our operating results, cash flows and financial condition.
Trends in the insurance industry regarding claims and coverage issues, such as increased litigation, the willingness of courts to expand covered causes of loss and juries awarding large damage awards, may contribute to increased litigation costs and increase our loss exposure under the policies that we underwrite.
As industry practices and legal, judicial, social and other environmental conditions change, unexpected and unintended issues related to claims and coverage may emerge. Examples of emerging claims and coverage issues include, but are not limited to:
judicial expansion of policy coverage and the impact of new theories of liability; and
plaintiffs targeting property and casualty insurers in purported class-action litigation relating to claims-handling and other practices.
Multiparty or class action claims may present additional exposure to substantial economic, non-economic or punitive damage awards. The loss of even one of these claims, if it resulted in a significant award or a judicial ruling that was otherwise detrimental, could create a precedent in our industry that could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition. This risk of potential liability may make reasonable settlements of claims more difficult to obtain.
We may be named a defendant in a number of legal actions relating to those emerging claim and coverage issues. The propensity of policyholders and third-party claimants to litigate and the willingness of courts to expand causes of loss and the size of awards may result in increased costs associated with litigation, render our loss reserves inadequate and be material to our operating results and cash flows for a particular quarter or annual period and to our financial condition. In addition, claims and coverage issues may not become apparent to us for some time after our issuance of the affected insurance policies. As a result, we may not know the full extent of liability under insurance policies we issue for many years after the policies are issued.
A downgrade in or withdrawal of our financial strength or stability ratings could adversely impact our business volume and our ability to access additional debt or equity financing.
Financial strength or stability ratings are important to an insurer’s competitive position. Ratings measure an insurance company’s ability to meet its obligation to contract holders and policyholders. High ratings help maintain public confidence in company’s products, facilitate the marketing of its products and enhance the company’s competitive position. Rating agencies review their ratings periodically, and our current ratings may not be maintained in the future. If significant losses, such as those resulting from one or more major catastrophes, or significant reserve additions were to cause our capital position to deteriorate significantly, or if one or more rating agencies substantially increase their capital requirements, we may need to raise equity capital in the future to maintain our ratings or limit the extent of a downgrade. For example, a trend of more frequent and severe weather-related catastrophes may lead rating agencies to substantially increase their capital requirements.
We cannot guarantee that our insurance subsidiary, AmCoastal, will maintain its current A (Exceptional) or higher rating by Demotech. Further, we cannot guarantee that AmCoastal will maintain its A- rating by Kroll. Any downgrade or withdrawal of these ratings could (i) impact the acceptability of our products to condominium associations that are required to buy insurance, or to commercial mortgage lenders that require apartment and assisted living facility owners to buy insurance, (ii) reduce our ability to retain and attract policyholders and wholesalers and (iii) damage our ability to compete, which may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition. These material adverse effects could include, but are not limited to:
reducing demand for new sales of insurance products;
requiring us to modify our existing products or services, introduce new products or services or reduce prices for our products and services in order to remain competitive;
AMERICAN COASTAL INSURANCE CORPORATION
adversely affecting our relationships with our wholesalers;
materially increasing the number or amount of policy cancellations and non-renewals by policyholders;
requiring us to post additional collateral under certain covenants of our financing transactions;
limiting financial flexibility and access to capital markets;
adversely affecting our ability to obtain reinsurance at reasonable prices or at all; and
increasing the interest rates on our outstanding Senior Notes.
RISKS RELATED TO AN INVESTMENT IN OUR COMMON STOCK
Future sales of substantial amounts of our common stock by us or our existing stockholders could cause our stock price to decrease.
As of December 31, 2025, we had registered up to 101 million shares of our securities (including both our preferred and common stock) authorized to issue from time to time in one or more offerings. Additional equity financing or other share issuances by us could adversely affect the market price of our common stock. Future share issuances in connection with merger transactions or other acquisitions could result in substantial additional dilution to our stockholders. If these additional shares are sold, or if it is perceived that they will be sold, into the public market, the price of our common stock could decline substantially.
If we issue additional shares of our common stock or if any of our existing stockholders sells a substantial amount of our common stock, or if the market perceives that such issuance or sales may occur, then the trading price of our common stock may significantly decline.
Dividend payments on our common stock in the future are uncertain, and our ability to pay dividends may be constrained by our holding company structure.
We have paid both ordinary quarterly dividends and special dividends on our common stock in the past, but currently do not pay an ordinary quarterly dividend. The declaration and payment of dividends are at the discretion of our Board of Directors and will be dependent upon our profits, financial requirements and other factors, including legal and regulatory restrictions on the payment of dividends from our subsidiaries (as we are a holding company and do not have any significant operations or assets other than our ownership of the shares of our operating subsidiaries), capital adequacy, liquidity, general business conditions and such other factors as our Board of Directors deems relevant. Therefore, investors who purchase our common stock may only realize a return on their investment if the value of our common stock appreciates.
The ability of our insurance subsidiary to pay dividends may affect our liquidity and ability to meet our obligations.
The Company is a holding company with no significant operations. The principal assets are the stock of its subsidiaries and the holding company’s directly held investment portfolio. State insurance regulatory authorities limit the payment of dividends by our insurance subsidiary, as described in Note 16 in our Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. The limitations are based on statutory income and surplus. In addition, competitive pressures generally require the subsidiary to maintain an insurance financial strength rating. These restrictions and other regulatory requirements affect the ability of the insurance subsidiary to make dividend payments. Limits on the ability of the insurance subsidiary to pay dividends could adversely affect holding company liquidity, including our ability to pay dividends to stockholders and service our debt in the timeframe expected.
Management views enterprise economic capital as a combination of statutory surplus and invested assets at the parent holding company level. Deterioration in statutory surplus or earnings, from developments such as catastrophe losses, or changes in market conditions or interest rates, could adversely affect holding company liquidity by impacting the amount of dividends from our insurance subsidiary or the utilization of invested assets at the holding company to increase statutory surplus or for other corporate purposes.
The substantial ownership of our common stock by R. Daniel Peed and his affiliates allows him to exert significant control over us, and the Company and R. Daniel Peed are subject to certain restrictive covenants that may restrict our ability to pursue certain opportunities.
R. Daniel Peed, our Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors, beneficially owned approximately 28% of our issued and outstanding common stock at December 31, 2025. Mr. Peed also has a proxy from another member of RDX Holding, LLC, the former
AMERICAN COASTAL INSURANCE CORPORATION
parent company of AmCo, who beneficially owns approximately 6% of our issued and outstanding common stock. As a result, Mr. Peed is able to exert substantial control over us. Moreover, Mr. Peed’s interests may conflict with the interests of other holders of our common stock, and he may take actions affecting us with which other stockholders may disagree. Mr. Peed has the ability to exert significant influence over the following:
the nomination, election and removal of our Board of Directors;
the adoption of amendments to our charter documents;
management and policies;
our day-to-day operations; and
the outcome of any corporate transaction or other matter submitted to our stockholders for approval, including acquisitions, mergers, consolidations and the sale of all or substantially all of our assets.
AmCo and AmCoastal are also subject to restrictive covenant agreements that contain non-competition, non-solicitation, confidentiality and other restrictive covenants that prohibit AmCo and AmCoastal from engaging in certain activities, including activities customarily performed by managing general agents and activities relating to segments of the commercial property insurance market for coastally exposed risks in the United States.
Transactions by Mr. Peed and his affiliates involving our common stock may have an adverse effect on the price of our common stock.
As noted above, Mr. Peed beneficially owned approximately 28% of our issued and outstanding common stock as of December 31, 2025. The Company has granted Mr. Peed and his affiliates customary demand and piggyback registration rights pursuant to which, subject to certain limitations, all of such shares eligible to be registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), and may be offered and sold to the public from time to time after the effectiveness of the related registration statement. Such shares may also be resold into the public markets in accordance with an exemption from registration under the Securities Act, including Rule 144, subject to the volume limitations, manner of sale requirements and notice requirements thereof. Sales of our common stock by Mr. Peed and his affiliates could have the effect of lowering our stock price. The perceived risk associated with the possible sale of a large number of shares by these stockholders could cause some of our other stockholders to sell their stock, thus causing the price of our stock to decline. In addition, actual or anticipated downward pressure on our stock price due to actual or anticipated sales of stock by Mr. Peed and his affiliates could cause other institutions or individuals to engage in short sales of our common stock, which may further cause the price of our stock to .
Provisions in our charter documents may make it harder for others to obtain control of us even though some stockholders might consider such a development to be favorable.
Our Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Amended and Restated Bylaws contain provisions that may discourage unsolicited takeover proposals our stockholders may consider to be in their best interests. Our Board of Directors is divided into two classes, each of which will generally serve for a term of two years with only one class of directors being elected in each year. At a given annual meeting, only a portion of our Board of Directors may be considered for election. Additionally, the Board of Directors and executive officers control approximately 49% of the common stock of the Company. Consequently, our “staggered board” and concentrated holdings may prevent our stockholders from replacing a majority of our Board of Directors at certain annual meetings and may entrench our management and discourage unsolicited stockholder proposals that may be in the best interests of our stockholders.
Further, our Board of Directors has the ability to designate the terms of and issue one or more series of preferred stock, which may discourage transactions that otherwise could involve payment of a premium over prevailing market prices for our securities.
