Essent Group Q1 Net Income $171.8M, Declares $0.35 Dividend, Issues $11.1B Insurance
Essent Group reported Q1 2026 net income of $171.8 million ($1.82 per diluted share), compared with $175.4 million ($1.69) in Q1 2025, and declared a $0.35 quarterly dividend payable June 10. New mortgage insurance written totaled $11.1 billion, while Essent repurchased 3.5 million shares for $214 million through April.
1. First Quarter Financial Results
Essent Group reported net income of $171.8 million, or $1.82 per diluted share for the quarter ended March 31, 2026, down from $175.4 million and $1.69 per share in Q1 2025. Net investment income rose to $59.3 million from $58.2 million year-over-year.
2. Dividend Declaration
The Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.35 per common share, payable June 10, 2026, to shareholders of record on June 1, 2026.
3. Mortgage Insurance Activity
Mortgage new insurance written totaled $11.1 billion in Q1 2026, compared to $11.8 billion in Q4 2025 and $9.9 billion in Q1 2025. Mortgage insurance in force stood at $247.9 billion as of March 31, 2026, versus $248.4 billion at December 31, 2025.
4. Capital Management and Reinsurance
Through April 30, Essent repurchased approximately 3.5 million common shares for over $214 million. The company also entered an excess-of-loss reinsurance transaction effective July 1, 2027, to provide forward protection for business written in calendar 2027.