RLI, a leading specialty insurance company, offers a diversified portfolio of property and casualty coverages and surety bonds serving "niche" or underserved markets. RLI operates in all 50 states from office locations across the country. The result of this unique mix: in the last 10 years, RLI has created annualized earnings per share growth of 19%.
The company has also bucked industry trends by posting underwriting profits in 28 of the past 32 years, including the last 13. RLI’s combined ratio average -- the key measurement of profitability -- has outperformed the industry average by more than 14 points over the past 10 years.
RLI's business model emphasizes underwriting profit, with additional incentives for growth. RLI underwriting is based on a simple idea consistently applied: employ the best entrepreneurial underwriters, place them squarely at the transaction level, and then reward them for a job well done.
In turn, the company has forged a history of regular shareholder returns in the form of 16.9% annualized total return over the last five years, 15.9% annualized total return over the past 15 years and having paid and increased dividends for 33 straight years. All RLI employees are shareholders in the company. Their interests are aligned with all shareholders and the results they create speak for themselves.
As of June 2009, RLI's insurance subsidiaries -- RLI Insurance Company, Mt. Hawley Insurance Company and RLI Indemnity Company -- are rated A+ "Superior" by A.M. Best Company and A+ "Strong" by Standard & Poor's.
