September 28, 2021

Arch MI Secures Over $639 Million of Indemnity Reinsurance through Bellemeade Re Insurance-Linked Note Transaction and Related Reinsurance

GREENSBORO, N.C.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Arch Mortgage Insurance Company (Arch MI) announced that it has obtained over $639 million of indemnity reinsurance on a pool representing approximately $28.7 billion of mortgages from Bellemeade Re 2021-3 Ltd., a special purpose reinsurer. The coverage was obtained by issuing approximately $508 million in bonds and $131 million in direct reinsurance. This transaction largely covers a portfolio of MI policies issued by Arch MI and affiliates from April through June 2021.

This Mortgage Insurance-Linked Note (MILN) transaction is Arch’s third of 2021 and the 17th Bellemeade transaction since the program’s inception in 2015.

Bellemeade Re 2021-3 Ltd. is funding its reinsurance obligations through the issuance of six classes of amortizing notes with 10-year legal final maturities.

The A2 class of notes received an A2 rating from Moody’s Investor Service (Moody’s). The M-1A class of notes received an A2 rating from Moody’s and A (low) from DBRS Morningstar. The M-1B class of notes received a Baa2 from Moody’s and BBB (high) from DBRS Morningstar. The M-1C received a Baa3 rating from Moody’s and BBB (low) from DBRS Morningstar. The M-2 class received a B1 rating from Moody’s and BB (low) from DBRS Morningstar. The B-1 received a B (high) from DBRS Morningstar and was not rated by Moody’s.

Pricing detail for the five classes of offered notes is below:

  • $122,961,000 class of A2 notes with a coupon equal to one-month SOFR plus 100 basis points.
  • $104,926,000 class M-1A notes with a coupon equal to one-month SOFR plus 100 basis points.
  • $64,329,000 class M-1B notes with a coupon equal to one-month SOFR plus 140 basis points.
  • $81,397,000 class M-1C notes with a coupon equal to one-month SOFR plus 155 basis points.
  • $115,524,000 class M-2 notes with a coupon equal to one-month SOFR plus 315 basis points.
  • $19,005,000 class B-1 notes with a coupon equal to one-month SOFR plus 385 basis points.

Additionally, a total of $131,518,000 was placed with a panel of reinsurers.

“The introduction of an A2 class is the latest structural refinement in the Bellemeade program intended to better optimize capital in support of Arch’s mortgage insurance business,” said Jim Bennison, EVP, Alternative Markets for Arch MI. “The closing of this transaction brings total protection procured through the Bellemeade program to $1.9 billion year to date, which is both a testament to the strength of the Bellemeade franchise and the market’s interest in the mortgage credit risk originated by Arch.”

About Arch MI

Arch MI, a wholly owned subsidiary of Arch Capital Group Ltd., is a leading provider of private insurance covering mortgage credit risk in the U.S. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, Arch MI’s mission is to protect lenders against credit risk, while extending the possibility of responsible home ownership to qualified borrowers. Arch MI’s flagship mortgage insurer, Arch Mortgage Insurance Company, is licensed to write mortgage insurance in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. For more information, visit archmi.com.

About Arch Capital Group Ltd.

Arch Capital Group Ltd., a publicly listed Bermuda exempted company with approximately $16.7 billion in capital at June 30, 2021, provides insurance, reinsurance and mortgage insurance on a worldwide basis through its wholly owned subsidiaries.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements

The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a “safe harbor” for forward−looking statements. This release or any other written or oral statements made by or on behalf of Arch Capital Group Ltd. and its subsidiaries may include forward−looking statements, which reflect our current views with respect to future events and financial performance. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in or incorporated by reference in this release are forward−looking statements.

Forward−looking statements can generally be identified by the use of forward−looking terminology such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “intend,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “believe” or “continue” or their negative or variations or similar terminology. Forward−looking statements involve our current assessment of risks and uncertainties. Actual events and results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. A non-exclusive list of the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements includes the following: adverse general economic and market conditions; increased competition; pricing and policy term trends; fluctuations in the actions of rating agencies and the Company’s ability to maintain and improve its ratings; investment performance; the loss of key personnel; the adequacy of the Company’s loss reserves, severity and/or frequency of losses, greater than expected loss ratios and adverse development on claim and/or claim expense liabilities; greater frequency or severity of unpredictable natural and man-made catastrophic events, including pandemics such as COVID-19; the impact of acts of terrorism and acts of war; changes in regulations and/or tax laws in the United States or elsewhere; the Company’s ability to successfully integrate, establish and maintain operating procedures as well as integrate the businesses the Company has acquired or may acquire into the existing operations; changes in accounting principles or policies; material differences between actual and expected assessments for guaranty funds and mandatory pooling arrangements; availability and cost to the Company of reinsurance to manage the Company’s gross and net exposures; the failure of others to meet their obligations to the Company; changes in the method for determining the London Inter-bank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) and the potential replacement of LIBOR and other factors identified in the Company’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).

The foregoing review of important factors should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with other cautionary statements that are included herein or elsewhere. All subsequent written and oral forward−looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward−looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

arch-mortgage


Greg Hare, 336-333-0416

Arch Capital Services LLC.

[email protected]

Source: Arch Capital Group Ltd.