Ambac Shareholders Approve Sale of Legacy Financial Guarantee Business

Rhea-AI Summary

Ambac Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE: AMBC) announced that its shareholders have approved the sale of its legacy financial guarantee business to funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management, L.P. The special meeting of shareholders resulted in approximately 95% of votes cast in favor of the transaction. This marks a significant step in Ambac's strategy to transform into a specialty property and casualty insurance platform.

The sale includes Ambac Assurance and Ambac Assurance UK The transaction is expected to close in Q4 2024 or Q1 2025, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. Moelis & Company served as the exclusive financial advisor, while Debevoise & Plimpton LLP provided legal counsel to Ambac for this transaction.

Positive

• 95% of shareholders voted in favor of the sale, indicating strong support
• The sale is a strategic move to transform Ambac into a specialty property and casualty insurance platform
• The transaction is expected to maximize the value of Ambac's legacy financial guarantee insurance business

Negative

• The sale process is lengthy, with closure expected in Q4 2024 or Q1 2025
• The transaction is still subject to regulatory approvals, which could potentially delay or affect the deal

Insights

Financial Analyst

The overwhelming shareholder approval for Ambac's sale of its legacy financial guarantee business is a significant milestone. With 95% of votes in favor, it demonstrates strong investor support for the company's strategic shift. This transaction is pivotal for Ambac's transformation into a specialty property and casualty insurer, potentially unlocking new growth opportunities.

The deal's expected closure in Q4 2024 or Q1 2025 suggests a lengthy regulatory approval process, which could impact near-term stock performance. Investors should monitor progress closely, as delays could create uncertainty. The involvement of Oaktree Capital Management, a respected investment firm, lends credibility to the deal's value proposition.

While this move streamlines Ambac's business model, it also represents a significant change in the company's risk profile and revenue streams. Shareholders should carefully evaluate the post-transaction outlook and management's ability to execute in the specialty P&C market. The stock may experience volatility as the market reassesses Ambac's valuation based on its new business focus.

Insurance Industry Expert

Ambac's strategic decision to divest its legacy financial guarantee business marks a pivotal shift in the company's trajectory. This move allows Ambac to shed long-tail liabilities associated with its historical municipal bond insurance portfolio, potentially improving its risk profile and capital allocation flexibility.

The transition to a specialty P&C platform is noteworthy, as it positions Ambac in a more dynamic and potentially profitable sector of the insurance market. However, success will hinge on management's ability to establish a competitive edge in new lines of business, which may take time and require significant investment.

Investors should consider the potential for improved underwriting results and reduced earnings volatility in the long term, balanced against near-term execution risks and the costs associated with building out new insurance capabilities. The market will likely reassess Ambac's valuation metrics as it transitions from a financial guarantee insurer to a P&C player, potentially leading to a re-rating of the stock.

Approximately 95% of Votes Cast Approved the Transaction

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Ambac Financial Group, Inc. (“Ambac”) (NYSE: AMBC), an insurance holding company, announced that at the special meeting of shareholders (the “Special Meeting”) held earlier today, its shareholders voted to approve the proposed purchase agreement under which funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management, L.P. will acquire its legacy financial guarantee businesses, Ambac Assurance Corporation and Ambac Assurance UK Limited (the “Sale” proposal).

“We are pleased to reach this important milestone towards the completion of the Sale and thank our shareholders for their overwhelming support,” Ambac President and Chief Executive Officer Claude LeBlanc said. “The Sale represents a meaningful step in a robust and thorough process to maximize the value of our legacy financial guarantee insurance business and enable us to achieve our strategy to transform Ambac into a specialty property and casualty insurance platform. We look forward to finalizing the transaction upon regulatory approval.”

Based on the final vote count from today’s Special Meeting, Ambac received the requisite approval from holders of a majority of the total outstanding shares of its common stock as of the record date, with approximately 95% of the votes cast approving the Sale proposal. Ambac will file the final vote results, as certified by the independent inspector of election, on a Form 8-K with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2024 or first quarter of 2025, subject to receiving U.S. and U.K. regulatory approval and other customary closing conditions.

Moelis & Company LLC served as exclusive financial advisor and Debevoise & Plimpton LLP provided legal counsel to Ambac.

About Ambac

Ambac Financial Group, Inc. (“Ambac”) is an insurance holding company headquartered in New York City. Ambac’s core business is a growing specialty P&C distribution and underwriting platform. Ambac’s common stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “AMBC”. Ambac is committed to providing timely and accurate information to the investing public, consistent with our legal and regulatory obligations. To that end, we use our website to convey information about our businesses, including the anticipated release of quarterly financial results, quarterly financial, statistical, and business-related information. For more information, please go to www.ambac.com.

The Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Ambac contains substantial restrictions on the ability to transfer Ambac’s common stock. Subject to limited exceptions, any attempted transfer of common stock shall be prohibited and void to the extent that, as a result of such transfer (or any series of transfers of which such transfer is a part), any person or group of persons shall become a holder of 5% or more of Ambac’s common stock or a holder of 5% or more of Ambac’s common stock increases its ownership interest.

Forward-Looking Statements

In this Press Release, we have included statements that may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “estimate,” “project,” “plan,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “planned,” “potential” and similar expressions, or future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “should,” “would,” “could,” and “may,” or the negative of those expressions or verbs, identify forward-looking statements. We caution readers that these statements are not guarantees of future performance. Forward-looking statements are not historical facts but instead represent only our beliefs regarding future events, which may by their nature be inherently uncertain and some of which may be outside our control. These statements may relate to plans and objectives with respect to the future, among other things which may change. We are alerting you to the possibility that our actual results may differ, possibly materially, from the expected objectives or anticipated results that may be suggested, expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause our results to differ, possibly materially, from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others, those discussed under “Risk Factors” in our most recent SEC filed quarterly or annual report.

Any or all of management’s forward-looking statements here or in other publications may turn out to be incorrect and are based on management’s current belief or opinions. Ambac’s and its subsidiaries’ (collectively, “Company”) actual results may vary materially, and there are no guarantees about the performance of Ambac’s securities. Among events, risks, uncertainties or factors that could cause actual results to differ materially are: (1) the high degree of volatility in the price of Ambac’s common stock; (2) uncertainty concerning the Company’s ability to achieve value for holders of its securities, whether from Ambac Assurance Corporation (“AAC”) and its subsidiaries or from the specialty property and casualty insurance business, the insurance distribution business, or related businesses; (3) inadequacy of reserves established for losses and loss expenses and the possibility that changes in loss reserves may result in further volatility of earnings or financial results; (4) potential for rehabilitation proceedings or other regulatory intervention or restrictions against AAC; (5) credit risk throughout the Company’s business, including but not limited to credit risk related to insured residential mortgage-backed securities, student loan and other asset securitizations, public finance obligations (including risks associated with Chapter 9 and other restructuring proceedings), issuers of securities in our investment portfolios, and exposures to reinsurers and insurance distribution partners; (6) our inability to effectively reduce insured financial guarantee exposures or achieve recoveries or investment objectives; (7) the Company’s inability to generate the significant amount of cash needed to service its debt and financial obligations, and its inability to refinance its indebtedness; (8) the Company’s substantial indebtedness could adversely affect the Company’s financial condition and operating flexibility; (9) the Company may not be able to obtain financing, refinance its outstanding indebtedness, or raise capital on acceptable terms or at all due to its substantial indebtedness and financial condition; (10) greater than expected underwriting losses in the Company’s specialty property and casualty insurance business; (11) failure of specialty insurance program partners to properly market, underwrite or administer policies; (12) inability to obtain reinsurance coverage on expected terms; (13) loss of key relationships for production of business in specialty property and casualty and insurance distribution businesses or the inability to secure such additional relationships to produce expected results; (14) the impact of catastrophic public health, environmental or natural events, or global or regional conflicts; (15) credit risks related to large single risks, risk concentrations and correlated risks; (16) risks associated with adverse selection as the Company’s financial guarantee insurance portfolio runs off; (17) the risk that the Company’s risk management policies and practices do not anticipate certain risks and/or the magnitude of potential for loss; (18) restrictive covenants in agreements and instruments that impair the Company’s ability to pursue or achieve its business strategies; (19) adverse effects on operating results or the Company’s financial position resulting from measures taken to reduce financial guarantee risks in its insured portfolio; (20) disagreements or disputes with the Company's insurance regulators; (21) loss of control rights in transactions for which we provide financial guarantee insurance; (22) inability to realize expected recoveries of financial guarantee losses; (23) risks attendant to the change in composition of securities in the Company’s investment portfolios; (24) failure of a financial institution in which we maintain cash and investment accounts; (25) adverse impacts from changes in prevailing interest rates; (26) events or circumstances that result in the impairment of our intangible assets and/or goodwill that was recorded in connection with the Company’s acquisitions; (27) factors that may negatively influence the amount of installment premiums paid to the Company; (28) the risk of litigation, regulatory inquiries, investigations, claims or proceedings, and the risk of adverse outcomes in connection therewith; (29) the Company’s ability to adapt to the rapid pace of regulatory change; (30) actions of stakeholders whose interests are not aligned with broader interests of Ambac's stockholders; (31) system security risks, data protection breaches and cyber attacks; (32) regulatory oversight of Ambac Assurance UK Limited (“Ambac UK”) and applicable regulatory restrictions may adversely affect our ability to realize value from Ambac UK or the amount of value we ultimately realize; (33) failures in services or products provided by third parties; (34) political developments that disrupt the economies where the Company has insured exposures; (35) our inability to attract and retain qualified executives, senior managers and other employees, or the loss of such personnel; (36) fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; (37) failure to realize our business expansion plans or failure of such plans to create value; (38) greater competition for our specialty property and casualty insurance business and/or our insurance distribution business; (39) loss or lowering of the AM Best rating for our property and casualty insurance company subsidiaries; (40) disintermediation within the insurance industry or greater competition from technology-based insurance solutions or non-traditional insurance markets; (41) adverse effects of market cycles in the property and casualty insurance industry; (42) changes in law or in the functioning of the healthcare market that impair the business model of our accident and health managing general underwriter; (43) failure to consummate the proposed sale of all of the common stock of AAC and the transactions contemplated by the related stock purchase agreement (the “Sale Transactions”) in a timely manner or at all; (44) potential litigation relating to the proposed Sale Transactions; (45) disruptions from the proposed Sale Transactions that may harm Ambac’s business, including current plans and operations; (46) potential adverse reactions or changes to business relationships resulting from the announcement or completion of the proposed Sale Transactions; (47) difficulties in integrating acquired businesses into our business or failures to realize expected synergies from acquisitions; (48) failure to realize expected benefits from investments in technology; (49) harmful acts and omissions of our business counterparts; and (50) other risks and uncertainties that have not been identified at this time.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241016846309/en/

Investors:

Charles J. Sebaski

Managing Director, Investor Relations

(212) 208-3177

csebaski@ambac.com

Media:

Kate Smith

Director, Corporate Communications

(212) 208-3452

ksmith@ambac.com

Source: Ambac Financial Group, Inc.

FAQ

What did Ambac shareholders approve in the special meeting?

Ambac shareholders approved the sale of its legacy financial guarantee business, including Ambac Assurance and Ambac Assurance UK , to funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management, L.P.

What percentage of Ambac (AMBC) shareholders voted in favor of the sale?

Approximately 95% of the votes cast at the special meeting were in favor of the sale proposal.

When is the Ambac (AMBC) legacy financial guarantee business sale expected to close?

The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2024 or first quarter of 2025, subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.

What is Ambac's (AMBC) strategic goal following the sale of its legacy financial guarantee business?

Ambac aims to transform into a specialty property and casualty insurance platform following the sale of its legacy financial guarantee business.