Provision for income taxes was $45 thousand and $117 thousand for the six months ended June 30, 2005 and 2004, respectively. Primus Guaranty had a net deferred tax asset fully offset by a valuation allowance of $9.3 million and $5.9 million as of June 30, 2005 and 2004, respectively. The change in the deferred tax asset and valuation allowance resulted from Primus Asset Management's estimated net operating loss. As previously discussed, it is expected that only the income of Primus Asset Management and its subsidiary, Primus Re, are likely to be subject to United States federal and local income taxes. However, were Primus Bermuda to be subject to income tax, at a combined United States federal, New York State and New York City income tax rate of 46%, on its United States GAAP income, then its income tax expense (excluding interest and penalties) since inception, would have been approximately $40.6 million through June 30, 2005, and a benefit of approximately $9.4 million for the six months ended June 30, 2005. These figures assume that Primus Financial is not deemed to be making distributions to Primus Bermuda; such distributions would subject Primus Bermuda to an additional United States federal branch profits tax.
The following table summarizes our contractual obligations at June 30, 2005 and the effect that those obligations are expected to have on our liquidity and cash flows in future periods:
We have no other material long-term contractual obligations.
Primus Financial, in order to support its AAA/Aaa ratings, is required to maintain capital in an amount determined by the capital models it has agreed upon with S&P and Moody's. The capital required is primarily a function of Primus Financial's credit swap portfolio characteristics, operating expenses and tax position. Retained cash flow and proceeds from financings to increase our capital resources to support our credit swap business.
In connection with the commencement of our operations on March 14, 2002, we were capitalized with $155.0 million from the issuance of our Series A preferred stock to two subsidiaries of XL Capital Ltd, or XL, Transamerica Life Insurance Company, a subsidiary of AEGON USA, Pacific Corporate Group/CalPERS and Radian Group Inc., or Radian. In connection with the issuance of the Series A preferred stock, we issued warrants to Radian enabling them to purchase 1,061,059 common
shares at a exercise price of $5.18 per share. On May 15, 2004, Radian exercised these warrants, as a result of which we received $5.5 million. Upon completion of our IPO, all of the Series A preferred stock were converted into common shares of the company.
Primus Financial issued $110.0 million of Primus Financial Cumulative Preferred Stock on December 19, 2002 in two series, Series I and Series II, to a trust, ("the Trust"). In conjunction with the receipt of the securities, the Trust issued $100.0 million of Money Market Preferred Securities Custodial Receipts, or MMP Receipts, in two series, Series A and Series B, to various institutional investors in a private placement. The Trust also issued $10.0 million of Variable Inverse Preferred Securities Custodial Receipts that were retained by Primus Financial. One series of MMP Receipts pays distributions every 28 days based on an auction rate set on the prior business day and the other series makes payments quarterly, based on an auction rate, which is currently set annually, and was last set in January 2005. After December 19, 2012, Primus Financial may redeem the securities, in whole or in part, on any distribution date at the face amount plus accumulated and unpaid dividends. However, Primus Financial is not required to redeem the securities, nor is it required to establish a sinking fund. For the three months ended June 30, 2005 and 2004, Primus Financial made net distributions to the Trust's MMP Receipts of $1.1 million and $605 thousand, respectively. For the six months ended June 30, 2005 and 2004, Primus Financial made net distributions to the Trust's MMP Receipts of $1.8 million and $1.1 million, respectively.
Primus Financial issued $75.0 million of subordinated deferrable interest notes on July 23, 2004. The notes are subordinated in right of payment to the prior payment in full of all existing and future senior indebtedness of the company, including counterparty claims. The notes are redeemable at the option of Primus Financial, in whole or in part, on any auction date, at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the notes to be redeemed, plus any accrued and unpaid interest thereon to the redemption date. The interest rate on the notes is fixed at a rate of 2.57% for a period of one year, expiring in July of 2005, at which point the rate will be set through a monthly auction process. The notes mature in July 2034.
Primus Guaranty completed an IPO on October 5, 2004, listing its shares on the NYSE. The company issued 9,143,493 shares at a price of $13.50. Proceeds to the company were $110.7 million, net of the underwriting discount and offering expenses. Primus Guaranty concurrently contributed $60.0 million of the IPO proceeds to Primus Financial to support the growth of its credit swap business. Primus Guaranty has invested the remaining net proceeds in short-term money market instruments, pending utilization in its credit swap business and/or other businesses related to the credit markets.
Additionally, as required by our operating guidelines, Primus Financial maintains a $37.5 million liquidity facility with Harris Trust and Savings Bank, or Harris Trust. The purpose of the liquidity facility is to provide Primus Financial with cash in the event it is obligated to purchase a Reference Entity's debt obligation as the result of a credit event and could not liquidate its investments in order to settle a purchase on a timely basis. The liquidity facility requires that Primus Financial have United States government securities available to pledge as collateral on any advances made under the facility. The facility is renewable on an annual basis at the option of Primus Financial or Harris Trust. The facility has a maturity date of March 31, 2006. We intend to request an extension of this facility or replace it with a similar facility with another lender at each annual maturity date so long as we are required to do so by the operating guidelines. We have applied to the rating agencies for permission to terminate this facility. As of June 30, 2005, there have been no credit events and there have been no borrowings under the facility.
We receive cash from the receipt of credit swap premiums, the net proceeds from the early termination of credit swaps, interest income earned on our investment portfolio and capital raising activities. Cash has been used to pay our operating expenses, administrative expenses, premiums on credit swaps we have purchased and preferred share distributions. Our cash, cash equivalents and available-for-sale investments were approximately $487.5 million and $482.1 million as of June 30, 2005 and December 31, 2004, respectively.
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Cash Flows
Cash flows from operating activities – Net cash provided by operating activities was $9.7 million and $10.1 million for the six months ended June 30, 2005 and 2004, respectively. In 2005 we had higher premium income as compared with the 2004 period, due to the increased size of our credit swaps sold portfolio. However, this increase was offset by net realized losses in the first half of 2005 of $1.8 million, as compared with net realized gains of $2.8 million in the first half of 2004. Additionally, there was an increase in operating expenses in the six months ended June 30, 2005 as compared with the same period of 2004, due to our expanded operations and costs associated with being a public company.
Cash flows from investing activities – Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities was $(125.9) million and $92 thousand for the six months ended June 30, 2005 and 2004, respectively. The main reason for this increase in use of cash was the purchases of available-for-sale securities during the first half of 2005.
Cash flows from financing activities – Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities was $(4.0) million and $4.4 million for the six months ended June 30, 2005 and 2004, respectively. This increase in use of cash is primarily due to the payment of $2.5 million in the first quarter of 2005, representing the amount withheld to pay employee income taxes due upon the delivery of common shares to our employees, coupled with an increase in preferred distributions of a subsidiary in the six months ended June 30, 2005. In addition, during the six months ended June 30, 2004, we received $5.5 million as proceeds from the exercise of warrants.
With our current capital resources and anticipated future credit swap premium receipts and interest income, we believe we have sufficient liquidity to pay our operating expenses and preferred distributions over at least the next twelve months.
Additional Information
U.S. GAAP applicable to derivative contracts requires us to account for the credit swaps that we buy or sell at fair value. The fair value of credit swaps is primarily determined by market credit swap premium levels, as well as the size and tenor of our swaps, and interest rates used to discount future cash flows. Premium levels, in turn, are driven by a number of factors, including the number and size of market participants willing to buy or sell credit protection at any given time and the market's perception of credit risk over the life of a particular credit swap. The latter is in turn a function of macroeconomic factors such as the overall state of the economy, corporate financial health and leverage, and geopolitical concerns. As a general matter, given our strategy of holding credit swaps sold until maturity, we do not seek to manage our overall exposure to market credit swap premium levels by terminating credit swaps prior to their maturity. Accordingly, we expect fluctuations in the fair value of our credit swap portfolio as a result of changes in credit swap premiums over time. These period-to-period changes in value have no significant effect on our business, our economic performance or cash flow. However, reflecting our credit swap portfolio at fair value produces significant changes in our revenue and net income from period to period as the market values of our credit swaps fluctuate.
Despite our strategy of holding credit swaps sold to maturity, we occasionally dispose of credit swaps prior to maturity, but only in circumstances where we believe that the underlying risk related to the credit swap has increased beyond our risk tolerance or where we seek to rebalance our portfolio and create greater capacity for other credit swaps. Under United States GAAP, the full amount of any realized gains and losses on the termination of credit swaps is included in our revenue immediately.
In managing our business and assessing its growth and profitability from a strategic and financial planning perspective, we believe it is appropriate to consider both our United States GAAP financial results as well as the impact on those results of fair value accounting and the termination of credit swaps. Therefore, we evaluate what our economic results would have been if we excluded from revenue the amounts of any unrealized gains and losses on our portfolio of credit swaps sold, and any realized gains from terminations of credit swaps sold prior to maturity, although we amortize those
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realized gains over the remaining original lives of the terminated contracts. Our board of directors also uses these results in assessing our management's performance and determining compensation.
For the three months ended June 30, 2005 and 2004, we realized $470 thousand and $936 thousand of gains, respectively, from the early termination of credit swaps sold. The amortized gains for those periods were $1.7 million and $1.5 million, respectively. For the six months ended June 30, 2005 and 2004, we realized $589 million and $2.1 million of gains, respectively, from the early termination of credit swaps sold. The amortized gains for those periods were $3.3 million and $3.0 million, respectively. At June 30, 2005, future amortization of gains from all credit swaps terminated prior to that date will be recognized as follows (in thousands):
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 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Year ending December 31, 2005 |  | $ | 6,701 | |
Year ending December 31, 2006 |  | | 6,713 | |
Year ending December 31, 2007 |  | | 4,599 | |
Year ending December 31, 2008 |  | | 431 | |
Year ending December 31, 2009 |  | | 15 | |
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Recent Accounting Pronouncements
In May 2005, the FASB issued SFAS 154, Accounting Changes and Error Corrections – a replacement of APB Opinion No. 20 and FASB Statement No. 3. This statement requires retrospective application to prior periods' financial statements of changes in accounting principle. SFAS 154 is effective for accounting changes and corrections of errors made in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2005. The adoption of SFAS 154 is not expected to have a significant impact on the Company's financial statements.
In December 2004, the FASB issued SFAS 123R "Share-Based Payment." SFAS 123R replaces FASB Statement No. 123, "Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation", and supersedes APB Opinion No. 25, "Accounting for Stock Issued to Employee." SFAS 123R eliminates the choice of alternative accounting methods, and requires that all entities follow the fair value based method of SFAS 123. Public entities will be required to apply Statement 123R as of the first annual reporting period that begins after June 15, 2005. The adoption of SFAS 123R is not expected to have a significant impact on our financial statements.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This quarterly report of Primus Guaranty includes statements that are not historical or current facts and are "forward-looking statements" made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words "believe," "anticipate," "project," "plan," "expect," "intend," "will likely result," "looking forward" or "will continue," and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from historical earnings and those presently anticipated or projected. Primus Guaranty cautions readers not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only to their respective dates. The following are some of the factors that could affect financial performance or could cause actual results to differ materially from estimates contained in or underlying the Company's forward-looking statements:
 |  |
• | fluctuations in the economic, credit, interest rate or foreign currency environment in the United States (U.S.) and abroad; |
 |  |
• | the level of activity within the national and international credit markets; |
 |  |
• | competitive conditions and pricing levels; |
 |  |
• | legislative and regulatory developments; |
 |  |
• | technological developments; |
 |  |
• | changes in tax laws; |
 |  |
• | changes in international or national political or economic conditions, including any terrorist attacks; |
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 |  |
• | uncertainties that have not been identified at this time. |
The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly correct or update any forward-looking statement if it later becomes aware that such results are not likely to be achieved.
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Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
Market risk represents the potential for losses that may result from changes in the value of a financial instrument as a consequence of market conditions. Our primary market risk is increasing or decreasing market credit swap premium levels, which increase or decrease the fair value of our credit swap portfolio. Market credit swap premium levels change as a result of specific events or news related to a Reference Entity, such as a change in a credit rating by any of the rating agencies. Additionally, market credit swap premium levels can vary as a result of changes in market sentiment. As a general matter, given our strategy of holding credit swaps sold until maturity, we do not seek to manage our overall exposure to market credit swap premium levels, and we expect fluctuations in the fair value of our credit swap portfolio as a result of these changes. In cases where we purchase credit swaps as short-term investments, we incur the cost of paying premiums until we terminate the purchased credit protection. We undertake these transactions in the expectation that the market credit swap premium level for the Reference Entity will rise subsequent to our purchase of protection, but any gains realized upon termination may not suffice to offset the premium expense we have incurred while holding the purchased credit protection. Indeed, the market credit swap premium level for the Reference Entity may fall and we may incur termination losses as well as premium expense as a result. The fair value of our credit swaps purchased will be affected by market credit swap premium levels, which will affect our net income. Currently, we purchase a limited amount of credit protection, relative to the size of our portfolio of credit swaps sold, and the cost of purchased credit protection does not materially impact our overall operating margin. The notional amount outstanding on credit swaps we purchased as short-term investments was $389.5 million at June 30, 2005.
We face other market risks, which are likely to have a lesser impact upon our net income than those associated with market credit swap premium level risk. These other risks include interest rate risk associated with market interest rate movements. These movements may affect the value of our credit swap portfolio as our pricing model includes an interest rate component, which is used to discount future expected cash flows. Interest rate movements may also affect the carrying value of our investments.
The Primus Financial Cumulative Preferred Stock pays distributions that are based upon the auction rate preferred market. A difference between the rates we pay in the auction rate preferred market and the interest rates we receive on our investments may result in an additional cost to our company. Assuming that auction results with respect to the Primus Financial Cumulative Preferred Stock reflect prevailing short-term interest rates, each 25 basis point increase or decrease in the level of those rates would increase or decrease Primus Financial's annual distribution cost by approximately $125 thousand for each of the Series A and Series B MMP Receipts, but would not affect distributions on the Series B MMP Receipts as the interest and auction rate for such MMP Receipts were set for a one year period on January 20, 2005.
In addition, interest rate movements may increase or decrease the interest expense we incur on our $75 million of subordinated deferrable interest notes. A 25 basis point increase or decrease in the level of those rates would have increased or decreased Primus Financial's interest expense by $47 thousand and $94 thousand for the three and six months ended June 30, 2005, however, during those periods the interest rate on the subordinated deferrable interest notes was fixed for a one year period expiring in July of 2005, at which point the rate will be set through a monthly auction process. We also have exposure to currency rates as we have sold Euro-denominated credit swaps. As of June 30, 2005, we have kept the premiums received from these transactions in Euro-denominated money market accounts. The value of the cash Euro balances is translated into United States dollars at current spot rates. Changes in the value of the Euro compared with the United States dollar may have an impact on our net income. We do not hedge any interest rate or currency market risks.
Counterparty risk represents the potential for loss should one or more of our counterparties be unable to meet its obligations due to bankruptcy or a similar event, which could adversely affect our results of operations. Our counterparties generally have investment grade credit ratings. At June 30, 2005 and 2004, the notional amount of credit swaps outstanding with respect to our counterparties that had credit ratings of below investment grade were $5.0 million and $6.0 million, respectively. The
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fair value of the above-mentioned credit swaps at June 30, 2005 and 2004 were $21 thousand and $27 thousand, respectively. The premiums on these transactions were fully prepaid by the counterparty.
Item 4. Controls and Procedures
The company has carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of the company's management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of disclosure controls and procedures pursuant to rules 13a-15 and 15-15d promulgated under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 as of the end of the period covered by this report. Based on that evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer concluded that the disclosure controls and procedures are effective to provide reasonable assurance that all material information relating to the company required to be filed in this report have been made known to them in a timely fashion. There have been no changes in internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the most recent fiscal quarter that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to affect, internal control over financial reporting.
The company's management, including the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer, does not expect that the company's disclosure controls or its internal controls can prevent all errors and all fraud. Further, the design of a control system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs. As a result of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, within the company have been detected. These inherent limitations include the realities that judgments in decision-making are faulty, and that breakdowns can occur because of simple error or mistake. As a result of the inherent limitations in a cost-effective control system, misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and not be detected. Accordingly, the company's disclosure controls and procedures are designed to provide reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the disclosure controls and procedures are met.
Part II. Other Information
Item 1. Legal Proceedings
In the ordinary course of operating our business, we may encounter a significant risk of litigation from time to time. However, we are not party to nor currently aware of any material pending litigation.
Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
Use of Proceeds of Initial Public Offering
The effective date of our registration statement (Registration No. 333-114818) filed on Form S-1 relating to our IPO of common shares was September 29, 2004. In our IPO, we registered and sold 9,143,493 common shares, par value $.08 per share, at a price of $13.50 per share and an aggregate public offering price of $123,437,156 for the account of the Company. In addition, there were registered and sold, for the account of certain selling shareholders identified in the registration statement, 1,201,335 common shares at a price of $13.50 per share and an aggregate public offering price of $16,218,022. Our IPO was managed and underwritten by Lehman Brothers Inc., Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated, Credit Suisse First Boston LLC, UBS Investment Bank, William Blair & Company L.L.C. and Keefe Bruyette & Woods, Inc. The offering commenced on September 29, 2004 and closed on October 5, 2004. Proceeds to us from our IPO, after deduction of the underwriting discounts and commissions payable by the company of approximately $8.64 million and offering costs payable by the company of $4.1 million, totaled approximately $110.7 million. None of the expenses incurred and paid by us in our IPO were direct or indirect payments to our directors, officers, general partners or their associates, to persons owning 10% or more of any class of our equity securities or, except as described below, to our affiliates. Of the $110.7 million raised for the account of the company, approximately $60.0 million has been used to provide additional working capital to our
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affiliate, Primus Financial, in order to increase its capacity to sell additional credit swaps. Primus Financial has invested this additional capital in accordance with its operating guidelines in United States government agencies and money market instruments. We continue to expect that the remainder of the proceeds from the offering will be used as working capital and for general corporate purposes, including providing additional capital to Primus Financial to enable it to further expand its credit swap business and to pursue opportunities in complementary businesses, such as asset management for third parties and selling credit swaps referencing a broader range of obligations, although specific amounts have not been allocated for these additional purposes. Pending such uses, the balance of $50.7 million has been invested by the company in United States government agencies and money market instruments. The occurrence of unforeseen events, opportunities or changed business conditions, however, could cause us to use the net proceeds of our IPO in a manner other than as described above.
Item 3. Defaults upon Senior Securities
None.
Item 4. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
Our annual meeting of stockholders was held on May 5, 2005. At that meeting, the following matters were submitted to a vote of our stockholders:
Item No. 1
To approve the election and re-election as directors of the Company to serve three-year terms expiring at the Annual Meeting in 2008 and until their successors are duly elected and qualified.
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 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  | For |  | Withheld |
Paul S. Giordano |  | | 41,776,250 | |  | | 70,550 | |
Robert R. Lusardi |  | | 41,776,250 | |  | | 70,550 | |
John A. Ward III |  | | 41,751,177 | |  | | 95,623 | |
 |
Item No. 2
To approve the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as independent auditors for the Company for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2005.
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 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
For |  | | 41,824,595 | |
Against |  | | 3,425 | |
Abstain |  | | 18,780 | |
 |
Item 5. Other Information
None.
Item 6. Exhibits
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 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
31.1 |  | Rule 13a–14(a)/15d–14(a) Certification |
31.2 |  | Rule 13a–14(a)/15d–14(a) Certification |
32.1 |  | Certification Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as Added By Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 |
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36
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this Report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
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 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  | PRIMUS GUARANTY, LTD. |
|  | /s/ Richard Claiden |
|  | Richard Claiden Chief Financial Officer (Duly Authorized Officer and Principal Financial Officer) |
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Date: August 12, 2005
37