Exhibit 12.1
Computation of Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges
For purposes of computing the following ratios, earnings consist of net income before income tax expense plus fixed charges to the extent that these charges are included in the determination of earnings and exclude undistributed earnings (losses) of equity investments. Fixed charges consist of interest costs plus one-third of minimum rental payments under operating leases (estimated by management to be the interest factor of these rentals).
(Expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars, except ratios)
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| | For the Three months ended March 31, | | | For the twelve months ended December 31, |
| | 2008 | | | 2007 | | 2006 | | 2005 | | | 2004 | | 2003 |
Earnings (Losses) | | $ | 127,908 | | | $ | 800,780 | | $ | 737,366 | | $ | (60,793 | ) | | $ | 486,023 | | $ | 467,679 |
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Add: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Income taxes | | | 42,726 | | | | 81,748 | | | 95,305 | | | 22,924 | | | | 7,560 | | | 2,110 |
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Fixed charges: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Interest expense | | | 10,445 | | | | 48,243 | | | 54,957 | | | 27,339 | | | | 35,214 | | | 18,570 |
Interest credited to life policyholders (1) | | | 1,974 | | | | 8,073 | | | 11,956 | | | 13,284 | | | | 13,860 | | | 17,041 |
Interest credited to retrocessionnaires on funds held on reinsurance treaties | | | (511 | ) | | | 1,435 | | | 915 | | | 1,288 | | | | 1,325 | | | 1,282 |
One third of rental payments | | | 2,045 | | | | 7,593 | | | 7,417 | | | 7,575 | | | | 6,865 | | | 5,467 |
Distributions related to Trust Preferred and Mandatorily Redeemable Preferred Securities, net of applicable taxes | | | — | | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | | — | | | 16,120 |
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Earnings before income taxes and fixed charges | | $ | 184,587 | | | $ | 947,872 | | $ | 907,916 | | $ | 11,617 | | | $ | 550,848 | | $ | 528,268 |
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Fixed charges: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Interest expense | | $ | 10,445 | | | $ | 48,243 | | $ | 54,957 | | $ | 27,339 | | | $ | 35,214 | | $ | 18,570 |
Interest credited to life policyholders (1) | | | 1,974 | | | | 8,073 | | | 11,956 | | | 13,284 | | | | 13,860 | | | 17,041 |
Interest credited to retrocessionnaires on funds held on reinsurance treaties | | | (511 | ) | | | 1,435 | | | 915 | | | 1,288 | | | | 1,325 | | | 1,282 |
One third of rental payments | | | 2,045 | | | | 7,593 | | | 7,417 | | | 7,575 | | | | 6,865 | | | 5,467 |
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Total fixed charges | | $ | 13,953 | | | $ | 65,344 | | $ | 75,245 | | $ | 49,486 | | | $ | 57,265 | | $ | 42,359 |
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Ratio of earnings to fixed charges | | | 13.23 | | | | 14.51 | | | 12.07 | | | 0.23 | | | | 9.62 | | | 12.47 |
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Deficiency of earnings to fixed charges (2) | | | | | | | | | | | | $ | 37,869 | | | | | | | |
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(1) | Represents interest credited to policyholders on certain life reinsurance treaties for which the Company earns compensating interest income. |
(2) | Represents additional earnings that would be necessary to result in a one-to-one coverage ratio. |