Dual currency and synthetic dual currency investments are held by our yen-based entities in the form of fixed maturities and loans with a yen-denominated principal component and USD-denominated interest income. The amounts shown represent the present value of future USD-denominated cash flows.
Foreign pension plans represent 5% of plan assets at the beginning of 2018. An increase in expected rate of return by 100 bps would result in a decrease in net periodic pension costs of $6 million; conversely, a decrease in expected rate of return by 100 bps would result in an increase in net periodic pension costs of $6 million.
Foreign pension plans represent 14% of plan obligations at the beginning of 2018. An increase in discount rate by 100 bps would result in a decrease in net periodic pension costs of $17 million; conversely, a decrease in discount rate by 100 bps would result in an increase in net periodic pension costs of $2 million.
The decrease in strategic investments was primarily driven by relatively lower performance in certain strategies and sales of investments in U.S. collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”) due to risk retention rules that were vacated in April 2018. This decrease was partially offset by investments in new CLOs and seed investments in new mutual funds, exchange-traded funds and undertakings for collective investment in transferable securities (“UCITs”).
Account values are a significant driver of our operating results, and are primarily driven by net additions (withdrawals) and the impact of market changes. The income we earn on most of our fee-based products varies with the level of fee-based account values, since many policy fees are determined by these values. The investment income and interest we credit to policyholders on our spread-based products varies with the level of general account values. To a lesser extent, changes in account values impact our pattern of amortization of DAC and VOBA and general and administrative expenses. The following table shows the changes in the account values and net additions (withdrawals) of Retirement segment products for the periods indicated. Net additions (withdrawals) are plan sales and participant deposits or additions, as applicable, minus plan and participant withdrawals and benefits. Account values include both internally- and externally-managed client balances as the total balances drive revenue for the Retirement segment. For more information on internally-managed balances, see “-PGIM.”
2018 to 2017 Annual Comparison. Adjusted operating income decreased $273 million. Excluding the impacts of changes in the estimated profitability of the business, discussed below, adjusted operating income decreased $56 million. The decrease was primarily driven by lower net investment spread results reflecting lower investment income on non-coupon investments, higher capital hedge costs, and higher distribution expenses due to increased sales. Partially offsetting these decreases were lower amortization costs and reserve provisions as well as higher asset-based fee income, net of associated costs. The increase in the net asset-based fee income reflected higher average variable annuity account values due to market appreciation and favorable impacts related to our living benefit guarantees, partially offset by negative net flows and the impact of certain products reaching contractual milestones for fee tier reduction.
The impacts of changes in the estimated profitability of the business include adjustments to the amortization of DAC and other costs as well as to the reserves for certain living and/or death benefit features of our variable annuity products. These adjustments resulted in a net charge of $34 million and a net benefit of $183 million in 2018 and 2017, respectively, reflecting the net impact of hedge effectiveness relative to our assumptions, as well as a net benefit resulting from our annual reviews and update of assumptions and other refinements. Additionally, the net benefit of $183 million also reflected the net impact of equity market performance on contractholder accounts.
Single pay life premiums and excess (unscheduled) premiums are included in annualized new business premiums based on a 10% credit and represented approximately 7%, 15% and 13% of Guaranteed Universal Life and 0%, 1% and 3% of Other Universal Life annualized new business premiums for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively.
In June 2018, we entered into a definitive agreement to sell our Pramerica of Italy subsidiary, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. In February 2019, the agreement was terminated and we continue to explore strategic alternatives. The results of this business and the impact of an anticipated sale are reflected in our Corporate and Other operations (see “-Results of Operations by Segment-Divested and Run-off Businesses-Divested and Run-off Businesses Included in Corporate and Other” for additional information).
2018 to 2017 Annual Comparison. Revenues from our Life Planner operations increased $532 million including a net favorable impact of $6 million from currency fluctuations and a comparatively favorable net impact of $3 million from our annual reviews and update of assumptions and other refinements. Excluding these items, revenues increased $523 million, primarily driven by higher premiums and policy charges and fee income related to the growth of business in force.
Income from our Divested and Run-off Businesses includes results from several businesses that have been or will be sold or exited, including businesses that have been placed in wind down status that do not qualify for “discontinued operations” accounting treatment under U.S. GAAP. The results of these Divested and Run-off Businesses are reflected in our Corporate and Other operations, but are excluded from adjusted operating income. A summary of the results of the Divested and Run-off Businesses reflected in our Corporate and Other operations is as follows for the periods indicated:
The net impacts, for the Retirement segment, of changes in experience-rated contractholder liabilities and investment gains (losses) on assets supporting experience-rated contractholder liabilities and other related investments reflect timing differences between the recognition of the mark-to-market adjustments and the recognition of the recovery of these adjustments in future periods through subsequent increases in asset values or reductions in crediting rates on contractholder liabilities for partially participating products. These impacts also reflect the difference between the fair value of the underlying commercial mortgages and other loans and the amortized cost, less any valuation allowance, of these loans, as described above.
Future policy benefits classified in Level 3 primarily include liabilities related to guarantees associated with the living benefit features of certain variable annuity contracts offered by our Individual Annuities segment, including GMAB, GMWB and GMIWB. These benefits are accounted for as embedded derivatives and carried at fair value with changes in fair value included in “Realized investment gains (losses), net.” The fair values of the GMAB, GMWB and GMIWB liabilities are calculated as the present value of future expected benefit payments to customers less the present value of future rider fees attributable to the embedded derivative feature. This methodology could result in either a liability or contra-liability balance, based on capital market conditions and various policyholder behavior assumptions. Since there is no observable active market for the transfer of these obligations, the valuations are calculated using internally-developed models with option pricing techniques. These models utilize significant assumptions that are primarily unobservable, including assumptions as to lapse rates, NPR, utilization rates, withdrawal rates, mortality rates and equity market volatility. Future policy benefits classified as Level 3 for PFI excluding the Closed Block division were a net liability of $8.9 billion as of December 31, 2018. For additional information, see “-Results of Operations by Segment-U.S. Individual Solutions Division-Individual Annuities.”
For additional information about the key estimates and assumptions used in our determination of fair value, see Note 6 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
Primarily includes OTTI related to investments in LPs/LLCs and real estate held through direct ownership.
$523 million of gains on product-related embedded derivatives and related hedge positions associated with certain variable annuity contracts;
“Fixed maturities, trading, at fair value” are primarily related to assets associated with consolidated variable interest entities for which the Company is the investment manager. The assets of the consolidated variable interest entities are generally offset by liabilities for which the fair value option has been elected. For further information on these consolidated variable interest entities, see Note 4 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
We seek to capitalize all of our subsidiaries and businesses in accordance with their ratings targets, and we believe Prudential Financial’s capitalization and use of financial leverage are consistent with those ratings targets. Our long-term senior debt rating targets for Prudential Financial are “A” for S&P, Moody’s, and Fitch, and “a” for A.M. Best Company (“A.M. Best”). Our financial strength rating targets for our life insurance companies are “AA/Aa/AA” for S&P, Moody’s and Fitch, respectively, and “A+” for A.M. Best. Some entities may currently be rated below these targets, and not all life insurance companies are rated by each of these rating agencies. See “-Ratings” below for a description of the potential impacts of ratings downgrades.
Gross account withdrawals for our domestic insurance operations’ products in 2018 were generally consistent with our assumptions in asset/liability management, and the associated cash outflows did not have a material adverse impact on our overall liquidity.
The principal sources of liquidity for our strategic investments held in our PGIM businesses are cash flows from investments, the ability to liquidate investments, and available borrowing lines from internal sources, including Prudential Financial and Prudential Funding, LLC (“Prudential Funding”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Prudential Insurance. The primary liquidity risks include the inability to sell assets in a timely manner, declines in the value of assets and credit defaults. There were no material changes to the liquidity position of our PGIM operations during 2018.
We conduct asset-based or secured financing within our insurance and other subsidiaries, including transactions such as securities lending, repurchase agreements and mortgage dollar rolls, to earn spread income, to borrow funds, or to facilitate trading activity. These programs are primarily driven by portfolio holdings of securities that are lendable based on counterparty demand for these securities in the marketplace. The collateral received in connection with these programs is primarily used to purchase securities in the short-term spread portfolios of our insurance entities. Investments held in the short-term spread portfolios include cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments (primarily corporate bonds), mortgage loans and fixed maturities (primarily CLOs and other structured securities), with a weighted average life at time of purchase by the short-term portfolios of four years or less. Floating rate assets comprise the majority of our short-term spread portfolio. These short-term portfolios are subject to specific investment policy statements, which among other things, do not allow for significant asset/liability interest rate duration mismatch.
A downgrade in the credit or financial strength ratings of Prudential Financial or its rated subsidiaries could potentially, among other things, limit our ability to market products, reduce our competitiveness, increase the number or value of policy surrenders and withdrawals, increase our borrowing costs and potentially make it more difficult to borrow funds, adversely affect the availability of financial guarantees, such as letters of credit, cause additional collateral requirements or other required payments under certain agreements, allow counterparties to terminate derivative agreements and/or hurt our relationships with creditors, distributors, or trading counterparties thereby potentially negatively affecting our profitability, liquidity, and/or capital. In addition, we consider our own risk of non-performance in determining the fair value of our liabilities. Therefore, changes in our credit or financial strength ratings may affect the fair value of our liabilities.
This rating for Prudential Life Insurance Company of Taiwan, Inc. was upgraded to “twAAA” from “twAA+” in November of 2018 by Taiwan Ratings Corporation, an S&P Global Company.
As previously disclosed in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, during 2016, the Company recorded out of period adjustments that resulted in an aggregate net decrease of $134 million to “Income (loss) before income taxes and equity in earnings of operating joint ventures” for the year ended December 31, 2016. Such adjustments primarily consisted of a charge of $141 million to increase reserves, net of a related increase in DAC, for certain universal life products within the Individual Life business. Management evaluated the adjustments, both individually and in the aggregate, and concluded that they were not material to any previously reported quarterly or annual financial statements. For additional information on the impact of these adjustments to the Company’s operating segments, see Note 21.
When an OTTI of a debt security has occurred, the amount of the OTTI recognized in earnings depends on whether the Company intends to sell the security or more likely than not will be required to sell the security before recovery of its amortized cost basis. If the debt security meets either of these two criteria or the unrealized losses due to changes in foreign currency exchange rates are not expected to be recovered before maturity, the OTTI recognized in earnings is equal to the entire difference between the security’s amortized cost basis and its fair value at the impairment measurement date. For OTTI of debt securities that do not meet these criteria, the net amount recognized in earnings is equal to the difference between the amortized cost of the debt security and its net present value calculated as described above. Any difference between the fair value and the net present value of the debt security at the impairment measurement date is recorded in “Other comprehensive income (loss).” Unrealized gains or losses on securities for which an OTTI has been recognized in earnings is tracked as a separate component of AOCI.
Separate account assets represent segregated funds that are invested for certain policyholders, pension funds and other customers. The assets consist primarily of equity securities, fixed maturities, real estate-related investments, real estate mortgage loans, short-term investments and derivative instruments and are reported at fair value. The assets of each account are legally segregated and are not subject to claims that arise out of any other business of the Company. Investment risks associated with market value changes are borne by the customers, except to the extent of minimum guarantees made by the Company with respect to certain accounts. The investment income and realized investment gains or losses from separate account assets generally accrue to the policyholders and are not included in the Company’s results of operations. Mortality, policy administration and surrender charges assessed against the accounts are included in “Policy charges and fee income.” Asset management fees charged to the accounts are included in “Asset management and service fees.” Seed money that the Company invests in separate accounts is reported in the appropriate general account asset line. Investment income and realized investment gains or losses from seed money invested in separate accounts accrues to the Company and is included in the Company’s results of operations. See Note 12 for additional information regarding separate account arrangements with contractual guarantees. See also “Separate account liabilities” below.
The Company and its includible domestic subsidiaries file a consolidated federal income tax return that includes both life insurance companies and non-life insurance companies. Certain other domestic subsidiaries file separate tax returns. Subsidiaries operating outside the U.S. are taxed, and income tax expense is recorded, based on applicable foreign statutes. See Note 15 for a discussion of certain non-U.S. jurisdictions for which the Company assumes repatriation of earnings.
The Company participates in reinsurance arrangements in various capacities as either the ceding entity or as the reinsurer (i.e., assuming entity). See Note 13 for additional information about the Company’s reinsurance arrangements. Reinsurance assumed business is generally accounted for consistent with direct business. Amounts currently recoverable under reinsurance agreements are included in “Other assets” and amounts payable are included in “Other liabilities.” Revenues and benefits and expenses include amounts assumed under reinsurance agreements and are reflected net of reinsurance ceded.
Effective January 1, 2018, the Company adopted ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), using a modified retrospective method. The core principle of this ASU is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. This core principle is assessed via application of a five-step revenue recognition model that is detailed within the ASU.
The net change in unrealized gains (losses) from assets supporting experience-rated contractholder liabilities still held at period end, recorded within “Other income (loss),” was $(778) million, $300 million and $75 million during the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively.
As of December 31, 2018, the commercial mortgage and agricultural property loans were secured by properties geographically dispersed throughout the United States (with the largest concentrations in California (28%), Texas (9%) and New York (8%) and included loans secured by properties in Europe (6%), Australia (1%) and Asia (1%)).
Excludes embedded derivatives and associated reinsurance recoverables which contain multiple underlying risks. The fair value of these embedded derivatives was a net liability of $8,959 million and $8,748 million as of December 31, 2018, and 2017, respectively, primarily included in “Future policy benefits.”
Effective January 1, 2018, LPs/LLCs are reported at fair value due to adoption of ASU 2016-01, which in prior period were reported at fair value option. See Note 2 for details.
Future policy benefits for individual non-participating traditional life insurance policies, group and individual long-term care policies and individual health insurance policies are generally equal to the present value of future benefit payments and related expenses, less the present value of future net premiums. Assumptions as to mortality, morbidity and persistency are based on the Company’s experience, industry data, and/or other factors, when the basis of the reserve is established. Interest rates used in the determination of the present values range from 0.1% to 9.5%; less than 1% of the reserves are based on an interest rate in excess of 8%.
Primarily represents reinsurance recoverables established under the reinsurance arrangements associated with the acquisition of the retirement business of CIGNA. The Company has recorded reinsurance recoverables related to the acquisition of the retirement business of CIGNA of $481 million and $682 million at December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Also included is $15 million and $13 million of reinsurance recoverables at December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively, established under the reinsurance agreement with Union Hamilton related to the ceding of certain embedded derivative liabilities associated with the Company’s guaranteed benefits.
Ranges of interest rates are for the year ended December 31, 2018.
At December 31, 2018 and 2017, the Company was in compliance with all debt covenants related to the borrowings in the table above.
From 2011 through 2013, a captive reinsurance subsidiary entered into agreements providing for the issuance and sale of up to $2 billion of ten-year fixed-rate surplus notes. The aggregate amount available to be issued under these agreements was reduced to $1.75 billion in 2018. Under the agreements, the captive receives in exchange for the surplus notes one or more credit-linked notes issued by a special-purpose subsidiary of the Company in an aggregate principal amount equal to the surplus notes issued. The captive holds the credit-linked notes as assets supporting the non-economic portion of the statutory reserve required to be held by the Company’s domestic insurance subsidiaries under Regulation XXX in connection with the reinsurance of term life insurance policies through the captive. The non-economic portion of the statutory reserve equals the difference between the statutory reserve required under Regulation XXX and the amount the Company considers necessary to maintain solvency for moderately adverse experience. The principal amount of the outstanding credit-linked notes is redeemable by the captive in cash upon the occurrence of, and in an amount necessary to remedy, a specified liquidity stress event affecting the captive. Under the agreements, external counterparties have agreed to fund any such payment under the credit-linked notes in return for a fee. Prudential Financial has agreed to make capital contributions to the captive to reimburse it for investment losses in excess of specified amounts and has agreed to reimburse the external counterparties for any payments under the credit-linked notes that are funded by those counterparties. As of December 31, 2018, an aggregate of $1.75 billion of surplus notes were outstanding under these agreements and no such payments under the credit-linked notes have been required.
The following table summarizes share repurchases for each of the past three years as well as the share repurchase authorization for 2019 which was approved by the Board of Directors in December 2018.
Unrecognized compensation cost for stock options as of December 31, 2018 was $2 million with a weighted average recognition period of 1.58 years. Unrecognized compensation cost for restricted stock units, performance shares and performance units as of December 31, 2018 was $137 million with a weighted average recognition period of 1.66 years.
Beginning in the first quarter of 2018, as a result of the adoption of ASU 2016-01 (see Note 2), changes in the fair value of equity securities are included in net income, but are excluded from adjusted operating income. These changes in fair value are classified as related adjustments within “Realized investment gains (losses), net, and related adjustments” reconciling item in the tables below.
Occasionally, for business reasons, the Company may exit certain non-cancelable operating leases prior to their expiration. In these instances, the Company’s policy is to accrue, at the time it ceases to use the property being leased, the future rental expense net of any expected sub-lease income, and to release this reserve over the remaining commitment period. Of the total non-cancelable operating and capital leases amounts listed above, there were no such accruals as of December 31, 2018. There were no accruals of sub-lease income as of December 31, 2018.
In December 2016, a complaint entitled Julie Han Broderick, Darron Smith and Thomas Schreck v. The Prudential Insurance Company of America, et al., was filed in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Law Division - Essex County. The complaint: (i) alleges that defendants terminated plaintiffs’ employment for engaging in whistleblowing conduct involving the sale of MyTerm policies through Wells Fargo and violated New Jersey’s Conscientious Employee Protection Act; and (ii) seeks back and front pay, compensatory and punitive damages and attorneys’ fees and costs. In January 2017, defendants filed an answer to the complaint.
In April 2015, defendants filed a motion to dismiss the amended complaint. In January 2016, the court issued a decision involving Deutsche Bank’s motion to dismiss: (i) with respect to the PSA trusts, granting the motion and declining to exercise supplemental jurisdiction; and (ii) with respect to the Indenture trusts, granting leave for plaintiffs to file an amended complaint. In February 2016, the Company, together with other institutional investor plaintiffs, filed an amended complaint in federal court. In March 2016, the Company, together with other institutional investors, filed a complaint in California State Superior Court, captioned BlackRock Balanced Capital Portfolio (FI), et al. v. Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, asserting claims relating to the PSA trusts. In May 2016, the Company, together with other institutional investors, filed an amended class action complaint in California State Superior Court. In July 2016, defendant filed a motion to dismiss the amended federal court complaint. In August 2016, defendant filed a demurrer and motion to strike the amended state court class action complaint. In October 2016, the court issued a decision regarding defendants’ motion to dismiss: (i) sustaining plaintiffs’ breach of contract claims concerning the trust at issue; (ii) dismissing plaintiffs’ tort claims for breach of fiduciary duty; and (iii) dismissing plaintiffs’ claims of breach of duty to avoid conflicts of interest. The court granted plaintiffs’ leave to file an amended complaint. In January 2017, the federal court issued a decision involving Deutsche Bank’s motion to dismiss: (i) granting the motion with respect to plaintiff’s conflicts of interest claims; and (ii) denying the motion with respect to plaintiffs’ representations-and-warranties claims, servicer-notification claims, event-of-default claims and Trust Indenture Act claims. In February 2017, the court issued a decision regarding defendants’ motion to dismiss the amended complaint: (i) sustaining plaintiffs’ breach of contract claims concerning the failure to remedy known servicing violations as to all sixty-two trusts at issue; (ii) sustaining plaintiffs’ breach of contract claims concerning the failure to enforce seller representation and warranty claims as to forty-one trusts, and dismissing such claims as to the remaining twenty-one trusts; (iii) dismissing plaintiffs’ claim for breach of fiduciary duty; and (iv) dismissing plaintiffs’ claim for breach of duty to avoid conflicts of interest. In January 2018, plaintiffs filed motions for class certification in the state and federal court actions. In May 2018, plaintiffs’ motion for class certification was denied in the state court action. In June 2018, plaintiffs filed a Notice of Appeal to the California Court of Appeal of the denial of their class certification motion. In December 2018, the California Court of Appeal entered the parties’ stipulation dismissing plaintiffs’ appeal of the class certification decision. In December 2018, the federal court action was dismissed with prejudice. In January 2019, the state court action was dismissed with prejudice.