Ameriprise Financial Reports Second Quarter 2021 Results

Ameriprise Financial, Inc. (NYSE: AMP):

As indicated, the severe market dislocation and steep interest rate reduction in the first quarter of 2020 related to COVID-19 distorted the company’s prior year GAAP and operating results. This included a tax benefit from a projected net operating loss (NOL) in the first quarter of 2020 that was reversed in the second quarter of 2020.

Advice & Wealth Management pretax adjusted operating earnings were $423 million, up 56 percent driven by continued robust client net flows, higher transactional activity, market appreciation and disciplined expense management. Pretax adjusted operating margin increased 380 basis points. On a sequential basis, pretax operating earnings increased 9 percent and pretax adjusted operating margin expanded 70 basis points.

Adjusted operating net revenues grew 29 percent to $2.0 billion, reflecting strong client net flows and market appreciation. On a sequential basis, revenues increased 5 percent.

Total expenses were $1.6 billion, reflecting higher distribution expense related to strong organic growth. General and administrative expense was well managed and increased 3 percent, reflecting the cost associated with increased activity and performance-based compensation expense.

Total client assets grew 28 percent to $807 billion, with continued robust total client flows of $9.5 billion in the quarter. The company’s ability to meet client needs efficiently and effectively is translating into excellent organic growth. Advisor productivity remains high with a 78 percent increase in flows in the investment advisory business and a 29 percent increase in transactional activity. Wrap net flows were $10.0 billion, representing the third consecutive quarter at or above $9.0 billion of net flows. Cash balances remain elevated at $39.2 billion with an opportunity for clients to put cash back to work in the future.

Adjusted operating net revenue per advisor on a trailing 12-month basis was $731,000. Excluding the decline in short-term interest rates, adjusted net revenue per advisor increased 14 percent. Total advisors were 10,047, up 2 percent, from a combination of high advisor retention and the addition of 42 experienced advisors in the quarter.

Asset Management pretax adjusted operating earnings were $253 million, up 79 percent, reflecting strong market appreciation and the cumulative benefit of net inflows. The net pretax adjusted operating margin was 45.4 percent. On a sequential basis, pretax operating earnings increased 11 percent and pretax adjusted operating margin expanded 150 basis points.

Adjusted operating revenues increased 32 percent to $879 million from the cumulative benefit of inflows and higher equity markets. The overall fee rate remained strong at 52 basis points. On a sequential basis, revenues increased 6 percent.

Adjusted operating expenses increased 19 percent. General and administrative expenses grew 12 percent driven primarily from strong business performance that drove higher compensation expense and foreign exchange translation, as well as the costs associated with increased activity levels.

Total assets under management increased 25 percent to $593 billion reflecting equity market appreciation and net inflows. Investment performance remained strong across equity, fixed income and asset-allocation strategies.

In the quarter, net inflows were $6.7 billion, an improvement of $4.1 billion from a year ago. Net inflows were $8.1 billion excluding legacy insurance partners outflows, reflecting a continuation of positive flow trends across multiple distribution channels and strategies:

• Retail net inflows were $4.2 billion. Net inflows in North America were $5.1 billion with notable inflows in the broker-dealer channel, which were partially offset by outflows in EMEA.

• Global institutional net inflows were $3.9 billion, with gross sales across multiple strategies.

   

Retirement & Protection Solutions pretax adjusted operating earnings were $182 million. Results in the prior year period benefited from lower surrenders and withdrawals that reduced the amortization of deferred acquisition costs. Results in the current quarter reflect higher distribution expenses associated with improved sales trends, compared to a year ago when sales were depressed from the environment. Overall claims remain within expected ranges.

Retirement sales increased 88 percent year-over-year to $1.6 billion. Retirement sales reflect the ongoing shift to lower risk products. Variable annuity sales without living benefit guarantees represented 66 percent of variable annuity sales in the quarter. This shift is improving the risk profile of our inforce block, with account values with living benefit riders down over 2 percentage points year-over-year to 62 percent. Annuity net amount at risk as a percent of account values was de minimis at 0.3 percent for living benefits and 0.1 percent for death benefits.

Sales of protection products nearly doubled from a year ago with a product mix shift that is consistent with our focused approach. Sales of higher-margin accumulation VUL products increased substantially while sales shifted away from indexed UL products as expected given pricing changes that reflect the low interest rate environment.

(1) Retirement & Protection Solutions segment includes Retirement Solutions (Variable Annuities and Payout Annuities) and Protection Solutions (Life and Disability Insurance). Fixed Annuities moved to the Corporate & Other segment in Q3 2020 as a closed block. Prior periods have been restated.

Total Corporate & Other pretax adjusted operating loss was $77 million.

Corporate & Other, excluding Closed Blocks, pretax adjusted operating loss was $74 million. Results in the quarter included $7 million of affordable housing impairments.

Long Term Care pretax adjusted operating earnings were $3 million, down from last year as mortality and terminations activity returned to pre-COVID levels in the quarter.

Fixed Annuities pretax adjusted operating loss was $6 million from narrowed spreads from low interest rates.

Taxes

The operating effective tax rate was 18.2 percent for the second quarter. The full year operating effective tax rate is expected to be approximately 17 percent.

About Ameriprise Financial

At Ameriprise Financial, we have been helping people feel confident about their financial future for more than 125 years. With extensive advisory, asset management and insurance capabilities and a nationwide network of over 10,000 financial advisors, we have the strength and expertise to serve the full range of individual and institutional investors' financial needs. For more information, or to find an Ameriprise financial advisor, visit ameriprise.com.

Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC offers financial planning services, investments, insurance and annuity products. Columbia Funds are distributed by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc., member FINRA and managed by Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC. Threadneedle International Limited is an SEC- and FCA-registered investment adviser affiliate of Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC based in the U.K. RiverSource insurance and annuity products are issued by RiverSource Life Insurance Company, and in New York only by RiverSource Life Insurance Co. of New York, Albany, New York. Only RiverSource Life Insurance Co. of New York is authorized to sell insurance and annuity products in the state of New York. These companies are all part of Ameriprise Financial, Inc. CA License #0684538. RiverSource Distributors, Inc. (Distributor), Member FINRA.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

The company believes the presentation of adjusted operating earnings and other non-GAAP financial measures, and the corresponding ratios, best represents the underlying performance of our core operations and facilitates a more meaningful trend analysis without the distortion of various adjustment items. Management uses non-GAAP financial measures to evaluate our financial performance on a basis comparable to that used by some securities analysts and investors and to provide a valuable perspective for investors. These non-GAAP financial measures are taken into consideration, to varying degrees, for purposes of business planning and analysis and for certain compensation-related matters. Non-GAAP financial measures are intended to supplement investors’ understanding of our performance and should not be considered alternatives for financial measures presented in accordance with GAAP. These measures are discussed in more detail below and may not be comparable to other companies’ similarly titled non-GAAP financial measures. Non-GAAP financial measure reconciliations can be found on the subsequent pages.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements that reflect management’s plans, estimates and beliefs. Actual results could differ materially from those described in these forward-looking statements. Examples of such forward-looking statements include:

• statements of the company’s plans, intentions, positioning, expectations, objectives or goals, including those relating to asset flows, mass affluent and affluent client acquisition strategy, client retention and growth of our client base, financial advisor productivity, retention, recruiting and enrollments, the introduction, cessation, terms or pricing of new or existing products and services, acquisition integration, general and administrative costs, consolidated tax rate, return of capital to shareholders, and excess capital position and financial flexibility to capture additional growth opportunities;
• statements about the expected trend in the shift of the retirement product sales business to lower risk products over time, such as products without living benefit guarantees;
• statements about the announced acquisition of BMO’s European-based asset management business, including the expected timing to close the transaction and the expected AUM of the acquired business;
• statements about the announced reinsurance transaction, including the occurrence of any event, change or circumstance that could give rise to changes in the amount of freed up capital (including that a regulator may prohibit, delay or refuse to grant approval for the consummation of the remaining part of the proposed transaction that reduces the expected capital release);
• other statements about future economic performance, the performance of equity markets and interest rate variations and the economic performance of the United States and of global markets; and
• statements estimating the expected full year operating effective tax rate;
• statements of assumptions underlying such statements.

The words “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “optimistic,” “intend,” “plan,” “aim,” “will,” “may,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “likely,” “forecast,” “on track,” “project,” ”continue,” “able to remain”, “resume,” “deliver,” “develop,” “evolve,” “drive,” ”enable,” “flexibility,” “scenario, “case,” “appear,” “expands” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements but are not the exclusive means of identifying such statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from such statements.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made. Management cautions readers to carefully consider the risks described in the “Risk Factors” discussion under Part 1, Item 1A of and elsewhere in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 available at ir.ameriprise.com. Management undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements.

The financial results discussed in this news release represent past performance only, which may not be used to predict or project future results. The financial results and values presented in this news release are based upon asset valuations that represent estimates as of the date of this news release and may be revised in the company’s Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2021.

Ameriprise Financial announces financial and other information to investors through the company’s investor relations website at ir.ameriprise.com, as well as SEC filings, press releases, public conference calls and webcasts. Investors and others interested in the company are encouraged to visit the investor relations website from time to time, as information is updated and new information is posted. The website also allows users to sign up for automatic notifications in the event new materials are posted. The information found on the website is not incorporated by reference into this release or in any other report or document the company furnishes or files with the SEC.