MTG — MGIC Investment

Private mortgage insurance (PMI) for residential mortgages. $303B insurance in force covering $81B of risk. Primarily GSE-purchased loans. | Financial Services — Mortgage Insurance | AGI Score: 4/10 | Analysis date: 2026-03-13

Why are we looking at this? — AMR Playbook — Maximum Buyback Machine

Sister company to ACT (both mortgage insurers). The standout: 30% share buyback over the measurement period — one of the most aggressive buybacks in the market. 359M shares in 2020 → 235M in 2025. $738M net income, 14.3% ROE, 9.1% ROA. Trading near book value. The buyback machine.

$26.04
Stock Price
$5.6B
Market Cap
1.11x
Price / Book
1.09x
Price / Tangible Book
8.3x
P/E (trailing)
7.8x
P/E (forward)
$1.2B
Revenue (LTM)
$738M
Net Income
2.3%
Dividend Yield
Stock Price — MTG

1. The Business

MGIC provides private mortgage insurance (PMI) for residential home loans, primarily for loans purchased by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Revenue comes from insurance premiums on $303B of insurance in force covering $81B of risk. The company insures low down payment mortgages (typically <20% down), covering lender losses from homeowner defaults. MGIC competes with FHA/VA government programs and other private insurers. The business is heavily regulated by state insurance departments and GSE requirements (PMIERs).

Key Stats

SectorFinancial Services
IndustryInsurance - Specialty
Employees542
ROE14.3%
ROA9.1%
Gross Margin95.1%
Operating Margin74.2%
Profit Margin60.8%

Market Data

52-Week Range$21.94 — $29.97
Beta0.798
Avg Volume2,254,985
Short Ratio3.19
EV / EBITDA6.1x
Analyst Target$28.41667 (hold)
Float Shares200M
Payout Ratio17.8%

2. Balance Sheet

Balance Sheet Composition

ItemValue% of AssetsNotes
ASSETS ($6.6B)
PP&E (net)$32M0.5%Physical assets
Cash & Equivalents$369M5.6%
Other Assets$6.2B94.0%Receivables, investments, etc.
LIABILITIES
Long-Term Debt$643M9.7%
Other Liabilities$849M12.8%
EQUITY
Stockholders' Equity$5.1B77.5%
Tangible Book Value$5.1BEquity minus goodwill & intangibles
Tangible Book / Share$23.95vs price $26.04

3. Financial History

Metric202020212022202320242025
Revenue$1.2B$1.2B$1.2B$1.2B$1.2B$1.2B
Net Income$151M$635M$865M$713M$763M$738M
Total Assets$7.4B$7.3B$6.2B$6.5B$6.5B$6.6B
Equity$4.7B$4.9B$4.6B$5.1B$5.2B$5.1B
Long-Term Debt$1.2B$1.1B$663M$643M
Cash$288M$285M$327M$364M$229M$369M
OCF$732M$696M$650M$713M$725M$853M
PP&E$47M$46M$41M$39M$36M$32M
Goodwill
Shares (Diluted)359M351M311M287M264M235M

4. Shares Outstanding & Buybacks

PeriodShares (Diluted)Change
2020-12-31359,293,000
2021-12-31351,308,000-2.2%
2022-12-31311,229,000-11.4%
2023-12-31287,155,000-7.7%
2024-12-31263,995,000-8.1%
2025-12-31235,099,000-10.9%
Total Change-34.6%

Significant buyback activity. Share count declining 35% over the period. This mechanically increases EPS and book value per share even with no underlying growth.

5. 10x Entry Price Analysis

Working Backwards: What Entry Price Gives 10x?

Current EPS: $3.14 | Current Book/Share: $21.90 | Current Price: $26.04

Scenario7yr Future PriceEntry for 10xvs CurrentAssumptions
Conservative$64.59$6.46+303% below8% EPS growth, 12x exit P/E
Bull Case$125.31$12.53+108% below15% EPS growth, 15x exit P/E
Buyback Only$43.77$4.38+495%No revenue growth, buybacks continue at current rate, 12x P/E

6. AGI Impact Assessment (Score: 4/10)

Demand Boost2/10How much AGI increases demand for this company's products
Margin Expansion6/10How much AGI reduces costs / expands margins
Strategic Assets5/10Unique assets that become more valuable with AGI
Disruption Risk6/10Risk that AGI disrupts the core business model
Innovation Risk5/10Risk of being out-innovated by AGI-native competitors
Overall AGI Score4/10Category: minimal_impact

Reasoning: MGIC faces mixed AGI effects in a highly regulated industry. Demand boost potential if AGI-driven productivity boom increases homeownership/affordability, but offset by risk that AGI enables better credit models reducing need for MI. Margin expansion through automated underwriting, claims processing, and fraud detection. Strategic assets include regulatory licenses and PMIERs compliance which create barriers to entry. However, disruption risk is real - AGI enables superior credit risk models that could allow GSEs/lenders to reduce MI coverage requirements or self-insure. Innovation risk moderate: blockchain-based property records, peer-to-peer lending, and algorithmic underwriting could disintermediate traditional MI. Heavily exposed to housing market cycles which AGI doesn't fundamentally change. Net slightly positive but vulnerable to structural shifts.

7. Bull & Bear Cases

Bull Case

  • BUYBACK MACHINE: 359M → 235M shares in 5 years (35% reduction!)
  • $738M net income on $5.6B market cap = 13% earnings yield
  • 14.3% ROE, 9.1% ROA — very efficient capital deployment
  • Insurance in force ($303B) generates premiums for years — locked-in revenue stream
  • Almost no claims in current cycle — credit quality is excellent

Bear Case

  • Same AGI risk as ACT — credit pricing commoditization
  • Housing downturn would spike claims against $81B of risk exposure
  • Revenue essentially flat for 6 years ($1.17-1.21B) — no growth
  • Regulatory changes to GSE requirements could shrink addressable market
  • Running into the law of diminishing returns on buybacks at higher prices

8. Initial Assessment

Summary

MTG (MGIC Investment) trades at 1.11x book value (1.09x tangible book) with $738M net income on a $5.6B market cap (13.1% earnings yield). ROE of 14.3%. Shares have declined 35% over the measurement period through buybacks.

Verdict: WATCHLIST — Best Buyback Machine. 35% share reduction in 5 years is exceptional. With flat revenue, the buybacks alone drive 7-8% annual EPS growth. $738M net income, 14.3% ROE, similar business to ACT but more aggressive on buybacks. The mortgage insurance duopoly (MTG + ACT + a few others) is durable. Same AGI risks as ACT. The P/TB of 1.08x is fair, not cheap. Best entry on a housing scare that spooks the market. Entry zone: $20-22 (floor based on run-rate earnings + book value support).

Data sources: SEC EDGAR XBRL (CIK 876437), yfinance, 10-K filing, AGI scoring framework. Analysis date: 2026-03-13.