0001635984
false
0001635984
2023-11-08
2023-11-08

              
              

                                 UNITED STATES                                  
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION                       
                              WASHINGTON, DC 20549                              
                         ______________________________                         
                                      FORM                                      
                                      8-K                                       
                                                                                
                                 CURRENT REPORT                                 
                     Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the                     
                        Securities Exchange Act of 1934                         
                                                                                
                Date of report (Date of earliest event reported)                
                               November 08, 2023                                
                                                                                
                       NATIONAL WESTERN LIFE GROUP, INC.                        
               (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)               
                                                                                

                                                                         
           Delaware                 000-55522            47-3339380      
 (State or Other Jurisdiction      (Commission          (IRS Employer    
      of Incorporation)            File Number)      Identification No.) 



                                                             
         10801 N. Mopac Expy Bldg 3                          
              Austin, Texas                         78759    
  (Address of Principal Executive Offices)        (Zip Code) 


               Registrant's telephone number, including area code               
                                     (512)                                      
                                    836-1010                                    
                                                                                
                                 Not Applicable                                 
         (Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)          
                                                                                
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to 
simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of 
the following provisions (
see
General Instruction A.2. below):


Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 
230.425)


Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 
240.14a-12)


Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange 
Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))


Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange 
Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

                                                                                                                               
 Title of each class to be registered:      Trading Symbol      Name of each exchange on which each class is to be registered: 
 Class A Common Stock, $0.01 par value           NWLI                            The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC                   

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as 
defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (
(s)
230.405 of the chapter) or Rule 12-b2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (
(s)
240.12b-2 of the chapter).
Emerging growth company

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has 
elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new 
or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) 
of the Exchange Act.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Item 2.02  Results of Operations and Financial Condition
On November 8, 2023, National Western Life Group, Inc. ("Company") announced 
via press release the Company's financial results for the quarter and nine 
months ended September 30, 2023. A copy of the Company's press release is 
attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1. This Form 8-K and the attached exhibit are 
provided under Item 9.01 of Form 8-K and are furnished to, but not filed with, 
the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The press release is available at the Company's website, www.nwlgi.com.

                                                                                                          
Item 9.01  Financial Statements and Exhibits                                                              
                                                                                                          
                                                                                                          
   Exhibit       Press Release of National Western Life Group, Inc. issued November 8, 2023 reporting     
    99.1         financial results for the quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2023.              
                                                                                                          
 Exhibit 104     Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded                                               
                 within the Inline XBRL document)                                                         


                                                                                
                                   SIGNATURE                                    
                                                                                
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 hereunto duly authorized.                                           
                                                                                
                                             NATIONAL WESTERN LIFE GROUP, INC.  
                                                                                
Date: November 8, 2023                       /S/Brian M. Pribyl                 
                                             Brian M. Pribyl                    
                                             Senior Vice President,             
                                             Chief Financial Officer            
                                             and Treasurer                      
                                                                                
                                                                                



                                                                    EXHIBIT 99.1
         National Western Life Group, Inc. Announces 2023 Third Quarter Earnings

         Austin, Texas, November 8, 2023  Ross R. Moody, Chairman of the Board, 
    President, and Chief Executive Officer of National Western Life Group, Inc. 
   (Nasdaq: NWLI), announced today third quarter 2023 consolidated net earnings 
         of $64.7 million, or $18.30 per diluted share of Class A Common Stock, 
    compared with restated consolidated net earnings of $35.2 million, or $9.95 
         per diluted share of Class A Common Stock, for the third quarter ended 
  September 30, 2022. For the nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company 
    reported consolidated net earnings of $106.7 million, or $30.17 per diluted 
     share of Class A Common Stock, compared with $229.3 million, or $64.84 per 
    diluted share of Class A Common Stock, a year ago. The Company's book value 
                        per share as of September 30, 2023 increased to $617.16.

 In the quarters ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company reported pretax 
  earnings of $98.9 million and $44.9 million, respectively. Pretax earnings in 
  the third quarter of 2023 benefited from a $25.7 million realized gain on the 
  sale of a long-term investment asset as well as from a $19.4 million positive 
 earnings adjustment to its fixed-index annuity product liabilities as a result 
     of the Company's review of actuarial assumptions conducted annually in the 
                                            third calendar quarter of each year.

 The Company's reported results reflect the liability accounting required under 
        the Accounting for Long-Duration Contracts ("LDTI") accounting standard 
    effective in 2023. The Company's pretax earnings include a benefit of $29.4 
  million and $33.6 million for the quarters ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, 
      respectively, for decreases in the Market Risks Benefits liability. Under 
     LDTI, the Market Risk Benefits liability is determined based upon interest 
      rate levels in effect at each respective reporting date with increases in 
              interest rate levels producing decreases in the liability balance.

 Commenting on the reported results, Mr. Moody noted, "In addition to reporting 
 our financial results, it has been a very active and productive period for the 
      Company as evidenced by our October 8th agreement to join Prosperity Life 
     Group's organization through acquisition. While we continue to conduct our 
  business operations in the normal course, we look forward to the merger being 
    finalized in the first half of 2024 and combining resources with Prosperity 
                                         Life Group's existing strong platform."

       National Western Life Group, Inc. is the parent organization of National 
      Western Life Insurance Company, which is the parent organization of Ozark 
        National Life Insurance Company, both stock life insurance companies in 
  aggregate offering a broad portfolio of individual universal life, whole life 
  and term insurance plans, as well as annuity products. At September 30, 2023, 
             the Company maintained consolidated total assets of $12.1 billion, 
 consolidated stockholders' equity of $2.2 billion, and combined life insurance 
                                                      in force of $18.5 billion.

                                   Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements:
           This press release contains statements which are or may be viewed as 
 forward-looking within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform 
           Act of 2005. Forward-looking statements relate to future operations, 
        strategies, financial results or other developments, and are subject to 
      assumptions, risks, and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties also 
    include, (1) the timing of completion of the proposed merger (the "Proposed 
   Transaction") contemplated by the Company's October 8, 2023 merger agreement 
    (the "Merger Agreement") with S. USA Life Insurance Company, Inc. ("S.USA") 
   and its direct wholly owned subsidiary ("PGH Merger Inc.") is uncertain; (2) 
           the conditions to the closing of the Proposed Transaction may not be 
  satisfied; (3) regulatory approvals required for the Proposed Transaction may 
       not be obtained, or required regulatory approvals may delay the Proposed 
        Transaction or result in the imposition of conditions that could have a 
 material adverse effect on the Company or S.USA or cause certain conditions to 
  the closing to not be satisfied, which could result in the termination of the 
   Merger Agreement; (4) the business of the Company or S.USA could suffer as a 
        result of uncertainty surrounding the Proposed Transaction; (5) events, 
         changes or other circumstances could occur that could give rise to the 
 termination of the Merger Agreement; and there are risks related to disruption 
  of management's attention from the ongoing business operations of the Company 
  or S.USA due to the Proposed Transaction; (6) the announcement or pendency of 
      the Proposed Transaction could affect the relationships of the Company or 
          S.USA with its clients, and operating results and business generally, 
  including our ability to retain and attract employees; (7) the outcome of any 
         legal proceedings initiated against the Company or S.USA following the 
 announcement of the Proposed Transaction could adversely affect the Company or 
 S.USA, including their ability to consummate the Proposed Transaction; and (8) 
    the Company or S.USA mat be adversely affected by other economic, business, 
      and/or competitive factors as well as management's response to any of the 
 factors described in this paragraph. The foregoing review of important factors 
   should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with 
        the other cautionary statements that are included herein and elsewhere, 
 including the risk factors included in the Company's most recent Annual Report 
      on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and other documents of the 
 Company on file with the SEC. The Company does not undertake any obligation to 
        update, correct or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements. All 
     subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to the 
      Company and/or any person acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in 
                                                 their entirety by this section.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                               National Western Life Group, Inc.
                                                           News Release - Page 2

Summary of Consolidated Financial Results (Unaudited)
(In thousands except per share data)

                                                                                                              
                                                    Three Months Ended               Nine Months Ended        
                                                      September 30,                    September 30,          
                                                    2023          2022            2023               2022     
Revenues:                                                                                                     
Revenues, excluding investment                 $   150,462       153,962       464,259             481,558    
and index option gains (losses)                                                                               
Realized and unrealized gains                     (19,655)      (12,550)         5,246            (89,173)    
(losses) on index options                                                                                     
Realized gains                                      25,883           745        25,976               6,305    
on investments                                                                                                
Total                                              156,690       142,157       495,481             398,690    
revenues                                                                                                      
                                                                                                              
Benefits and                                                                                                  
expenses:                                                                                                     
Life and other                                      26,557        27,768        83,435              87,481    
policy benefits                                                                                               
Policy benefit remeasurement                         8,360         9,827         8,360               9,827    
(gains) and losses                                                                                            
Market risk                                       (29,439)      (33,571)         6,733           (150,069)    
benefits expense                                                                                              
Amortization of deferred                            20,326        21,613        63,600              67,549    
transaction costs                                                                                             
Universal life and annuity                        (10,417)        42,235        52,742               2,466    
contract interest                                                                                             
Other operating                                     42,430        29,387       129,556              92,290    
expenses                                                                                                      
Total benefits                                      57,817        97,259       344,426             109,544    
and expenses                                                                                                  
                                                                                                              
Earnings before                                     98,873        44,898       151,055             289,146    
income taxes                                                                                                  
Income tax                                          34,148         9,710        44,392              59,869    
expense                                                                                                       
Net                                            $    64,725        35,188       106,663             229,277    
earnings                                                                                                      
                                                                                                              
Net earnings attributable                      $    62,895        34,193       103,647             222,793    
to Class A shares                                                                                             
                                                                                                              
Diluted Earnings                               $     18.30          9.95         30.17               64.84    
Per Class A Share                                                                                             
                                                                                                              
Diluted Weighted                                     3,436         3,436         3,436               3,436    
Average Class A Shares                                                                                        
                                                                                                              
                                                                              September 30,      December 31, 
                                                                                  2023               2022     
                                                                                                              
Book value                                                                 $    617.16              602.56    
per share                                                                                                     
Less: Per share impact of accumulated                                         (146.23)            (131.52)    
other comprehensive income (loss)                                                                             
Book value per share, excluding accumulated                                $    763.39              734.08    
other comprehensive income (loss) *                                                                           



                                                                                                   
*  Book value per share excluding accumulated other comprehensive income                           
   (loss) is a non-GAAP financial measure. Accumulated other comprehensive                         
   income (loss) totaled $(531.7) million at September 30, 2023 and $(478.2)                       
   million at December 31, 2022. Since accumulated other comprehensive                             
   income (loss) fluctuates from quarter to quarter due to unrealized                              
   changes in the fair value of investments caused primarily by changes                            
   in market interest rates, National Western Life Group, Inc. believes                            
   this financial measure provides useful supplemental information.                                


Investor Relations Contact:
Brian M. Pribyl - Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
(512) 836-1010
bpribyl@nwlic.com
www.nwlgi.com

{graphic omitted}
{graphic omitted}
{graphic omitted}