AMBAC FINANCIAL GROUP INC

AFG Net Assets:

AFG has the following net assets to support its goals and strategies, including the development and growth of its Specialty Property and Casualty Insurance and Insurance Distribution businesses, acquisitions and capital management. AFG does not have any commitment or other obligation to provide capital or liquidity to AAC, whose financial guarantee business has been in run-off since 2008. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, AFG's stand alone net assets, excluding its equity investments in subsidiaries, were $211 and $223, respectively.

(1)Includes strategic minority investments in insurance services businesses of $26.

The decrease in AFG net assets, excluding its equity investments in subsidiaries, during 2023 was driven by operating expenses, capital contributions to subsidiaries, the acquisition of Riverton Insurance Agency and share repurchases, partially offset by interest income and distributions from subsidiaries.

AFG's subsidiaries/businesses are divided into three segments, the key value metrics of which are summarized below along with other recent developments.

(1)Represents Ambac's stockholders equity for each segment, including intercompany eliminations.

Banking Sector Crisis of 2023

The collapse of several banks in early 2023 precipitated a sudden loss of confidence in the banking system, prompting bank runs and the U.S. government to provide direct support to failed banks and, through an expansive emergency lending program, the system more broadly. In the U.S., this crisis was in part a consequence of rising interest rates, resulting in large declines in the market value of U.S. Treasury and government-backed debt held by banking institutions. The risk of additional bank financial stress and/or failures due to asset-liability mismatches or other risks, such as outsized exposure to commercial real estate, remains. Despite actions by government agencies and regulators to mitigate the consequences of these bank failures by providing liquidity and guaranteeing uninsured deposits, there is no guarantee that they will provide similar support in the event of additional bank failures. In Europe, regulators stepped in to facilitate mergers of stressed banks into more stable institutions. The ability or willingness of healthy banks to merge with stressed banks in the future is also subject to significant uncertainty.

Ambac's cash balances held at banks was $27 as of December 31, 2023 and $42 as of December 31, 2022. Substantially all of these cash balances were uninsured as of December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022 because they either (i) exceeded the two hundred and fifty thousand FDIC insurance limit or (ii) were held in foreign banks. These cash balances were held primarily with Ambac's main operating banks which are large money center and/or global banks. Ambac actively manages its cash balances to limit bank risk and to enhance yield by transferring most of its funds to government and prime money market funds. Included in the cash balances above is $16 of cash of companies Ambac has acquired within its insurance distribution businesses that are held in regional banks. The management of these balances and the associated bank exposure is under consideration as part of Ambac's ongoing integration of these acquired businesses. In addition, cash balances held by variable interest entities ("VIEs") that are consolidated in Ambac's financial statements as a result of Ambac's financial guarantees totaled $246 and $17 as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. These amounts relate primarily to cash collateral posted against derivative assets and reserve balances maintained under the VIEs' governing documents and are not directly managed by Ambac.

Ambac also has exposure to banks through its fixed maturity investment portfolio totaling $169 and $119 as of December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively. All of these investments are managed by third-party asset management firms which follow single and sector risk limits established by Ambac. The average rating of our fixed income investment in banks was A- as of December 31, 2023.

Financial Statement Impact of Foreign Currency:

The impact of foreign currency as reported in Ambac's Consolidated Statement of Total Comprehensive Income (Loss) for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 included the following:

(1) A portion of Ambac UK's, and to a lesser extent AAC's, assets and liabilities are denominated in currencies other than its functional currency and accordingly, we recognized net foreign currency transaction gains/(losses) as a result of changes to foreign currency rates through our Consolidated Statement of Total Comprehensive Income (Loss). Refer to Note 2. Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further details on transaction gains and losses.

Future changes to currency rates, may adversely affect our financial results. Refer to Part II, Item 7A "Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk" for further information on the impact of future currency rate changes on Ambac's financial instruments.

SEC Proposed Rules on Climate Related Information

On March 21, 2022, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) proposed rule amendments that would require public companies to include certain climate-related information in their periodic reports and registration statements, including oversight and governance, material impacts (operational and financial), risk identification and management, and Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions (the “Proposed Rule”). For accelerated filers, such as Ambac, the Scope 1 and 2 emissions disclosures would require attestation from a third party. These new requirements, if adopted, would at the earliest take effect in fiscal year 2024 and begin to apply to SEC filings in 2025. Final climate disclosure rules have not yet been issued, however the rulemaking agendas for U.S. agencies released in December 2023 indicate the SEC is targeting April 2024 for finalization. Ambac has reviewed the Proposed Rule and will reassess our related compliance obligations and other effects on our operations when the final rule is issued.