• PMI Reports $87.9m Loss in Q309
• Insurance Regulator Waives MGIC’s Capital Requirement
• Arizona Law Gives Mortgage Insurance Regulators More Discretion
• California Law Gives Insurance Regulators Greater Discretion
• Fitch Downgrades First American on Title Insurance Concerns

The PMI Group (PMI: 2.20 +2.33%) contributed all issued and outstanding common capital shares of its subsidiary PMI Insurance Co. (PIC) to PMI Mortgage Insurance (MIC), boosting MIC’s capital by $92.2m.

PMI Mortgage Insurance offers residential mortgage insurance and credit enhancement products. The adjustment comes after PMI reported a $2.7bn loss in its US mortgage insurance operations for Q309.

The diversion of funds decreases MIC’s risk-to-capital ratio to 16.9 to 1, from its 18.5 to 1 capital ratio in Q309.

During the quarter, Arizona and California passed legislation granting regulators the discretion to decide if a mortgage insurer can continue writing new business if it does no meet a required minimum risk-to-capital minimum level – which is generally 25 to 1.

Also, the move increases MIC’s excess minimum policyholders’ position to $307.7m from $215.2m in Q309.

Write to Jon Prior.