CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Fitch Ratings has affirmed the Issuer Default Rating (IDR) of American Equity Investment Life Holding Company (AEL) at 'BB+' and the Insurer Financial Strength (IFS) ratings of its insurance operating subsidiaries: American Equity Investment Life Insurance Company (AEILIC) and American Equity Investment Life Insurance Company of New York, at 'BBB+'. The Rating Outlook is Stable. A full ratings list follows the end of this release.

Fitch views AEL's chief credit strengths to be:

--A high credit quality bond portfolio;

--Good operating results;

--Adequate risk-adjusted capitalization;

--Strong competitive position in the fixed indexed annuity market.

Fitch considers AEL's bond portfolio to be of high credit quality, although there has been a shift to lower quality, yet still investment grade bonds in recent years. At March 31, 2012, U.S. Government sponsored agencies accounted for approximately 15% of fixed income securities and 98% of the portfolio was investment grade according to NAIC standards. Given the composition of the investment portfolio, AEL had comparably less investment related losses over the recent period of challenging capital markets than many of its peers. As the composition of AEL's portfolio continues to change as certain fixed maturity securities are subject to call redemption, Fitch expects credit risk will rise to levels more consistent with historical life insurance industry averages.

AEILIC's statutory total adjusted capital increased 14% in 2011 to $1.7 billion. Fitch views AEILIC's NAIC risk based capital (RBC) ratio as adequate for the rating category. For Dec. 31, 2011, RBC was 346%, up from its year end 2010 level of 339%. Fitch anticipates that AEILIC's 2012 RBC ratio will be maintained above 300% as internally generated capital will be partially offset by continued strong sales growth and increased credit risk as the company continues the slow shift of its portfolio allocation from federal agency securities to corporate bonds. Based on the company's strong sales trends, Fitch believes that AEL may need to manage sales growth and/or access reinsurance markets in the future given the strain new FIA sales have on risk-based capital.

Fitch's primary rating concerns include:

--AEL's high financial leverage

--Increasing credit risk in AEL's investment portfolio;

--AEL's lack of diversification in revenue and earnings, as well as distribution;

--Above average exposure to interest rate risk.

AEL's financial leverage was 39% at March 31, 2012, which Fitch considers high, and is the primary factor in the extra notch in the company's IDR from its IFS rating. Fitch anticipates the company's financial leverage will continue to gradually decline over the next couple of years. Although the company does not have a stated maturity of debt until September 2015, the company is exposed to a potential 'put' of its 2024 and 2029 notes totaling $144 million on Dec. 15, 2014.

Fitch believes the credit quality of AEL's investment portfolio's will continue to decline from its historically high level given the significant amount of callable federal agencies securities redeemed in the past two years and additional fixed income securities that are becoming subject to call redemption in 2012. AEL has reinvested redemption proceeds primarily in corporate bonds (largely rated 'A' and 'BBB') and commercial mortgages.

Fitch expects AEL's investment losses in 2012 to be comparable to losses reported in 2011. In 2011, the company reported $19.4 million of other than temporary impairments (OTTI) on its residential mortgage-backed securities holdings, as well as $18.6 million in net realized losses driven primarily by a $30.8 million increase in the company's allowance for credit losses on commercial mortgages. Despite the increase relative to 2010, Fitch views the level of AEL's investment losses in 2011 to be manageable given the company's earnings and capital position.

AEL's above average interest rate risk reflects the company's focus on spread based annuity products. The near-term concern is the ongoing low interest rate environment, which will present challenges for the company in terms of maintaining its interest rate spreads. This concern is amplified somewhat by the company's dwindling, yet still significant allocation to U.S. government agency callable securities. Although this risk is declining as these bonds have been redeemed, the lower rates at which the redemption proceeds have been reinvested have accelerated the decline of the overall yield earned on the company's fixed income portfolio. From a longer-term perspective, as AEL's book of business matures, the occurrence of a rapid increase in interest rates could have an adverse effect on its financial position, as it could result in a sharp increase in surrenders while the value of its largely fixed rate investments decline in market value. Positively, Fitch notes that AEL's book of business currently exhibits strong protection in terms of significant surrender charges to help offset the cost to the company of early policy terminations.

AEL is headquartered in West Des Moines, Iowa and reported total GAAP assets of $33.0 billion and equity of $1.4 billion at March 31, 2012. AEILIC, the main operating subsidiary of AEL, is also headquartered in West Des Moines and had statutory total adjusted capital of $1.7 billion at Dec. 31, 2011.

The key rating triggers that could result in an upgrade include:

--Enhanced capitalization with RBC above 350% on a sustained basis;

The key rating triggers that could result in a downgrade include:

--A reduction in capitalization with RBC below 300%;

--A significant deterioration in operating results such that interest coverage declines below 3x;

--Significant increase in lapse/surrender rates;

--Significant increase in credit related impairments in 2012;

--Financial leverage above 50%.

The key rating triggers that could result in a narrowing of notching between the IDR of AEL and the IFS of AEILIC include:

--A sustainable decline in financial leverage below 30%;

--Sustained GAAP EBIT-based interest coverage above 8x.

Fitch has affirmed the following ratings with a Stable Outlook:

American Equity Investment Life Holding Company

--Issuer Default Rating (IDR) at 'BB+';

--3.50% senior convertible debentures due 2015 at 'BB';

--5.25% senior convertible debentures due 2024 at 'BB';

--5.25% senior convertible debentures due 2029 at 'BB';

--Trust preferred securities at 'B+'.

American Equity Investment Life Insurance Company

--Insurer Financial Strength (IFS) at 'BBB+'.

American Equity Investment Life Insurance Company of New York

--IFS at 'BBB+'.

Additional information is available at 'www.fitchratings.com'. The ratings above were unsolicited and have been provided by Fitch as a service to investors.

Applicable Criteria and Related Research:

--'American Equity Investment Life Holding Company (And Insurance Operating Subsidiaries)'

(May 15, 2012);

--'Insurance Rating Methodology' (Sept. 22, 2011).

Applicable Criteria and Related Research:

American Equity Investment Life Holding Company (And Insurance Operating Subsidiaries)

http://www.fitchratings.com/creditdesk/reports/report_frame.cfm?rpt_id=677236

Insurance Rating Methodology

http://www.fitchratings.com/creditdesk/reports/report_frame.cfm?rpt_id=651018

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Fitch Ratings
Primary Analyst
Bradley S. Ellis, CFA, +1-312-368-2089
Director
Fitch, Inc.
70 W. Madison Street
Chicago, IL 60602
or
Secondary Analyst
R. Andrew Davidson, CFA, +1-312-368-3144
Senior Director
or
Committee Chairperson
Mark E. Rouck, CPA, CFA, +1-312-368-2085
Senior Director
or
Media Relations:
Brian Bertsch, +1-212-908-0549
Email: brian.bertsch@fitchratings.com

Source: Fitch Ratings