JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Feb. 10, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Fidelity National Financial, Inc. today reported the operating results of FNF Group  (NYSE: FNF), a leading provider of title insurance, technology and transaction services to the real estate and mortgage industries, for the three and twelve-month periods ended December 31, 2015.

• Total revenue of approximately $1.9 billion in the fourth quarter versus $1.7 billion in the fourth quarter of 2014
• Adjusted fourth quarter net earnings of $155 million versus adjusted net earnings of $144 million for the fourth quarter of 2014
• Adjusted fourth quarter diluted EPS of $0.55 versus adjusted diluted EPS of $0.50 in the fourth quarter of 2014
• Fourth quarter free cash flow provided of $184 million versus $167 million provided in the fourth quarter of 2014
• Repurchased 2.4 million shares of FNF common stock for approximately $85 million in the fourth quarter; for the full-year 2015, repurchased 5.9 million shares for approximately $214 million

Title

• Approximately $1.6 billion in total revenue, adjusted pre-tax earnings of $225 million and adjusted pre-tax title margin of 13.8% for the fourth quarter versus approximately $1.5 billion in total revenue, adjusted pre-tax earnings of $217 million and an adjusted pre-tax title margin of 14.8% in the fourth quarter of 2014
• Adjusted pre-tax title margin of 13.8% was a 100 basis point decline from the fourth quarter 2014 adjusted pre-tax title margin of 14.8%
• ServiceLink generated $198 million in revenue, adjusted EBITDA of $25 million, an adjusted EBITDA margin of 13%, adjusted pre-tax earnings of $21 million and an adjusted pre-tax margin of 11% for the fourth quarter
• Open orders per day of 7,000 for the fourth quarter versus 7,175 open orders per day for the fourth quarter of 2014
• Closed orders per day of 5,413 for the fourth quarter versus 5,302 closed orders per day for the fourth quarter of 2014
• Fourth quarter purchase orders opened and closed increased by 6% and 9%, respectively, versus the fourth quarter of 2014; for FNTG only (excluding ServiceLink), purchase orders opened and closed both increased by 9% versus the fourth quarter of 2014
• Total commercial revenue of $303 million, a 11% increase over total commercial revenue in the fourth quarter of 2014; fourth quarter national commercial title revenue of $183 million, a 10% increase from the fourth quarter of 2014, driven by a 4% improvement in the commercial fee per file and a 6% increase in closed orders; open national commercial orders were essentially flat with the prior year
• Overall fourth quarter average fee per file of $2,272, a 7% increase versus the fourth quarter of 2014
• Title claims paid of $84 million, an increase of $8 million, or 11%, from the fourth quarter of 2014

Title Orders

BKFS

• Revenue of $238 million, led by Servicing Technology revenue of approximately $162 million
• Revenue growth of 8% for the fourth quarter compared to the fourth quarter of 2014, led by strong growth in Closing Insight and Loan Origination Systems
• Adjusted EBITDA of $106 million and adjusted EBITDA margin of 44.9%

"This quarter was a strong finish to another successful year for FNF," said Chairman William P. Foley, II.  "We generated a 13.8% adjusted pre-tax title margin this quarter and a 14.3% adjusted pre-tax title margin for the full-year 2015.  The commercial market remains very strong, with record fourth quarter total commercial revenue of more than $300 million and full-year 2015 total commercial revenue of more than $1 billion.  Our open and closed purchase orders, excluding ServiceLink, both grew by 9% in the fourth quarter and for the full-year 2015, open and closed purchase orders grew by 8% and 9%, respectively.  Refinance activity declined somewhat throughout the fourth quarter, although with the recent market volatility and decline in rates, refinance volumes have the potential to be more stable than most would have expected as we head into 2016.  If we continue to see a strong commercial market, further growth in the purchase market and some level of stability from the refinance market, we believe we can generate an adjusted pre-tax title margin above 15% in 2016.

"Black Knight continued its strong financial performance this quarter, generating 8% revenue growth, $106 million in adjusted EBITDA and a 44.9% adjusted EBITDA margin in the fourth quarter.  For the full-year, Black Knight generated revenue growth of 9%, adjusted EBITDA of $409 million and an adjusted EBITDA margin of 44%.  FNF's Black Knight ownership stake is currently worth approximately $2.3 billion, or approximately $8 per FNF share.  Black Knight's business fundamentals remain strong and we firmly believe that its high single-digit organic revenue growth rate, mid-40's EBITDA margins and predictability of earnings will allow Black Knight to continue to generate value for both its shareholders and FNF shareholders." 

Conference Call
We will host a call with investors and analysts to discuss fourth quarter 2015 FNF Group results on Thursday, February 11, 2016, beginning at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time.  A live webcast of the conference call will be available on the Events and Multimedia page of the FNF Investor Relations website at www.fnf.com.  The conference call replay will be available via webcast through the FNF Investor Relations website at www.fnf.com.  The telephone replay will be available from 1:00 p.m. Eastern time on February 11, 2016, through February 18, 2016, by dialing 800-475-6701 (USA) or 320-365-3844 (International).  The access code will be 383828.

About Fidelity National Financial, Inc.
Fidelity National Financial, Inc. is organized into two groups, FNF Group (NYSE: FNF) and FNFV Group (NYSE: FNFV).  FNF is a leading provider of title insurance, technology and transaction services to the real estate and mortgage industries.  FNF is the nation's largest title insurance company through its title insurance underwriters - Fidelity National Title, Chicago Title, Commonwealth Land Title, Alamo Title and National Title of New York - that collectively issue more title insurance policies than any other title company in the United States.  FNF also provides industry-leading mortgage technology solutions and transaction services, including MSP®, the leading residential mortgage servicing technology platform in the U.S., through its majority-owned subsidiaries, Black Knight Financial Services, Inc. and ServiceLink Holdings, LLC.  FNFV holds majority and minority equity investment stakes in a number of entities, including American Blue Ribbon Holdings, LLC, Ceridian HCM, Inc., Fleetcor Technologies, Inc., Digital Insurance, Inc. and Del Frisco's Restaurant Group, Inc.  More information about FNF and FNFV can be found at www.fnf.com.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Information
Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) is the term used to refer to the standard framework of guidelines for financial accounting. GAAP includes the standards, conventions, and rules accountants follow in recording and summarizing transactions and in the preparation of financial statements. In addition to reporting financial results in accordance with GAAP, the Company has provided non-GAAP financial measures, which it believes are useful to help investors better understand its financial performance, competitive position and prospects for the future. These non-GAAP measures include earnings before interest, taxes and depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), adjusted earnings before interest, taxes and depreciation and amortization (Adjusted EBITDA), adjusted earnings before interest, taxes and depreciation as a percent of adjusted revenue (Adjusted EBITDA margin), adjusted net earnings, adjusted EPS and free cash flow.

Any non-GAAP measures should be considered in context with the GAAP financial presentation and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for GAAP net earnings. Further, FNF's non-GAAP measures may be calculated differently from similarly titled measures of other companies. Reconciliations of these non-GAAP measures to related GAAP measures are provided below.

Forward-Looking Statements and Risk Factors

This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements regarding our expectations, hopes, intentions or strategies regarding the future are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on management's beliefs, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, management. Because such statements are based on expectations as to future financial and operating results and are not statements of fact, actual results may differ materially from those projected. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.  The risks and uncertainties which forward-looking statements are subject to include, but are not limited to: changes in general economic, business and political conditions, including changes in the financial markets; weakness or adverse changes in the level of real estate activity, which may be caused by, among other things, high or increasing interest rates, a limited supply of mortgage funding or a weak  U. S. economy; our potential inability to find suitable acquisition candidates, acquisitions in lines of business that will not necessarily be limited to our traditional areas of focus, or difficulties in integrating acquisitions; our dependence on distributions from our title insurance underwriters as a main source of cash flow; significant competition that our operating subsidiaries face; compliance with extensive government regulation of our operating subsidiaries.

This press release should be read in conjunction with the press release filed for the results of FNFV on this same date as well as the risks detailed in the "Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information," "Risk Factors" and other sections of the Company's Form 10-Q, 10-K and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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