 LOS ANGELES, May 4, 2021 PRNewswire -- Mercury General Corporation NYSE: MCY reported today for the first quarter of 2021: Consolidated Highlights Three Months Ended March 31, Change 2021 2020 000s except per-share amounts and ratios Net premiums earned 915,922 922,574 6,652 0.7 Net premiums written 1 950,383 954,216 3,833 0.4 Net realized investment gains losses, net of tax 2 32,936 198,543 231,479 NM Net income loss 106,995 139,204 246,199 NM Net income loss per diluted share 1.93 2.51 4.44 NM Operating income 1 74,059 59,339 14,720 24.8 Operating income per diluted share 1 1.34 1.07 0.27 25.2 Catastrophe losses net of reinsurance 3 35,000 2,000 33,000 1,650.0 Combined ratio 4 93.5 95.9 2.4 pts NM not meaningful 1 These measures are not based on U.S. generally accepted accounting principles GAAP, are defined in Information Regarding GAAP and Non-GAAP Measures and are reconciled to the most directly comparable GAAP measures in Supplemental Schedules. 2 Net realized investment gains losses before tax were 42 million and 251 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. 