FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., July 27, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Universal Insurance Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: UVE) announced today that Universal Direct® (www.universaldirect.com), its Direct-to-Consumer online platform for Universal Property & Casualty Insurance Company ("UPCIC") products, is now available to homeowners in Indiana and South Carolina. With the addition of Indiana and South Carolina, Universal Direct® is now available in five states, including Pennsylvania, Minnesota and Alabama.  Independent appointed agents operating in Indiana and South Carolina have the opportunity to receive commissions from policies written by UPCIC via Universal Direct®.

Sean P. Downes, the Company's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, stated, "We are thrilled with the steady expansion of Universal Direct® since launch, as well as the positive feedback we continue to receive from customers who have purchased policies through this innovative, easy-to-use online platform. Homeowners in Indiana and South Carolina now have the choice to purchase Universal Property & Casualty Insurance Company policies through an independent agent or online through Universal Direct®.  We expect to write and bind our first policies through Universal Direct® in Indiana and South Carolina shortly, and look forward to launching this exciting platform in additional states in the coming months."     

For additional information about Universal Direct®, please visit www.universaldirect.com.

About Universal Insurance Holdings, Inc.
Universal Insurance Holdings, Inc., with its wholly-owned subsidiaries, is a vertically integrated insurance holding company performing all aspects of insurance underwriting, distribution and claims. Universal Property & Casualty Insurance Company (UPCIC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, is one of the leading writers of homeowners insurance in Florida and is now fully licensed and has commenced its operations in North Carolina, South Carolina, Hawaii, Georgia, Massachusetts, Maryland, Delaware, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Michigan and Alabama. American Platinum Property and Casualty Insurance Company, also a wholly-owned subsidiary, currently writes homeowners multi-peril insurance on Florida homes valued in excess of $1 million, which are limits and coverages currently not targeted through its affiliate UPCIC. For additional information on the Company, please visit our investor relations website at www.universalinsuranceholdings.com.

Forward-Looking Statements and Risk Factors
This press release may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words "believe," "expect," "anticipate," and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date the statement was made. Such statements may include commentary on plans, products and lines of business, marketing arrangements, reinsurance programs and other business developments and assumptions relating to the foregoing. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified. Future results could differ materially from those described, and the Company undertakes no obligation to correct or update any forward-looking statements. For further information regarding risk factors that could affect the Company's operations and future results, refer to the Company's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 and the Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2016.

Investor Contact: 
Andy Brimmer / Mahmoud Siddig
Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher
212-355-4449

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SOURCE Universal Insurance Holdings, Inc.