American National Announces Second Quarter 2011 Results

GALVESTON, Texas, July 25, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- American National Insurance
Company (Nasdaq:ANAT) announced second quarter 2011 net income of $30,058,000
($1.13 per diluted share) compared to net income of $26,622,000 ($1.00 per
diluted share) for the same period in 2010.

Second quarter after-tax operating earnings, which exclude net realized
investment gains and losses, decreased to $15,156,000 ($0.57 per diluted share)
compared with $16,671,000 ($0.63 per diluted share) in earnings for the same
period in 2010. After-tax net realized investment gains were $14,902,000 ($0.56
per diluted share) for the second quarter of 2011 as compared with the net
realized investment gains of $9,951,000 ($0.37 per diluted share) for the second
quarter of 2010.

Net income for the six months ended June 30, 2011 increased to $78,540,000
($2.94 per diluted share) from a net gain of $61,400,000 ($2.30 per diluted
share) for the first half of 2010.

After-tax operating earnings for the first six months of 2011, which exclude net
realized investment gains and losses, were $49,318,000 ($1.85 per diluted share)
compared with $40,723,000 ($1.53 per diluted share) for the same period in 2010.
After-tax net realized investment gains totaled $29,222,000 ($1.09 per diluted
share) for the first six months of 2011 compared with net realized gains of
$20,677,000 ($0.77 per diluted share) for the same period of 2010.

Revenues for the six months ended June 30, 2011 were up 1.2% from 2010.
Investment income increased by 13.8% for the six months ended June 30, 2011
compared to 2010.

Improvements in the results for the property and casualty line contributed to
the increase in operating earnings for the first half of 2011. Increases in the
earnings of both our auto and credit related property lines along with changes
in our reinsurance program were the primary drivers of the improvement in
earnings. The catastrophe losses in 2011 were heavily impacted by EF5 tornado
events in Missouri and Alabama, which contributed to total after-tax catastrophe
losses for the first six months of 2011 of approximately $60.8 million. The
after-tax loss from the property and casualty lines of $20.0 million improved
$11.7 million from a comparable loss of $31.7 million on the same basis for the
first six months of 2010.

Total assets as of June 30, 2011 grew to $22.4 billion, a 4.7% increase from the
end of 2010. Stockholders' Equity as of June 30, 2011 was $3.7 billion, up
slightly from the end of 2010. Book value per diluted share was $139.00 at June
30, 2011 as compared to $136.12 per diluted share at December 31, 2010.

American National Insurance Company

COMPARATIVE OPERATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

Compiled on a GAAP basis (Preliminary & Unaudited)*

Quarter Ended Six
Months Ended
June 30,
June 30,
--------------------------
------------------------------

2011 2010 2011
2010
------------ ------------
-------------- --------------

Revenues $762,414,000 $746,148,000
$1,514,875,000 $1,496,356,000
After-tax earnings:

Operating earnings ** $15,156,000 $16,671,000
$49,318,000 $40,723,000
Net realized investment gains 14,902,000 9,951,000
29,222,000 20,677,000
Net income 30,058,000 26,622,000
78,540,000 61,400,000

Per share earnings:

Operating earnings -- Diluted ** $0.57 $0.63
$1.85 $1.53
Net realized investment gains 0.56 0.37
1.09 0.77
-- Diluted

Net income -- Diluted 1.13 1.00
2.94 2.30

Weighted average number of shares

upon which computations are based:

Diluted 26,706,145 26,669,828
26,701,024 26,669,828
Basic 26,559,950 26,558,832
26,559,821 26,558,832

As of

----------------------------

June 30, December 31,

2011 2010

------------
--------------
Book value per diluted share $139.00
$136.12

* Results are preliminary and unaudited. American National expects to timely

file its second quarter 2011 Form 10-Q in August.

** Operating earnings exclude after-tax realized investment gains and losses.
The sum of
Operating earnings (losses) and Net realized

investment gains (losses) is equal to Net income

(loss).

The American National family of companies has, on a consolidated GAAP basis,
$22.4 billion in assets, $18.7 billion in liabilities and $3.7 billion in
stockholders' equity. The American National family of companies offers a broad
line of products and services, which include life insurance, annuities, health
insurance, credit insurance, pension products and property and casualty
insurance for personal lines, agribusiness, and targeted commercial exposures.
The American National family of companies operates in all 50 states, and its
major insurance subsidiaries include American National Property and Casualty
Company, Farm Family Life Insurance Company, Farm Family Casualty Insurance
Company, Standard Life and Accident Insurance Company, Garden State Life
Insurance Company, American National Life Insurance Company of Texas, American
National Life Insurance Company of New York, and United Farm Family Insurance
Company.

American National Insurance Company is headquartered in Galveston, Texas and was
founded in 1905 and is licensed to conduct the business of insurance in all
states except New York. American National Insurance Company has been evaluated
and assigned the following ratings by nationally recognized rating agencies: A
(Excellent) by A.M. Best Company, third highest of 13 active company ratings
noted as "An excellent ability to meet their ongoing insurance obligations" and
A+ (Strong) by Standard & Poor's, fifth highest of 20 active company ratings
noted as "Strong capacity to meet financial commitments but somewhat subject to
adverse economic conditions."

For more information, including company news and investor relations information,
visit the company's web site at www.anico.com.

The American National Insurance Company logo is available at
http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=7772

CONTACT: John Dunn
(409) 766-6063