PICO HOLDINGS INC /NEW
8-K, 1998-12-21
FIRE, MARINE & CASUALTY INSURANCE
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                                  UNITED STATES

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                             Washington, D.C. 20549


                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT

     PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934


Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported) December 7, 1998
                                                 ----------------


                               PICO HOLDINGS, INC.
               --------------------------------------------------
               (Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)


         California                     0-18786                  94-2723335
         ----------                     -------                  ----------
(State or other jurisdiction          (Commission               (IRS Employer
     of incorporation)                File Number)           Identification No.)


875 Prospect Street, Suite 301, La Jolla, California               92037
- ----------------------------------------------------               -----
      (Address of principal executive offices)                   (Zip Code)


Registrant's telephone number, including area code   (619) 456-6022
                                                     --------------


          -------------------------------------------------------------
          (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
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ITEM 5.  OTHER EVENTS.

         On December 7, 1998 the Registrant publicly announced that a
         subsidiary, The Physicians Investment Company, had sold American
         Physicians Life Insurance Company. The purchaser was American Founders
         Life Insurance Company, a subsidiary of IFS Financial Corporation. The
         definitive agreement for the sale of American Physicians Life Insurance
         Company was signed on June 16, 1997.

         A copy of the press release relating to this public announcement is
         attached hereto as Exhibit 99.

                                       2
<PAGE>   3
                                   SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.


                                     PICO HOLDINGS, INC.

Date: December 21, 1998                By: /s/ Gary W. Burchfield
                                           ----------------------
                                           Gary W. Burchfield
                                           Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

                                       3
<PAGE>   4
                                 EXHIBITS INDEX
                                 --------------


Exhibit Number                         Description
- --------------                         -----------
           99.     December 7, 1998 Press Release by PICO Holdings, Inc.

                                       4

<PAGE>   1
                                                                     EXHIBIT 99.

                                                                    NEWS RELEASE

                                                           FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
                                                           ---------------------


                PICO HOLDINGS, INC. AND GLOBAL EQUITY CORPORATION
                  IFS FINANCIAL CORPORATION SUBSIDIARY ACQUIRES
                   AMERICAN PHYSICIANS LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY


     (LA JOLLA, CALIFORNIA)--DECEMBER 7, 1998--PICO Holdings, Inc. ("PICO") and
IFS Financial Corporation ("IFS") jointly announced today that The Physicians
Investment Company, a PICO Holdings subsidiary, has sold its American Physicians
Life Insurance Company unit to American Founders Life, a subsidiary of IFS, for
the purchase price of $17 million.

         American Physicians Life ("APL") is a Texas life and health insurance
and annuity insurer that is licensed in 23 states and the District of Columbia.
It was formed in 1978 and has approximately $65 million in assets.

         The sale of APL is a result of PICO's continued commitment to maximize
value for its shareholders through the purchase and sale of value investments.

     PICO is a holding company with offices located in La Jolla, California,
principally engaged in property and casualty insurance; the development of
surface, water, geothermal and mineral rights; and strategic investing.
PICO stock trades on the Nasdaq National Market System under the symbol "PICO".


                                      # # #


CONTACT: (619) 456-6022
                       RICHARD H. SHARPE, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER (EXT. 201)
                       JAMES F. MOSIER, GENERAL COUNSEL AND SECRETARY (EXT. 202)


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