Analysis

There is growing evidence that upwards pricing momentum for US commercial property insurance is already waning, even as underwriters continue to digest record-breaking 2017 cat losses.

Global reinsurance capital continued to rise in 2017 as alternative capital funds reloaded, according to Aon Benfield.

The Insurance Insider’s index of 50 P&C (re)insurance companies – The Insider 50 – grew by 1.4 percent last week to 1,129.02 index points.

Insurers requesting the confidential sales materials for StarStone will find a global specialty insurer in far ruder health than the one which Enstar acquired from its private equity backers in 2014.

Potential acquirers seeking to engage with Atrium's owners will find an old-style Lloyd's agency business with underwriting pedigree and a model driven by profit commissions and fees.

Strategic acquirers and financial bidders requesting the investor memorandum on Chaucer will find a top-15 Lloyd's business that has started to consistently outperform the broader market under The Hanover's ownership.

Low catastrophe losses and an improving rate environment should bolster P&C (re)insurers' Q1 earnings, analysts said in recent sector previews, while share prices continue to be buoyed by M&A activity.

The 56 Florida homeowners' companies that had their ratings affirmed by Demotech late last month fell to a $407mn underwriting loss in the aggregate for 2017, analysis of statutory filings by The Insurance Insider has shown.

The Insurance Insider's index of 50 P&C (re)insurance companies - The Insider 50 - fell by 0.5 percent last week to 1,113.50 index points. This translates into a year-to-date decline of 3.1 percent.

Finally it has come to a stop. The goose has been cooked. The canary has croaked. The party is over. The fat lady has sung and the curtain has come down.

Chaucer's nuclear-focused Syndicate 1176 was the top performer for a third year in a row in terms of profitability, with a return on capacity of 54.7 percent, 15.6 percentage points higher year on year.

Axa and Chaucer's African specialty venture Syndicate 6130 was the market leader in terms of premium expansion at Lloyd's last year.