August 2007/1

Earnings fell 11 percent at Bermudian (re)insurer White Mountains Insurance Group, to $103mn, as the group announced what chairman and CEO Ray Barrette described as "OK" second quarter results.

Lloyd's Franchise Performance director Rolf Tolle has committed to another two years in the role, ending the recent uncertainty over his future.

Fairfax Financial Holdings controlled US reinsurer Odyssey Re reported a 25 percent decline in its second quarter profits, which fell to $145.5mn from $207.6mn in the prior-year period.

Bermudian firm RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd (RenRe) has upped its estimates for catastrophe reinsurance business after writing more premiums than expected in the first half of the year.

US insurer Markel Corp posted second quarter net profits of $121mn or $12.15 a share, up from $90.4mn or $9.11 a share in the prior-year period, as it announced plans for its Lloyd's operation to open up a Singapore office.

German reinsurer Hannover Re recorded a relatively light impact from second quarter cat losses as it posted operating profits up 15.8 percent to EUR467.7mn for the half-year, despite a 10.4 percent fall in gross premium volume.

Italian insurance giant Generali reported a healthy 27 percent rise in first-half profits and the sale of its Nuova Tirrena unit to Groupama last week.

Bermuda's Endurance Specialty Holdings Ltd reported net profits of $135.5mn for the second quarter, more than doubling the $64.1mn it posted in the prior-year period as it continued its drive in specialty business.

CastlePoint Holdings Ltd, the Bermudian holding company launched by the US firm Tower Group last year, reported net income of $10.5mn for the second quarter and $17.6mn for the first half of the year.

Last week saw the first trade of a catastrophe options contract using the Re-Ex index developed by broker Gallagher Re with commodities exchange NYMEX in an over the counter (OTC) transaction.

German financial services group Allianz posted a 17.7 percent increase in operating profit to EUR3.3bn for the second quarter of 2007, but reported net income down by 6 percent.

Berkshire Hathaway reported second quarter profits up almost 33 percent on the back of the continued strength of performance in its (re)insurance division.