Company results
Markel underwriting results hit by 'unfavourable' asbestos and environmental developments
Markel has reported H1 performance hit by $27.2m (£16.2m) of adverse development on asbestos and environmental exposures
Catlin's profits climb 118% in first half
Catlin recorded profit before tax of $318m in the first half of 2014.
Zurich UK off-sets £35m Q1 flood losses as attritional loss ratio improves
Zurich UK general insurance interim chief executive Dave Smith has heralded an improved attritional loss ratio as an instrument of off-setting £60m of flood losses and long-tail liability costs incurred in the first half of the year.
RSA plays down redundancy speculation
RSA commercial managing director John Hancock downplayed suggestions of large scale job cuts at the insurer, despite news that it plans to cut 19% of its UK expense base.
Aviva eying turnaround on UK NWP
Aviva is seeking to reverse the shrinkage of its UK general insurance book after reporting tumbling net written premiums for the second successive quarter.
Video: Allianz Commercial general manager Simon McGinn (Part One)
In the first of two videos Allianz Commercial general manager, Simon McGinn discusses his businesses five year plan to be the largest insurer in its chosen market.
RSA cutting 19% of UK expense base
RSA plans to cut almost a fifth of its UK costs as it seeks to reach a target of £180m in savings globally, roughly 10% of its total costs.
Aviva posts UK COR of 94.3% for H1
Aviva's UK general insurance business recorded a 94.3% combined operating ratio in the first six months of 2014- its lowest in seven years- despite being hit by floods in the early part of the year.
Zurich unscathed by winter floods as UK H1 profits rise 9%
Zurich has trimmed three percentage points off its UK combined operating ratio over the past 12 months to 95% (H1 2013: 98%), while increasing business operating profit by 9% to £88m in the first half of 2014.
RSA returns to profit in H1 amid falling premiums
RSA chief executive Stephen Hester claimed the firm's strategic action plan was “ahead of schedule” as the group saw a return to profit for the first half of 2014.
Munich Re posts solid first half results
Munich Re posted a profit of €765m (£608m) for the second quarter of 2014, and a profit for the first half-year of €1.69bn (£1.34bn).
Zurich's global profit climbs 15% in first half
Zurich's profits are up 15% in the first half of 2014 compared to the same time last year.
Towergate restructuring costs climb to £15m for H1
Towergate’s group reorganisation programme cost the broker £15.1m in the six months to June 30, an increase on the £9.1m spent in the first half of 2013.
No further divestment plans for Ageas, Watson states
Ageas UK chief executive Andy Watson says there are no further planned divestments for the business following today's announcement of the sale of Ageas Protect.
Bupa revenues up 7% in H1 despite 'low demand' for UK PMI
Bupa posted a 7% increase in revenues to £4.8bn in the first half of 2014 (16% at constant exchange rates), as it continued to integrate major acquisitions made in the previous year.
L&G GI profits slump in H1 as attention turns to bolt-on acquisitions
Legal & General has attributed weather claims totalling £12m in the first quarter of 2014 for a slump in the general insurance division’s operating profit to £28m in the first half of the year (H1 2013: £39m).
Ageas UK exits life market as net profit drops £22.8m
Storms in the first half of 2014 led to a net profit loss for Ageas UK of £22.8m despite strong second quarter results.
Towergate losses grow 52% as redundancy programme expands
Towergate has announced increased pre-tax losses for the first half of 2014, alongside adding an extra 100 staff to expected headcount reduction by year end.
Novae profit rises despite rating and currency conditions
Novae Group has attributed a five percentage-point improvement to its combined ratio to 90.8% (H1 2013: 95.8%) in the first half of this year to a positive claims experience, resulting in an 89.4% increase in underwriting contribution to £19.7m (H1 2013:…
RSA job cuts suggested by report
RSA is refusing to comment on a report suggesting it will announce "hundreds" of job cuts at its interim results on Thursday (7 August).
Esure reports steady results as it unveils ABS plans
Esure profits have grown 0.4% for the first half of 2014 with chairman Peter Wood praising the group's disciplined underwriting in difficult market conditions.
Sale of DLG's international units not set in stone, claims Geddes
Direct Line Group chief executive Paul Geddes has denied the sale of the insurer's Italian and German operations is a foregone conclusion, despite talks on offloading the international divisions gathering momentum.
Axa reports 33% earnings increase for UK business
Axa UK and Ireland recorded a 33% increase in underlying earnings for the first half of 2014 to £118m from £89m the year prior.
DLG sees profit drop from high weather claims
Direct Line Group has attributed a 13.1% drop in operating profit for the first half of 2014 to higher weather claims and lower prior-year reserve releases.