Posted by admin on December 23rd, 2009
Private U.S. property/casualty insurers’ net income after taxes rose to $16.2 billion through nine-months 2009, partially recovering from the 91.2 percent decline to $4.4 billion through nine-months 2008 from $49.6 billion through nine-months 2007. Insurers’ overall profitability as measured by their annualized rate of return on average policyholders’ surplus (or statutory net worth) increased to 4.5 percent in the first nine months of 2009, having previously fallen to 1.2 percent in the first nine months of 2008 from 13.1 percent in the first nine months of 2007.
Driving the increases in insurers’ net income and rate of return, net losses on underwriting fell by $16.6 billion to $3.2 billion through nine-months 2009 from $19.8 billion through nine-months 2008, as claim costs (loss and loss adjustment expenses) dropped $26.5 billion, according to ISO and the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI).
The combined ratio — a key measure of losses and other underwriting expenses per dollar of premium — improved to 100.7 percent in the first nine months of this year from 105.5 percent in the first nine months of 2008. If not for the decline in claim costs, the combined ratio would have increased 3.5 percentage points, instead of declining by 4.8 percentage points.
The figures are consolidated estimates for all private property/casualty insurers based on reports accounting for at least 96 percent of all business written by private U.S. property/casualty insurers.
Underwriting Results
Underwriting results improved in the first nine months of 2009 even though premiums continued declining. Net written premiums dropped $15.1 billion, or 4.5 percent, to $321.2 billion for nine-months 2009 from $336.3 billion for nine-months 2008. Net earned premiums declined $12.8 billion, or 3.9 percent, to $317.8 billion for nine-months 2009 from $330.6 billion for nine-months 2008.
At negative 4.5 percent, net written premium growth through nine months fell to a new record low. Based on quarterly premium data extending back to 1986, the previous record lows for nine-month premium growth were negative 0.3 percent in 2008 and negative 0.2 percent in 2005, with nine-month premium growth ranging as high as 13.8 percent in 2002.
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