The average for commercial property-casualty prices showed a 6percent decline in January, according to an online wholesaleinsurance marketplace.

MarketScout, issuing its monthly report on rates, said despitepredictions of a return to a hard market by analysts, the p-cmarket shows no signs of hardening overall, though some linesexhibited price increases.

“After the worst insured hurricane season on record pummeled theindustry with over $50 billion in losses, many of the insuranceindustries' well respected analysts predicted a tightening market,”said Richard Kerr, chairman and chief executive officer ofDallas-based MarketScout.

“Our data simply never supported the return to a hard market. Asof late January 2006, everyone has started to agree, barring anunusual event, a hard market is not going to happen, at least notin the first half of 2006,” Mr. Kerr continued.

MarketScout said the data showed little change in pricingbetween December 2005 and January, except for property and businessincome.

According to the wholesaler, only commercial property andbusiness income showed any sign of increase, with 3 and 2 percentincreases, respectively.

General liability and workers' compensation lead the downwardtrend, down 8 percent, followed by professional liability with a 6percent decline, and umbrella/excess down 5 percent. Inland marine,commercial auto and fiduciary dropped 2 percent, while employersprofessional liability insurance was down 1 percent. Directors andofficers liability, crime and surety were flat.

By account size, jumbo accounts with premium over $1 millionlead the downward trend at 12 percent. Both medium size accounts(premium from $25,001 to $250,000) and large accounts ($250,000 to$1 million premium) were down 7 percent. Small accounts of up to$25,000 premium showed a 6 percent decline.

By industry class, MarketScout said energy showed significantincreases up to 10 percent. Public entity classes were up 4percent, habitational increased by 3 percent and transportation wasup 1 percent.

Exhibiting downward trends were the service industry, down 7percent; manufacturing, down 5 percent; and contracting, down 3percent.