Commercial property and Workers'Compensation continue to lead rate increases in MarketScout'slatest survey on market conditions.

The Dallas-based insurance-distribution and underwriting companyreports a 2 percent increase in the U.S. composite commercial-rateindex for February.

All coverage classes the survey tracks were up, except forFiduciary and Surety, which were flat. Commercial Property andWorkers' Comp led the way with rate increases of 3 percent each forthe month.

The results follow 1 percent increases in the composite-rateindex during November, December and January.

Until the recent uptick, rates had been down since March 2005.During this time, rates fell to an all-time low of minus-16 percentin December 2007—the biggest drop since MarketScout began thepricing survey to analyze market conditions in July 2001.

The company “continues to see evidence of a slowly turningmarket,” MarketScout CEO Richard Kerr says in a statement.

By coverage, Businessowners', General Liability, and Umbrellaand Excess were each up 2 percent. Business Interruption, InlandMarine, Commercial Auto, Professional Liability, Directors andOfficers Liability, and Employment Practices Liability were each up1 percent.

Rates were up 2 percent on a month-to-month basis formedium-size accounts, the same increase as last month. Small andlarge accounts were up 2 percent from 1 percent in January; andjumbo accounts were up 1 percent from being flat the priormonth.