NU Online News Service, Oct. 26, 12:14 p.m.EST

Results were not good for Bermuda-based insurance companiesreporting third-quarter results late Thursday.

Endurance Specialty Holdings says it took a $20 million loss,and Aspen Insurance Holdings and Validus Holdings each saythird-quarter income dropped at least 76 percent.

Bermuda-based Endurance says net income was $139.1 millionduring the 2010 third quarter but it recorded a loss this pastquarter as catastrophe losses and less investment income bit intoresults.

The company's reinsurance segment saw net catastrophe losses of$91.1 million, accounting for 37.6 points to the segment's combinedratio of 115. Endurance's overall combined ratio for the quarterwas 104.6.

Net investment income fell nearly $440 million to $14.1 million,Endurance says.

Aspen says third-quarter net income was $22.2million, a drop of 76.1 percent from net income of $92.8 millionrecorded for the 2010 third quarter.

Results the past quarter include $55 million, made up ofnet catastrophe losses during the period and from adjustments tolosses that have occurred earlier this year.

Underwriting profit was $26.7 million compared to $39.6 milliona year ago. The combined ratio for the third quarter was 96.7compared to 94.4.

Aspen posts a $119.3 million loss after nine months, with a116.1 combined ratio.

Validus reports $61.1 million of favorableprior-year reserve development to keep its combined ratio for thethird quarter at 75.6, but third-quarter net income was $56.5million—a 76.3 percent drop compared to $238.5 million during thesame time last year.

Losses from weather and other events during the third quarterwere $51.9 million, Validus says. This ultimately caused a $47.9million decrease to net income.

Underwriting income fell 25.5 percent to $111.8 million duringthe third quarter.

Net premiums earned for the quarter were up 6 percent to $458.6million.