Personal auto rates appear poised to rise at an accelerated pace, according to one analyst firm, and insurers may just be waiting on the market's top dog to lead the charge.

In an industry update, Stifel Nicolaus notes that a Q2 2012 analysis shows that direct written premiums for auto insurers rose just 2.5 percent year over year. Stifel Nicolaus analyst Meyer Shields, speaking to NU, notes that the 2.5 percent increase is relatively in line with increases seen since 2011's third quarter.

Shields says the slower rate of premium growth compared to other insurance lines is an indication of a healthy market that is not volatile and does not see a lot of dramatic changes. However, loss costs are rising, he adds, and the recent trend of benign inflation “is starting to normalize.”

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