(Bloomberg) -- Evan Greenberg, who built one of the world’s largest insurers by combining Ace Ltd. and Chubb Corp. this year, sought to portray the merged company as a more stable alternative than hobbled rivals who are seeking to rebound.

“When there’s a wounded animal loose, be careful, stay out of the way,” Greenberg said Thursday on a conference call discussing first-quarter results, when asked by Barclays Plc analyst Jay Gelb about the competition for market share among commercial insurers.

Zurich Insurance Group AG and New York-based American International Group Inc. are among insurers that have reshaped underwriting leadership in recent quarters after being burned by higher-than-expected claims costs. Shares of Zurich and AIG have each dropped about 12% since Dec. 31, compared with the 4.3% year-to-date gain at Greenberg’s Chubb Ltd. as of 10:47 a.m. in New York.

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