Bermuda insurers and reinsurers report strong first-quarter earnings relative to a year ago, with several swinging back into the black after reporting Q1 losses in 2011.

Among the winners: Aspen Insurance Holdings Inc., which reports Q1 net income of $78.7 million, compared to a net loss of $152.8 million one year ago.

Reinsurance payouts softened losses from severe weather and the Costa Concordia shipwreck in the insurance segment.

Aspen says it booked a $27 million loss, net of reinsurance recoveries and reinstatement premiums and taxes, during the first quarter due to the Costa Concordia event. Additionally, the Hamilton, Bermuda-based insurer reports $16.9 million in catastrophe losses from U.S. storms during February and March.

However, catastrophe losses were nowhere near the $255.9 million (net of reinsurance recoveries, reinstatement premiums and taxes) in losses suffered by Aspen during 2011's first quarter, which included the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, an earthquake in New Zealand and flooding in Australia.

Everest Re reported Q1 2012 net income of $304.7 million, a dramatic swing from the company's $315.9 million net loss in 2011's first quarter.

Gross-written premiums were down 2 percent to $1.05 billion, but Everest Re's loss ratio dropped to 60.4 percent from 123.6 percent a year ago.

“Our underwriting portfolio, particularly for catastrophe-exposed risks, has seen strong upward rate momentum, which is adding meaningfully to the risk-adjusted returns we were able to achieve,” says Chairman and CEO Joseph V. Taranto.

Montpelier Re Holdings says net income available to common shareholders was $107.1 million in Q1 2012 compared to a net loss of $104.3 million in 2011's first quarter.

The company generated underwriting income of $66 million compared to an underwriting loss of $131 million a year ago, and the combined ratio dropped to 58.9 compared to 178.8 in 2011's first quarter.

Arch Capital Group reports first-quarter net income available to common shareholders of $157.8 million, compared to $19 million a year ago.

Current-year catastrophe losses were $23 million compared to $178.7 million a year ago, and the company's combined ratio dropped to 90.1 compared to 110.

Arch reports underwriting income of $67.2 million for the quarter compared to an underwriting loss of $64 million a year ago.

Special Reports /

Bermuda-Based Companies See Dramatic Improvement in Q1 Results

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