P&C insurers appear set to enjoy a solid first quarter due to relatively benign losses and continuing rate increases in both personal and commercial lines, a new analysis suggests.

Just as it altered the New Jersey shoreline, Superstorm Sandy has altered underwriting, but commercial-property pricing may not increase as much as one might expect.

Just as it altered the New Jersey shoreline, Superstorm Sandy has altered underwriting, but commercial-property pricing may not increase as much as one might expect.

Property and casualty carrier employment climbed in February, but only enough to offset a downward revision of Januarys numbers.

Personal-auto insurers have continued to implement rate increases to counter weakness in the segments performance over the last several years, but unusual catastrophe losses and rising claim severity prevented strong improvement in underwriting performance for 2012, says Fitch Ratings.

Nineteen U.S. reinsurers comprising the Reinsurance Association of America (RAA) report a gain of over $1 billion in 2012 net income compared to 2011, as written premiums increased and underwriting results improved.

Superstorm Sandy will likely become the third most costly hurricane in U.S. insurance historybut when examining historical storms using todays dollars and exposures it would fall to the 12th costliest storm, the Insurance Information Institute says.

Despite initial concerns about the impact of Superstorm Sandy on 2012 results, a collection of U.S. P&C insurers reported manageable underwriting losses for the year, according to ALIRT Insurance Research.