RLI Corp. posted a 6.2 percent increase in net earnings for 2012s third quarter compared to the same period a year ago despite reporting lower underwriting income and a reduced benefit from favorable prior-year reserves.

Commercial insurance premium growth was nearly three times higher in emerging markets compared to advanced markets from 2000-2010, and insurers are expected to seek more growth opportunities in these regions as economic growth slows in advanced markets, a new report says.

It has been a rough decade for regional insurers, as a Fitch Ratings performance review of the last decade shows regionals lagging behind other types of insurers in two key metrics.

It has been a rough decade for regional insurers, as a Fitch Ratings performance review of the last decade shows regionals lagging behind other types of insurers in two key metrics.

P&C insurers saw their first-half net income collectively jump by more than 245 percent in 2012 compared to the prior year, as the industry benefited from premium growth and a sharp drop in catastrophe lossesbut experts have mixed opinions on those figures.

The Commercial Auto segment recorded its first underwriting loss in eight years in 2011 due to a combination of declining premiums, increasing claims severity and a reduction in favorable prior-year reserve releases, a new report reveals.

The good news for the insurance industry is that, in general, rate increases may have outpaced loss trends in the third quarter. But the benefits to companies may be offset by growing reserve pressures and the continued slow-motion collapse of investment income, according to a Keefe, Bruyette & Woods analysis....

Willis Chairman and CEO Joe Plumeri sees "smaller, localized waves" replacing the the "rising tide that lifts all boats" when it comes to the insurance-pricing cycle. Willis sees a leveling off in commercial-property pricing in 2013, while casualty risks will likely see more increases.