Property & Casualty Insurance
(HIG) Hartford Financial Services Group – Bear of the Day
We are downgrading our recommendation on Hartford Financial Services Group (HIG) to Underperform based on its weak third quarter results. The results surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate but declined from...
(BRKB) International Energy Agency Offers Sobering Outlook
Not all the important news is centered on Greece and Italy. The International Energy Agency, or IEA, this week released its World Energy Outlook. The IEA is not some wild-eyed “peak oil/global warming” fringe group. They are about as mainstream and staid a group...
(TRV) The Travelers Companies Analyst Maintains Neutral on Shares
The Travelers Companies Inc. (TRV) continues to benefit from its strong market position and economies of scale. The company spent a higher amount in buying back shares supported by its balance sheet strength....
(TWGP) Tower Group Misses on Catastrophic Losses
Property and casualty insurer Tower Group Inc.’s (TWGP) reported third quarter 2011 operating loss of 38 cents per share, substantially worse than the...
(AIG) American International Group – Bear of the Day
American International Group’s (AIG) third-quarter loss came in significantly worse than the Zacks Consensus Estimate and year-ago quarter based on weak global cues, sluggish insurance dynamics and consistent...
(AIG) American International Group Loss Soars on Weak Dynamics
American International Group Inc. (AIG) reported third quarter operating loss per share of $1.60, which came in way higher than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of 8 cents and 84 cents reported in the...
(WRB) W. R. Berkley Enhances Shareholder Value
On November 3, 2011, property and casualty insurer W. R. Berkley Corp. (WRB) announced that its Board has increased its share repurchase authorization to 10 million shares, which translates into approximately...
(CINF) Cincinnati Financial Reports Quarterly Earnings in Line
Cincinnati Financial Corp. (CINF) has reported third quarter 2011 operating earnings of 13 cents per share, in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate, but down 62% year over year. Year-over-year earnings...
(PRE) PartnerRe Analyst Maintains Neutral Rating
We have reiterated our Neutral recommendation on PartnerRe Ltd. (PRE) based on the recent catastrophe (CAT) losses that have severely dampened the bottom line, partially offset by a risk-free balance sheet...
(CINF) Cincinnati Financial Reiterated at Underperform
We are maintaining our Underperform rating on Cincinnati Financial Corp. (CINF), as we believe that a weak economy, low investment yield and bad weather will weaken its return on equity.
Cincinnati...
(MRH) Montpelier Estimates Catastrophe Loss
Montpelier Re Holdings Ltd. (MRH) expects a third quarter preliminary net loss of $30 million from US catastrophes including Hurricane Irene and the Texas wildfires, $20 million...
(CINF) Cincinnati Financial Estimates Catastrophe Loss
Yesterday, property and casualty insurer Cincinnati Financial Corp. (CINF) declared a preliminary pre-tax catastrophe loss (cat loss) estimate of about $88–$98 million, which will be reflected in its third...
(ALL) Allstate Aquires Esurance and Answer Financial from White Mountains Insurance Group
On Friday, Allstate Corp. (ALL) announced the completion of the acquisition of Esurance and Answer Financial from White Mountains Insurance Group Ltd. (
13Oct2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(WRB) W.R. Berkley Corp.- Bear of the Day
We are downgrading our recommendation on W.R. Berkley Corp. (WRB) to Underperform from Neutral, reflecting slightly lower investment yield assumptions and modestly higher loss ratio forecasts which would eat...
(MRH) Montpelier Re Holdings Unit Sees Rating Action on MUSIC
Following the announcement of Montpelier Re U.S. Holdings Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Montpelier Re Holdings Ltd. (MRH), to divest Montpelier US Insurance Company (MUSIC), A.M. Best Co. has put the...
(FSR) Humana Rating Affirmed By A.M. Best
The rating agency A.M.Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength ratings (FSR) and the issuer credit ratings (ICR) of the health insurer Humana Inc. (HUM) and conferred a debt rating of “bbb” to the...
(AMSF) Amerisafe Incorporated – Bear of the Day
Amerisafe, Inc.’s (AMSF) second-quarter earnings lagged the Zacks Consensus Estimate substantially, due to high underwriting loss and reduced investment income coupled with higher expenses, which significantly...
(BRKA) Berkshire Hathaway Closes Lubrizol Acquisition
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRKA) (BRKB) has completed the timely acquisition of The Lubrizol Corp., a chemical company headquartered in Ohio. The acquisition...
(HIG) Hartford Financial Services Group Records High Third Quarter CAT Loss
Yesterday, Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. (HIG) announced that the devastation caused by Hurricane Irene will lead to substantially high catastrophe (CAT) losses in the third quarter...
(RNR) RenaissanceRe Holdings Analyst Maintains Neutral on Shares
We reiterated our ‘Neutral’ recommendation on RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. (RNR) based on the company’s earning prospects and the increasing challenges it faces in its investment portfolio.
RenaissanceRe...
(AMSF) Amerisafe Incorporated – Bear of the Day
Amerisafe, Inc.’s (AMSF) second-quarter earnings lagged the Zacks Consensus Estimate substantially, due to high underwriting loss and reduced investment income coupled with higher expenses, which significantly...
(AIG) American International Group Offers Notes Worth $2 Billion
Yesterday, American International Group Inc. (AIG) vended off senior unsecured floating-rate notes worth $2.0 billion in a two-part offering.
Accordingly, one part of senior unsecured notes is valued...
(ALL) Company News for August 30, 2011 – Corporate Summary
• Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) shares increased 8.12% to close at $8.39 after the bank disclosed it would be selling half of its holdings to China Construction Bank Corp in order to raise capital
• Share...
(CINF) Cincinnati Financial – Bear of the Day
We downgraded our recommendation on Cincinnati Financial (CINF) following the wider-than-expected operating loss reported by the company in second quarter 2011 owing to huge cat losses. Moreover, the Commercial...
(AIG) American International Group – Bear of the Day
We are downgrading our recommendation on American International Group (AIG) to Underperform on weak global cues, sluggish insurance dynamics and consistent cash outflow. The lock-in period for stock offering...
(AIG) American International Group Dropped to Underperform
We downgraded our recommendation on American International Group Inc. (AIG) to Underperform from Neutral based on the critical sustainability factor given the weak global cues, sluggish insurance dynamics...
(AGII) Company News for August 9, 2011 – Corporate Summary
• Share prices of America’s biggest bank, Bank of America Corp. (NYSE:BAC) fell 20.32% after a report in the New York Times said that American International Group, Inc. (NYSE:
9Aug2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(AIG) American International Group Misses Expectations – Rebound to Come
American International Group Inc. (AIG) reported second quarter operating earnings of 69 cents per share that lagged both the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.15 per share and $1.18 per share reported in the...
(AIG) Company News for August 8, 2011 – Corporate Summary
• LinkedIn Corporation Class A Co (NYSE:LNKD) said it had earned profits for the second quarter in its first earnings report after it became a publicly traded company. The company reported adjusted earnings per share...
(AIG) New York Federal Reserve Reports Earnings of $4.68 Billion from AIG Investment Portfolio
The New York Federal Reserve (Fed) has reported that it earned about $4.68 billion from American International Group Inc.’s (vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued