U.S. P&C Insurers Record Q1 $8.2B Underwriting Loss

The underwriting loss—the industry’s “first and largest” loss in 12 years—and a combined ratio of 102.2% marked a big swing from the first quarter of 2022 when the P&C insurance industry achieved a net underwriting profit of $4.27 billion and a combined ratio of 96.1%.

The U.S. property and casualty (P&C) insurance industry posted an $8.2 billion net underwriting loss for the first three months of 2023 (an $11.6 billion swing from the first quarter of 2022), according to research from AM Best.

Although net premiums written increased 14.7% year-over-year to $217 billion in the first quarter of 2023, it was not enough to counteract a 26.9% increase in losses and loss adjustment expenses. Catastrophe losses contributed 6.9 points to the industry’s 102% combined ratio for the quarter—up from 3.9 points in the prior-year quarter.

“The personal lines segment—specifically the homeowners line of business—was primarily responsible for the decline in underwriting results,” AM Best said in a June 14 “First Look” review.

The industry also saw a 29.7% decline in net investment income, dropping pre-tax operating income by 70.7% to $7.5 billion. Net income also fell 70.7% to $8.1 billion.

Industry surplus rose 3.9% to $1 trillion from end-of-year 2022, but still remains 6.6% lower than in the first quarter of 2022, AM Best reported.

For more timely updates regarding the P&C market, contact TIG Advisors today.

Check out our TIG Blog!