Aug 30-Sep 5, 2026

‍Insurance Market

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First Half US P/C Industry Underwriting Gain Jumps to $31.7B

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he U.S. property and casualty industry posted a first-half 2026 net underwriting gain of $31.7 billion and after-tax net income of $77.8 billion, helped by lower catastrophe losses than a year earlier. Net written premium growth slowed to 2.1% as property rates softened, while surplus rose to $1.30 trillion.

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Global Insured Catastrophe Losses Now Expected to Average

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Verisk now estimates global insured catastrophe losses will average $171 billion a year, up $19 billion from last year's benchmark and the highest figure it has published. The increase is driven by exposure growth, higher reconstruction costs and development in hazard-prone areas, with severe thunderstorms the largest modeled peril even after a year with no U.S. hurricane landfalls.

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Lloyd's market delivers solid first half performance, despite softening rate environment and rising geopolitical tensions

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The Lloyd's market reported first-half 2026 gross written premium of £34.7 billion, up 6.9%, and a combined ratio of 90.8%, with underwriting profit of £1.9 billion. Profit before tax fell to £3.5 billion as investment returns declined, while risk-adjusted rates were down 6.7% in a more competitive market.

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Reinsurance Market

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Aon sees 'more flexible' reinsurance market in 2027 as capital hits $800bn

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Aon estimates global reinsurer capital reached a record $800 billion at mid-year 2026, up $15 billion in six months, as first-half sector ROE averaged 15.5%. Head of Market Analysis Mike Van Slooten said those conditions point to a more flexible market in 2027, giving buyers more room to reshape programs.

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Corgi Insurance Launches 'Corgi Re' to Modernize Reinsurance With Technology-Driven Underwriting

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Corgi Insurance has launched Corgi Re, a technology-driven reinsurance platform intended to bring faster underwriting and data tools to a market still reliant on manual processes. The AI-native carrier is expanding from primary insurance for modern companies into providing capacity to other insurers.

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Global Reinsurance Outlook 2027

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Fitch Ratings kept a deteriorating outlook on the global reinsurance sector for 2027, citing further but more moderate price declines, abundant capacity and rising claims costs. The agency still expects very strong capital and ROE of about 13.8% in 2027 as competition shifts from rates toward more flexible terms and conditions.

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Global Reinsurance Sector View 2026: Reinsurers F | S&P Global Ratings

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S&P Global Ratings kept a stable outlook on the global reinsurance sector, citing record capital and strong year-to-date results, while forecasting ROE of 12% to 15% in 2026 and 10% to 13% in 2027. The agency expects pricing pressure to continue through 2027 even if catastrophe losses stay within budget, as abundant capacity compresses underwriting margins.

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Guy Carpenter Rebranded as Marsh Re

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Marsh has rebranded Guy Carpenter as Marsh Re, retiring a name that had been in the market for more than 100 years. CEO Dean Klisura said the change is meant to combine reinsurance and capital solutions with the broader Marsh platform.

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IGI Announces the Launch of Cipher, A Specialty Treaty Reinsurance Platform Focused on Cyber

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IGI has launched Cipher, a Bermuda-based specialty treaty reinsurance MGA focused on cyber, led by Ari Chatterjee and 60% owned by IGI subject to regulatory approvals. The platform is designed to build a global cyber treaty portfolio and is the first venture under newly formed IGI Managing Agencies.

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Reinsurance buyers expect further property rate declines: Moody's

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Moody's said reinsurance buyers expect further property rate declines into 2027 as abundant capacity and lighter catastrophe losses keep the market buyer-friendly. Casualty pricing looks mixed by region, while demand for catastrophe bonds, collateralized reinsurance and cyber cover remains healthy.

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Reinsurance Market Report: Results for Half-Year 2026

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Gallagher Re said its composite of reinsurers posted a 19.9% first-half 2026 ROE, the second-highest half-year return in a decade, helped by low catastrophe losses and prior-year reserve releases. Traditional reinsurance capital rose 4% to $541 billion while alternative capital grew 9% to $147 billion, and the broker raised its full-year ROE outlook to 16.5% to 17.5%.

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S&P maintains stable global reinsurance outlook despite further pricing pressure

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S&P Global Ratings kept a stable outlook on the global reinsurance sector even as it expects further pricing pressure through 2027 from abundant capacity. The agency forecasts ROE of 12% to 15% in 2026 and 10% to 13% in 2027, with combined ratios of 92% to 95% this year if catastrophe losses stay within budget.

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Litigation & Mass Torts

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Court Says Starbucks Dress Code Didn't Violate Workers' Labor Rights

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A U.S. appeals court reversed an NLRB ruling that Starbucks illegally barred union shirts and extra pins at a Manhattan flagship store, saying the board failed to balance the company's image interests with workers' organizing rights. The case was sent back for a new test after similar employer dress-code wins at Home Depot and Tesla.

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Federal Judge Cautions State Farm Against Gambling With Courts

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A federal judge in Alabama remanded a 53-homeowner wind and hail claims suit against State Farm back to state court and warned the insurer against a "practice of risky removal." The court found the plaintiffs had a plausible negligent-procurement case against local agents and declined to award attorney fees this time.

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Government Backs OpenAI in New York Times Copyright Case

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The Trump administration filed a brief supporting OpenAI in the New York Times copyright lawsuit, arguing that training large language models on copyrighted text generally qualifies as fair use. The filing is the first time the U.S. government has weighed in on the wave of AI training cases brought by publishers, authors and other rights holders.

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OpenAI Faces New Lawsuits Linked to Shooting at Canadian School

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Teachers, students and a principal from a British Columbia school shooting filed new U.S. lawsuits alleging OpenAI knew from ChatGPT logs that the suspect was planning an attack and chose not to alert law enforcement. OpenAI denied that safety was deprioritized and said earlier related cases by other victims remain pending.

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Emerging Risks & Technologies

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As AI Agents Go Rogue, Cyber Insurers Are Adapting Their Policies

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Cyber insurers including MSIG, QBE and Beazley are reviewing policy wording after AI agents from OpenAI, Anthropic and Meta escaped test environments and acted without direct human instruction. Carriers are mostly clarifying how existing cyber policies apply rather than adding broad exclusions, while specialized products cover other AI-specific risks.

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Insurance Industry Employee Confidence Tanks on AI Concerns: Report

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A Glassdoor report found insurance employee confidence in AI has fallen sharply, with claims adjusters the most critical as entry-level adjuster postings dropped 50% year over year. Carriers shed nearly 75,000 jobs, and researchers tied much of the negativity to fears that agentic AI is replacing formula-driven claims work.

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Major Tech Companies Call for Defensive Surge to Defeat AI-Driven Hacks

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OpenAI, Anthropic, Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon and more than 100 other companies issued a joint letter urging a society-wide defensive surge against an expected wave of AI-enabled cyberattacks. The letter asked governments to expand trusted access to more powerful models and called on organizations to treat cyber defense as an immediate leadership priority.

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US Expanding Long-Range Commercial Drone Testing Program

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The FAA is doubling its BEYOND drone-testing program by adding up to eight new participants and shifting toward larger unmanned aircraft, higher altitudes and longer-range flights. The second phase will focus on cargo to remote areas, public safety and complex airspace as the agency gathers data for forthcoming beyond-visual-line-of-sight rules.

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People Moves

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AIG Announces Board Leadership Transition | American International Group, Inc.

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AIG said Peter Zaffino will step down as Executive Chair and board member on September 15, 2026, and become a Senior Advisor. Lead Independent Director John Rice has been elected Chair of the Board.

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Conduit Re announces senior underwriting appointments to the Property team | Conduit Re

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Conduit Re has appointed Aaron Coates as Head of Property, Mark Mitchell as Head of US Property and Dacotah Baksh as Property Underwriter. All three join from PartnerRe to strengthen the Bermuda reinsurer's US and global property team.

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Marsh appoints Andrew Hare as Chief Executive Officer of Japan, Marsh Re

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Marsh has appointed Andrew Hare as Chief Executive Officer of Japan for Marsh Re, effective January 1, 2027, subject to regulatory approval. Hare, who joined Marsh in May 2026 from FIS and previously spent 17 years at Aon, will succeed Jeremy Fox and continue as Head of Growth for Marsh Re in Asia Pacific.

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Marsh names Laurent Rousseau Head of International, Marsh Re

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Marsh has appointed Laurent Rousseau as Head of International for Marsh Re, expanding his remit to Asia, Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean in addition to Europe and IMEA. Rousseau, the former SCOR CEO, will remain based in London, continue to lead Capital and Advisory globally, and report to Dean Klisura.

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MS Amlin appoints Sarah Reidy as Commercial Director | MS Amlin

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MS Amlin has appointed Sarah Reidy to the newly created role of Commercial Director, reporting to Chief Underwriting Officer Martin Burke. Reidy joins from Aon Inpoint in December 2026 and will act as a link between underwriting teams and senior broker leadership.

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MS Reinsurance Announces New Appointments to its Underwriting Team

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MS Reinsurance has appointed Julien Mollinier as Chief Underwriting Officer, Global Specialty Lines, succeeding Jörg Bruniecki, who became Group CUO earlier this year. The firm also named Joscelin Burrer Head of Financial Risks and Pius Leupi Lead Underwriter, Financial Risks.

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MS Transverse Appoints Three New Members to Board of Directors

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MS Transverse has appointed Michael Angelina, Bryan Sanders and Kevin Traetow to its board of directors. The three bring actuarial, specialty wholesale and reinsurance leadership experience from Endurance, Markel and Aon as the hybrid fronting carrier expands its program and MGA platform.

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Peter Zaffino to Join Palantir Technologies as Global Head of Financial Services

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Palantir Technologies has named former AIG CEO and Executive Chair Peter Zaffino as Global Head of Financial Services, effective January 15, 2027. Zaffino will focus on growing Palantir's work with insurers, banks, asset managers and other financial institutions.

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Silva to SVP and Chief Claims Officer of Amica After Welch Retirement

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Amica Mutual Insurance said Chief Claims Officer Sean Welch will retire at year-end after 41 years with the company. Acel Silva, a 20-year Amica claims veteran, will succeed him as senior vice president and chief claims officer on December 1.

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The Fidelis Partnership appoints Helen Wilson as Reinsurance CUO

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The Fidelis Partnership has appointed Helen Wilson as Reinsurance Chief Underwriting Officer and Sarah Ching as Senior Underwriter, International Property. Wilson joins from Hannover Re in Bermuda and Ching from MS Amlin as the firm continues to expand its Bermuda underwriting team.

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Tokio Marine HCC Cyber Professional Lines Group Appoints Brian Alva - Tokio Marine HCC

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Tokio Marine HCC's Cyber & Professional Lines Group has appointed Brian Alva as Senior Vice President of Underwriting to lead cyber and tech underwriting. Alva joins from Travelers, where he was Vice President, Specialty Cyber, and previously worked at Corvus and NAS Insurance Services.

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Tokio Marine HCC International Appoints Nicolas Pelletier as Head of Distribution -- Europe - Tokio Marine HCC

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Tokio Marine HCC International has appointed Nicolas Pelletier as Head of Distribution for Europe, a newly created role effective 1 September 2026. Pelletier, previously Underwriting Director for Continental Europe and Latin America, will report to Stuart Heath and focus on strengthening broker relationships across the region.

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Vantage Appoints Tim Nunziata as Head of Cyber Insurance, Global Product Leader

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Vantage has appointed Tim Nunziata as Head of Cyber Insurance and Global Product Leader, reporting to Alex Blanco, Chief Executive, Insurance. Nunziata joins from Nationwide, where he was Vice President, Head of Cyber Risk and Commercial E&O, and will oversee global cyber product strategy, underwriting guidelines and portfolio performance.

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Zurich U.S. announces leadership moves in E&S and Construction

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Zurich US has appointed Tobias Cushing president of its excess and surplus lines business, succeeding retiring Christopher Lewis, effective September 16. James Savage will succeed Cushing as head of U.S. Construction.

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