Zurich Insurance Group AG said revenue from property and casualty insurance rose 12% in the first quarter on a like-for-like basis, helped by higher premiums.
Gross written premiums in the business rose 9% from a year earlier, as Asia and Latin America made up for a small decline in North America, the insurer said in a statement Thursday. Zurich’s life insurance new business premiums declined.
Zurich, which closed out last year with its highest return on equity on record, confirmed it will start a buyback program announced in February in the next few weeks. German rival Allianz SE on Wednesday reported a 6.8% increase in operating profit amid inflows at its bond manager Pacific Investment Management Co.
Other key figures:
- Swiss solvency test ratio 232%
- P&C insurance revenue $10.3 billion
- Farmers gross written premiums $7.08 billion
- Farmers management services fees up 6%
Earlier this year, the Swiss firm’s plan to offload its $20-billion Zurich Life Legacy back book in Germany to Viridium Holding fell through after the insurance consolidator pulled out of the deal as a result of issues relating to Viridium’s ownership structure.
Zurich had said in January it was committed to finding a solution for the portfolio, which administers around 700,000 life insurance policies in Germany, and would continue to explore options.
Was this article valuable?
Here are more articles you may enjoy.
Florida Men Charged With Creating Sham Insurance Now Face Federal Indictment
Trucking Companies Confront Mounting Diesel, Insurance, Debt Costs
Florida AG Sues Climate Modeler First Street Over Home Risk Scores
PG&E Weighs Gas Business Separation Over California Fire Rules 

