See the full story in the original article.
Read the original on businessinsurance.com ↗
Keywords
Open a keyword to see other news on the same topic.
Related news
- W . R . Berkley Reports $446 Million in Third - Quarter Net Income to Common Stockholders
W. R. Berkley reported third-quarter net income to common stockholders of $446 million, down from a year earlier, while operating income and Insurance underwriting profit both rose. Operating income climbed to $456.5 million from $440.2 million, and net investment income rose to $383.5 million from $351.2 million. Net investment results swung from a $79 million gain to an $18.3 million loss. The Insurance segment generated $237.7 million in pretax underwriting income, up 10.6%, and the consolidated GAAP combined ratio was 90.8%. Over the first nine months, shareholders received $728.6 million in capital returns, including $435.1 million in share repurchases.
- Travelers ( TRV ) Q3 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Travelers reported third-quarter core income of $1.947 billion, or $9.18 per diluted share, with a combined ratio of 86.8% and a core return on equity of 22.1%. After-tax net investment income rose 7% to $908 million, and the company returned $1.8 billion to shareholders through $1.5 billion in buybacks and $261 million in dividends. Catastrophe losses totaled $538 million, mainly from wind and hail in the Central U.S., while prior-year reserve development was a net favorable $234 million, partly offset by a $295 million charge for asbestos reserves. Management warned that lawsuit abuse keeps pressuring liability losses, and expects the full-year expense ratio to stay slightly below 29% as higher variable compensation rises with strong results.
- US P/C Insurers See Fewer Ratings Downgrades in H1 2026 on Improved Performance
AM Best reported that U.S. property/casualty insurers saw substantially fewer downgrades in the first half of 2026, at 3.8% of total rating actions versus 6.1% a year earlier, while upgrades rose to 8.2% from 5.5%. Over half of downgrades stemmed from poor operating performance and 27.3% from deteriorated balance sheet metrics tied to adverse reserve development, with most concentrated in commercial casualty and commercial auto. About one-third of upgrades were driven by better operating performance, including sizable rate increases, underwriting discipline and improved investment returns. Despite inflation and rising reinsurance costs, insurers have benefited from a relatively benign claims year, and as of June 30, 2026, 82.3% of commercial lines writers carried a stable outlook.
- Nifty Plunges Nearly 400 points on Weak Global Cues, Rising Crude; Closes at Lowest Since 6 April
Nifty fell 383 points to close at 23,063, its lowest since 6 April 2026 and its biggest one-session percentage drop since 8 July 2026, after a 225-point gap-down opening. PB Fintech (down 36%), Turtle mint (down 20%) and MFSL (down 10%) slumped after IRDAI issued a consultation paper proposing sweeping changes to insurance distribution. Nifty Midcap 100, Smallcap 100 and Microcap fell 2.25%, 1.53% and 1.48%, while the BSE advance-decline ratio dropped to 0.51. The rupee lost 21 paise to close at 95.95. Technically, the index broke below the 23,100-23,600 consolidation zone, with support seen near 22,700 and resistance at 23,300.
- Bandhan Fin to explore health insurance foray post stabilisation of recent acquisitions : Chairman Ghosh
Bandhan Financial Services (BFSL) will explore health insurance opportunities once its recent acquisitions of IDFC Mutual Fund, IDFC Asset Management Company and Aegon Life Insurance stabilise, chairman Chandra Sekhar Ghosh told PTI. He said the immediate focus is consolidating existing businesses and did not give a timeline for entering health insurance. Ghosh said a composite licence would make it easier to enter the sector, which current Indian insurance law does not permit. The group is also looking at investment banking and wealth management, where it has no presence.
- Medicare open enrollment : Why premiums could increase for some enrollees
Medicare open enrollment runs until Dec. 7 for plans effective Jan. 1, and several changes could raise costs. The Part D out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 from $2,100 in 2026, the standard deductible rises from $615 to $700, and the Trump administration is ending a temporary Part D premium subsidy. KFF estimates that AARP Part D enrollees who don't change plans will see monthly premiums rise by $50 or more in all 50 states, more than $75 in 37 states and more than $100 in four states, while the AARP Medicare Rx Saver plan will rise by $50 or more in 33 states. Together the two plans have more than 2 million members, and 15 drugs including Ozempic, Rybelsus and Wegovy will get Medicare-negotiated prices starting Jan. 1.
Related markets
Latest news
- Bitcoin ETFs just saw their biggest day in a month thanks entirely to BlackRock
U.S. spot bitcoin ETFs took in $526.6 million on Monday, the largest daily net inflow in nearly a month, driven entirely by BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), which pulled in $665.2 million, its biggest daily inflow since Oct. 7 last year, according to SoSoValue data. Fidelity's FBTC lost $83.6 million and Grayscale's GBTC shed $54.9 million, while the remaining funds recorded no net flows. The inflow more than erased last week's $228.5 million of withdrawals, but funds remain about $90.5 million in net outflows for October, according to CoinDesk calculations. Ether funds moved the opposite way, losing $103.3 million in their fourth consecutive session of outflows, with BlackRock's ETHA accounting for $95.4 million of that.
- A Big4 bank cut deposit rates in the morning, then raised them again in the afternoon
VietinBank cut its deposit rates for terms of 6 months and longer on the morning of Oct. 20, then restored them to pre-adjustment levels by the afternoon. Its afternoon rate board showed 3.5% per year for 6 to under 12 months, 5.9% for 12 to under 24 months and 6% for 24 months and longer, versus 3%, 5.4% and 5.5% in the morning. Rates for terms under 6 months stayed unchanged, including 2.1% for 1 to under 3 months and 2.4% for 3 to under 6 months. The move came as banks followed the State Bank of Vietnam's guidance to cut deposit rates by at least 0.5 percentage points for terms of 6 months and longer, and Vietcombank and Agribank were among those reducing rates.
- IVV vs. SPY: Which S&P 500 ETF Is the Better Buy for Long-Term Investors?
The article compares two ETFs that track the S&P 500, iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV) and State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY), which have nearly identical holdings. The main difference is the expense ratio: IVV charges 0.03% a year, one-third of SPY's 0.09%, and its distribution yield is about 1.1% versus 1% for SPY. SPY's high liquidity remains valuable for active traders. The article concludes that IVV is the better choice for long-term investors, since lower costs can compound over time.
- Warren Buffett Is Issuing a Stark Warning About the Stock Market. Here's What History Says Comes Next.
Warren Buffett has warned that investors are taking on too much risk, likening the market to 'a church with a casino attached' and saying people have never been in a more gambling mood. The article points to the S&P 500 Shiller CAPE Ratio, which has stayed above 40 since May of this year; historically, the only other time it held above that level for months was during the dot-com bubble, when it peaked around 44 before the bear market began in March 2000. The article notes that 40 is not an automatic trigger for a downturn, and no metric can predict timing. It suggests investors focus on quality stocks with solid fundamentals and be ready to hold them for at least a few years.
- Early Uber Investor Jason Calacanis Predicts Waymo Could Buy Lucid Or Rivian — Calls Its Chinese-Car Optics ‘Really Bad’
Early Uber investor Jason Calacanis predicts Waymo will buy Lucid Group (LCID) or Rivian Automotive (RIVN), arguing that its reliance on Chinese-made Zeekr vehicles creates cost and reputational problems. He says the arrangement is technically not illegal today, but Waymo would need to pay a tariff of over 100%, and it has drawn national-security concerns on Capitol Hill. According to Semafor, Waymo aims to grow its fleet from about 4,000 vehicles to 8,000 by the end of 2026 and 20,000 by the end of 2027, after closing a $5 billion term loan and a $16 billion equity raise this year. Uber has committed to buying at least 35,000 Lucid vehicles, while its Rivian deal starts with 10,000 autonomous R2 SUVs, with rides expected to begin in 2028. Calacanis, who recently bought small stakes in Lucid, Rivian, WeRide (WRD) and Pony.ai (PONY), expects consolidation in the autonomous-driving sector within 24 months.
- Prediction: Oct. 21 Will Be a Huge Day for the Stock Market
The article predicts October 21 could be a pivotal day for the stock market, as Meta Platforms (META) becomes the first of the "Magnificent Seven" tech giants to report third-quarter earnings after the close. In its latest quarter, Meta's total revenue rose 28% to $60 billion, with ad revenue at $59 billion. Investors will be watching whether its capital spending, now about 35% of revenue, is translating into growth. Meta's report could hint at the earnings outlook for other tech giants and set the direction for the S&P 500 in the coming days, with the first trading session after the report on Thursday.
Get the briefing on Telegram or Zalo
Join the Upside Telegram channel or Zalo group for the Vietnam stocks and gold briefing at 8:00 and 19:00 (Vietnam time) on trading days, plus a weekly wrap on Saturday morning.