Top 25 U.S. P&C Writers Named

A.M. Best today released a report measuring domestic premiums of affiliated and unaffiliated U.S. companies and licensed foreign insurers that submitted their 12-month 2010 statutory statement by March 16, 2011. According to the report, State Farm Group, Allstate Insurance Group and Liberty Mutual Insurance Cos. led all other P&C insurers in terms of 2010 net premiums written.

The information for each company or group in the report includes: direct premiums written, net premiums written, admitted assets, policyholders’ surplus.

The study reports on several improved metrics during 2010, although there is ongoing caution, as the industry entered 2011 with a key declining factor. In particular, policyholder’s surplus (PHS) increased 9.0%, posting the industry’s largest-ever recorded level in PHS, which A.M. Best says can be in part, due to Berkshire Hathaway’s 47.1% increase.

Additionally, net premiums written (NPW) reflect its first increase following three consecutive years of decline, which included its largest single-year decline, posted in 2009. Admitted assets, direct premiums written (DPW) and net leverage also improved, based on the reported year-end 2010 results. However, the industry’s after-dividend combined ratio reflected an increase of 2.2 over 2009 year-end results, generating 102.1 and posting unprofitable underwriting results recorded during 2010.

The top 25 U.S. property/casualty writers in 2010 and their NPW as of Dec. 31, 2010 ($ thousands):

1. State Farm Group—$50,808,635

2. Allstate Insurance Group—$24,796,656

3. Liberty Mutual Insurance Cos.—$21,483,996

4. Berkshire Hathaway Insurance—$21,358,316

5. Travelers Group—$20,594,458

6. American International Group—$19,687,720

7. Nationwide Group—$14,489,531

8. Progressive Insurance Group—$14,476,676

9. Farmers Insurance Group—$14,129,512

10. USAA Group—$10,679,414

11. Hartford Insurance Group—$9,688,760

12. Chubb Group of Insurance Cos.—$8,927,736

13. CNA Insurance Cos.—$6,188,618

14. American Family Insurance Group—$5,324,290

15. Allianz of America—$4,666,301

16. Auto-Owners Insurance Group—$4,485,442

17. Munich-America Holding Corp.—$4,413,834

18. Zurich Financial Services NA Group—$4,400,123

19. Erie Insurance Group—$4,019,273

20. Ace INA Group—$3,705,475

21. Transatlantic Holdings Inc. Group—$3,418,020

22. W.R. Berkley Group—$3,392,330

23. The Hanover Insurance Group Property & Casualty Cos.—$3,053,508

24. MetLife Auto & Home Group—$2,983,236

25. Cincinnati Insurance Cos.—$2,965,462