Beazley and Lancashire shares rallyLancashire to pay a special dividendConduit Holdings shares drop 10%Given the succession of devastating storms which hit the US this autumn, investors in insurers covering catastrophe loss had every right to be nervous when it came to reporting season.In the event, two of the biggest UK-listed property and casualty insurers - Beazley (BEZ) and Lancashire...

Shares in specialist insurance underwriter Beazley (BEZ) reached an all-time high at the beginning of August after the firm posted sharply higher half-year earnings and said it saw more business opportunities in underwriting cyber risk insurance. The company, which manages six Lloyd's of London syndicates, reported pre-tax profit of $729 million for the six months to June or almost double last...

Stocks in London ended lower on Thursday, though avoided deeper losses thanks to a better-than-expected US jobless claims reading.The FTSE 100 index ended down 21.91 points, 0.3%, at 8,144.97. It had been 1.3% lower earlier on Thursday, however.The FTSE 250 fell 67.45 points, 0.3%, at 20,508.58, and the AIM All-Share lost 2.11 points, 0.3%, at 765.21.The Cboe UK 100 ended down 0.2% at 813.12,...

Stock prices were lower at midday Thursday in Europe, ahead of New York Stocks which are called to open mixed as markets remained cautious.The FTSE 100 index was down 80.43 points, 1.0%, at 8,086.45. The FTSE 250 was down 257.43 points, 1.3%, at 20,318.60, and the AIM All-Share was down 5.58 points, 0.7%, at 761.74.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.9% at 807.71, the Cboe UK 250 was down 1.3% at...

Stocks in London opened in the red on Thursday amid a slew of earnings, ahead of Irish consumer price inflation and US jobs data.The FTSE 100 index opened down 84.56 points, 1.0%, at 8,082.32. The FTSE 250 was down 282.48 points, 1.4%, at 20,293.55, and the AIM All-Share was down 5.40 points, 0.7%, at761.92.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.9% at 807.54, the Cboe UK 250 was down 1.4% at 17,786.75,...

The FTSE 100 shrugged off a subdued start to push higher at midday on Tuesday, although an underwhelming session for miners held back further gains.The FTSE 100 index traded 27.12 points higher, or 0.3%, at 8,225.90. The FTSE 250 was down 17.71 points, 0.1%, at 21,120.97, while the AIM All-Share was down 1.33 points, 0.2%, at 781.91.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.3% at 821.39, the Cboe UK 250 was...

Group premiums up 7%Property premiums up 26%No change to estimatesLondon market insurance group Beazley (BEZ) posted an in-line first-quarter trading update and confirmed its full-year guidance for written premiums and costs.The shares, which closed at an all-time high of 694p in March, continued to ease down 0.4% to 636p. STRONG PROPERTY PREMIUMSInsurance written premiums for the three...

Profit at both firms tops forecastsAviva announces £300 million buybackBeazley plans $325 million buybackShares in FTSE 100 insurance groups Aviva (AV.) and Beazley (BEZ) were among the gainers after both firms posted positive results and announced plans to buy back their shares.Aviva shares climbed 4% to 473p while Beazley shares added 2.5% to 670p. AVIVA ON SOLID GROUNDAviva reported...

It was a generally positive Thursday for London and European stocks, as markets reacted to the latest European Central Bank and US Federal Reserve meetings.The FTSE 100 index closed up 21.98 points, 0.3%, at 7,684.49. The FTSE 250 ended up 144.53 points, 0.8%, at 19,263.50, and the AIM All-Share closed down 0.06 of a point at 749.96.The Cboe UK 100 ended up 0.3% at 769.77, the Cboe UK 250...

Stock prices in London were in the green at midday Thursday, as UK purchasing managers? index data indicated that the UK recession is ?already? over.Eye are now on US jobless data, which will be released at 1330 GMT.The FTSE 100 index was up 20.96 points, 0.3%, at 7,683.47. The FTSE 250 was up 135.16 points, 0.7%, at 19,254.13, and the AIM All-Share was up 0.86 of a points, 0.1%, at 750.88.The...

The FTSE 100 was held back by miners and oil firms on Tuesday, while other stocks finished on the up, amid a slight recovery for the dollar.The FTSE 100 index closed down 7.72 points, 0.1%, at 7,410.04. The FTSE 250 ended up 14.24 points, 0.1%, at 17,761.71, and the AIM All-Share closed up 0.75 of a point, or 0.1%, at 698.63.The Cboe UK 100 ended down 0.2% at 739.72, the Cboe UK 250 closed up...

Stock prices in London climbed on Wednesday as softer-than-expected UK inflation lifted hopes for a lower peak for interest rates, while large-cap overseas earners got a boost from a weaker pound.The FTSE 100 index opened up 88.26 points, 1.2%, at 7,541.95. The FTSE 250 was up 460.88 points, 2.4%, at 19,079.10, and the AIM All-Share was 4.52 points, 0.6%, at 758.88.The Cboe UK 100 was up 1.2%...

Each year, natural disasters around the world destroy assets worth hundreds of billions of dollars.According to German reinsurance giant Munich Re (MUV2:ETR), losses incurred from natural disasters amounted to $270 billion last year with less than half that figure covered by insurance.For insurers, it is essential to have in-depth knowledge of risks and how they are developing in order to be...

- Three new faces in the FTSE 100- Five stocks join the FTSE 250- Changes take effect from 19 DecemberIndex compiler FTSE Russell, owned by London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG), has just released the results of its December quarterly review.Three stocks are being promoted to the FTSE 100 large-cap index, meaning three stocks are leaving to join the FTSE 250 mid-cap universe, as Shares...

Mid-cap companies have always attracted investors. Seen as large enough to compete on a global scale, but not so big that their capacity for growth is capped, like many FTSE 100 stocks, an increasing number of investors spend time researching stocks on the FTSE 250 index, or simply buy the index through the handful of inexpensive targeted ETF tracker funds that are available.While many...

- Share price rallies on consensus beating earnings- Combined ratio guidance upgraded for 2022.- Cyber insurance drives profitabilityShares in insurer Beazley (BEZ) jumped over 10% in early trading after the group reported results ahead of market expectations, and upgraded its combined ratio guidance to the high 80's for 2022 from a previous guidance of around 90%.Profit before tax of $22.3...

Just when it seemed as if Russia's standing in the international community couldn't sink any lower, evidence of war crimes in Ukraine has seen the US and its allies take an even tougher line.As well as imposing harsher sanctions on Russian banks and state-owned enterprises, the US has proposed a blanket ban on all new investment in the country. The UK has done the same.'The goal is to force...

Shares in insurer Beazley (BEZ) drifted 2.2% to 487p despite the firm announcing better than expected full year results.Profit before tax was $369.2 million for the full year 2021, representing a 19% beat versus market expectations. The dividend of 12.9p was 11.2% ahead of consensus.Beazley, which provides casualty and property, cyber and political risk insurance, had a combined ratio, a key...

Insurer Beazley Plc (BEZ) jumped 5% to 416p as a third quarter update showed growth in premiums ahead of consensus forecasts,The statement revealed 29% expansion in premiums to $3.27 billion for the first nine months of the year to 30 September.A POSITIVE RATE ENVIRONMENTThe group has been a key beneficiary of rate increases. Year to date rate increases of 23% across the group, with a 48% rate...

London's FTSE traded 0.43% higher at 7,311.38 points early on Friday, as banks rebounded after yesterday's falls, triggered by the Bank of England's surprise decision to leave rates on hold, while telecoms titan BT (BT.A) rose again after reinstating the dividend yesterday.Following the central bank led excitement of the past few days, investors' attentions turned to the keenly-watched US jobs...