AM Best: Losses From Winter Storms to Carve Into 2026 First Quarter Earnings

Northeastern blizzard is expected to result in significant, but manageable losses for P/C insurers, according to a new Best's Commentary discussed by AM Best Industry Research Analyst Helen Andersen.

David Benyon, host of The Political Risk Podcast, explains how he connects geopolitical flashpoints from war, hybrid threats, trade policy and expropriation with the evolving needs of specialty insurance and reinsurance markets.

AM Best Senior Associate Editor Steve Hallo explains how state proposals to limit credit scores could impact insurance pricing and risk assessment.

Keith Golembiewski, AVP, director, annuity research, LIMRA, discusses 2025’s record-breaking annuity market and the evolving role of indexed products in retirement planning.

BestWire News Editor Dave Pilla reports how renewed investor interest and a push for capital efficiency are fueling rapid growth in reinsurance sidecars, reshaping capacity strategies and adding new dynamics to traditional pricing and long-term capital stability.

A new Best's Market Segment Report finds improved P/C underwriting and pricing, combined with moderate catastrophe losses, anchor strong 2025 results, with investment income a key earnings driver in 2026 despite headwinds, according to Jacqalene Lentz, senior director, and David Blades, associate director, both of AM Best.

AM Best Senior Associate Editor Renee Kiriluk-Hill examines how Hawaii’s homeowners insurers are responding to catastrophic wildfire losses with steep rate increases, tighter risk selection, and strategic decisions that may foreshadow trends in other catastrophe-exposed states.

Melissa Mulhern, assistant vice president of environmental underwriting at Philadelphia Insurance Cos., said their underwriters work with agents and brokers to help them understand that environmental risk includes operational risks not just limited to preexisting contamination.

The revision from negative to stable for the directors and officers liability insurance segment is owed to rate stabilization, low loss ratios, tighter underwriting, and reduced regulatory scrutiny, according to a new Best's Market Segment Report discussed by AM Best Elizabeth Blamble, senior financial analyst, AM Best.

Brooke Shirazi, vice president of property and ocean marine programs at Nationwide E&S Specialty, said policyholders benefit from the program offerings and the program administrator space because of the deep expertise they bring to the table in that segment and their clear understanding of what the insured needs in order to address risk concerns.