Research series

Progressive: Positioned to outlast peers

Progressive's July results point to continued downward pressure on pricing as firms compete for market share in personal auto.

IPC Research, August 14, 2019

Auto: Pricing hits new lows

New inflation data showed pricing continued to weaken in July as companies pivot to growth. With flat severity, margin pressures are building. Frequency remains the wildcard.

IPC Research, August 14, 2019

Auto: The "overshoot" risk begins

Headline results at auto insurers remain strong. Even so, as the market shifts to a more pro-growth stance, the risk of overshooting on price competition always increases.

IPC Research, August 12, 2019

AIG: The three-step master plan

We have written extensively our conviction 2019 would prove an inflection point. However, it is now clear even we underestimated the extent management would wield the axe.

IPC Research, August 08, 2019

Hedge Fund Re: The irony factories

It’s tough out there for total return reinsurers. Our view is that the current valuations of total return reinsurers are unsustainable, and that the group are vulnerable to M&A and activism.

IPC Research, August 07, 2019

Brokers: Climate change denial?

Insurance brokers reported strong Q2 results, with organic growth tailwinds helping both top and bottom lines. But with elevated expectations, strong results appear to be merely table stakes.

IPC Research, August 06, 2019

Medmal social inflation in focus

Swiss Re’s medmal exit comes after ProAssurance’s warning last quarter of companies being “swept away by the tide”.

IPC Research, August 02, 2019

MMC: Closing the margin gap > revenue headwinds

Expect a messy first year at MMC post-JLT. But longer term, the opportunity to close the margin gap on acquired and retained revenues is huge relative to earnings on likely lost revenue.

IPC Research, July 31, 2019

Reinsurance: A declaration of dependence

Mercury and NatGen highlight challenges of companies dependent on reinsurance facing higher implied cost of capital.

IPC Research, July 30, 2019

Brokers: Caught between a soft and hard place

Intermediaries appear caught between the competing pressures of results that speak to an improving market (good for their stocks) and a concern to manage market expectations to the benefit of clients.

IPC Research, July 29, 2019

The excess capital problem

How sustainable is an income statement driven hard market?

IPC Research, July 25, 2019

Commercial Lines: Pain > gain? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

In P&C, good news is often bad news, and bad news often forebodes better times ahead. New data points yesterday gave plenty of both…

IPC Research, July 24, 2019