Property & Casualty Insurance

Wunderlich Securities dropped its coverage of the insurance sector in a research report published today. The companies dropped by Wunderlich Securities are Amerisafe (NASDAQ: AMSF), AmTrust Financial Services (NASDAQ: AFSI), Aspen Insurance (NYSE: AHL), AXIS Capital Holdings (NYSE: AXS), Delphi...

RLI Corp. (NYSE: RLI) – RLI Corp. announced today that Joseph E. Dondanville, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, is retiring and Thomas L. Brown has been appointed Vice President and Chief Financial Officer effective September 1, 2011. Mr. Dondanville will assist in providing a...

Shares of The Chubb Corporation (NYSE: CB) are lower on the session by 3.21%, currently trading at $59.64. The stock has been moving largely lower over the past three months and is currently trading below the 50-day average. Options traders are focusing on calls today. A short while ago the...

White Mountains Insurance Group, Ltd. (NYSE: WTM) announced today that it intends to commence a "modified Dutch auction" self-tender offer to purchase up to 300,000 of its common shares at a purchase price of not greater than $435 or less than $385 per share net to the seller in cash. The tender...

Piper Jaffray is out with its report today on ProAssurance (NYSE: PRA), reiterating Overweight. In its report, Piper Jaffray writes, "Meetings with management of ProAssurance reiterate our positive outlook and Overweight rating on the shares. With a benign operating environment, positive outlook...

XL Group (NYSE: XL) today announced the following: The completion of the remarketing of the $575 million aggregate principal amount of 8.25% senior notes due August 2021 of its wholly-owned subsidiary XL-Cayman, comprising a part of the equity security units issued in 2008, and the settlement of...

Cincinnati Financial Corporation (Nasdaq: CINF) today announced that the board of directors voted at its regular meeting on August 12, 2011, to increase the regular quarterly cash dividend from 40 cents to 40.25 cents per share, payable October 17, 2011, to shareholders of record as of September 21...

FPIC Insurance Group (NASDAQ: FPIC) today announced that FPIC's shareholders have approved the acquisition of FPIC by The Doctors Company pursuant to the merger agreement dated May 23, 2011. At the special meeting of FPIC's shareholders held today, the merger agreement was approved by 99.10% of the...

We have gone through some rocky times in the past few weeks, with volatility almost reminiscent of 2008. Volatility tends to scare off investors. Dividend yields, especially higher dividend yielding stocks tend to offer some protection in downturns such as the one we are currently experiencing....

Wunderlich Securities reiterated its Buy rating on Markel (NYSE: MKL). At the same time, the rating agency left its price target on the company's stock unchanged at $475. On Thursday, MKL added 5.1% to its value to finish the day at $376.97.

The Board of Directors of ACE Limited (NYSE: ACE) today declared a quarterly dividend equal to $0.35 payable on October 21, 2011, to shareholders of record at the close of business on September 30, 2011. Dividend payments will be made in United States dollars (USD) by the company's transfer agent....

According to Morgan Stanley, The Chubb Corporation (NYSE: CB), PT has been increased from $74 to $77. Rating is currently set to Overweight. Chubb closed yesterday at $56.51.

Piper Jaffray is out with its report today on Hallmark Financial (NASDAQ: HALL), maintaining Neutral. In its report, Piper Jaffray writes, "HALL reported a 2Q operating loss of $0.05 per share, below our $0.08 operating EPS estimate and consensus loss per share of $0.04. The shortfall to our...

Today, CNA Financial Corporation (NYSE: CNA) announced that it has agreed to the sale of its 50% ownership interest in First Insurance Company of Hawaii, Ltd. to Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Co., Ltd., the sole other shareholder in the Hawaiian subsidiary. The sale, which is subject...

Piper Jaffray reiterated its Overweight rating on Assured Guaranty (NYSE: AGO). At the same time, the rating agency left its price target on the company's stock unchanged at $25. On Wednesday, AGO lost 5.34% of its value to end the day at $9.93.