excess & surplus lines News

Dellwood Specialty Gets A- Rating From AM Best

Dellwood Specialty Insurance Company has received a financial strength rating of A- (Excellent) from AM Best. The industry rating agency said the rating as given due to Dellwood’s “very strong” balance sheet strength as well as other factors such as …

US E&S Growth Slower in 2023; Berkshire, AIG Top Premium Rankings

An analysis by S&P Global Market Intelligence reveals that the pace of growth in the U.S. excess and surplus lines market has slowed since a peak growth rate of 32.3% recorded in 2021. In 2023, growth remained robust—and up in …

Specialty Market ‘Particularly Attractive’; Reason to Pause Elsewhere: Berkley CEO

W.R. Berkley CEO W. Robert Berkley, Jr. said he’s still got eyes on the specialty market, but maintains a cautious, more disciplined outlook on some lines of business, such as professional liability—especially public D&O. “The specialty market in general continues …

For the Fifth Straight Year, Surplus Lines Sees Double-Digit Growth: AM Best

Total U.S. surplus lines direct premiums written (DPW) rose by 19.2% to reach a record $98.5 billion in 2022, marking a five-year streak of double-digit growth rate increase, according to a new AM Bestreport. The new Best’s Market Segment Report, …

E&S Market Lines Expand, Outperform Broader P/C in 2022

The U.S. excess and surplus (E&S) lines market had a good year in 2022, growing to account for nearly 9% of the U.S. property/casualty (P/C) insurance industry. E&S direct written premiums (DWP) increased for the twelfth consecutive year and reported …

W.R. Berkley Forms E&S Solutions Unit

W. R. Berkley Corporation has formed Berkley E&S Solutions, a new business unit that will provide surplus lines casualty coverages to middle-market and large accounts through individual wholesale broker appointments. Curtis E. Fletcher has been named president and chief executive …

Core Specialty Completes Buy of Hallmark’s E&S Operations for $40M

Core Specialty Insurance Holdings, Inc. and its subsidiaries said Oct. 7 that it has completed the acquisition of Hallmark Financial Services, Inc.’s excess & surplus lines operations for approximately $40 million in cash. The business acquired from Hallmark represents that …

Liberty Mutual: Ironshore to Become Wholesale-Exclusive Brand

Liberty Mutual said it has repositioned its distribution strategy for specialty and excess & surplus products, making Ironshore a wholesale-exclusive brand. Going forward, all U.S. commercial, specialty and E&S products placed by retail brokers will be under the Liberty Mutual …

Hamilton Launches U.S. E&S Insurer, Names Rhoades CEO

Bermuda-based specialty insurer Hamilton Insurance Group, Ltd. reports it has formed Hamilton Select Insurance Inc., a U.S. excess and surplus (E&S) lines insurer. Hamilton Select Insurance Inc. is domiciled in Delaware and joins Hamilton’s existing operating subsidiaries Hamilton Re, Ltd. …

Lexington’s Levinson on Why E&S Is More Relevant Now Than Ever

When Lou Levinson became president and CEO of Lexington Insurance in late 2018, he knew the company needed a change. He believed that Lexington should be a wholesale focused distribution channel and that the company should remain focused and disciplined …