CORRECTION -- Commercial insurance market projects stability as rates moderate across most lines of business
NEW YORK, Oct. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In a release issued under the same headline earlier today by Willis Towers Watson US LLC (Nasdaq: WTW), please note that the inaccurate 'Key Price Predictions for 2024' table has been removed. The corrected release is as follows:
According to the latest Insurance Marketplace Realities report from WTW (Willis Towers Watson, NASDAQ: WTW), a leading global advisory, broking and solutions company, commercial insurance rates have demonstrated balance and stability throughout the year across North America. Jon Drummond, Head of Broking, North America, WTW, commented, “The industry has not categorically rewritten its position on any one line of business, but rather has taken micro-actions reacting to emerging trends.”
WTW reports that new capital in both the reinsurance and retail marketplace has led to increased competition for premium market share, excluding umbrella and excess liability. This trend has played out across the industry, which is particularly meaningful in 1st party business where capacity was a challenge at the outset of 2024.
Capacity remains a driving force in delivering soft market conditions for financial lines. While WTW advises that it may be premature to call it a trend, there appears to be mounting focus on rate adequacy in mid-excess Directors & Officers Liability. In addition, the Cyber market projects flat to mid-single digit rate decreases across most renewals in the near term.
In casualty, Umbrella & Excess liability has seen the most amount of disruption. Loss costs continue to rise due to factors including legal system abuse, litigation financing, and the growth of concerns such as forever chemicals, to which the insurance market has responded by reducing lines of capacity available to insureds and pushing renewal rates past high single digit.
WTW’s Marketplace Realities report concludes that while the industry is facing evolutionary change across many lines of business – e.g. climate change, nuclear verdicts, new capital entrants, etc. – the market should deliver relatively stable renewal conditions across most lines of business as the year comes to a close.
Drummond added, “It goes without saying that the current state of affairs might only be one major hurricane away from being upended, and with Milton knocking on the door, the probability of disruption is growing.”
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