China's unlisted property and casualty (P&C) insurers reported steady premium growth but weaker profitability in the first half of 2026, highlighting mounting pressure on underwriting margins and investment returns despite continued increases in insurance business income.
Zurich Insurance Group reported strong first-half 2026 results for its Asia Pacific business, driven by continued growth in its Life & Savings (L&S) and P&C operations. For the six months ended 30 June, the insurer posted Business Operating Profit (BOP) of $348m, up 15% from a year earlier. Life & Savings BOP rose 19% as insurance revenue increased 16% to $1.4bn. P&C BOP, meanwhile, climbed 12% alongside an 11% increase in GWP to $2.3bn. The business also reported a combined ratio of 94.0%.
Swiss Re reported that its second-quarter net income for 2026 reached $1.3bn, bringing its first-half net income to $2.8bn. This came as improved earnings across all three business units kept the reinsurer on track to meet its full-year target of $4.5bn. The group's return on equity was 22.7% in the first half, while insurance service result rose to $3.5bn from $3.0bn a year earlier. Swiss Re said it paid more than $17bn in claims during the period while maintaining a strong capital position with an estimated Swiss Solvency Test (SST) ratio of 264% as of 1 July.
Heirs Insurance Group (Heirs) has met the National Insurance Commission's (NAICOM) recapitalisation requirements, with both Heirs General Insurance and Heirs Life Assurance included on the regulator's list of insurance companies that have satisfied the revised minimum capital requirements by the 31 July deadline.
The preliminary results of the Saudi insurance market for the first half of this year suggest that the sector is gradually moving beyond the difficult conditions experienced throughout 2025, according to BADRI Management Consultancy, an international actuarial and risk management firm.
QNB Egypt Bank, a subsidiary of the Qatari-owned commercial bank, QNB, plans to establish a property insurance company, in a move aimed at completing the group's non-banking financial services system. The new company is likely to be named QNB Insurance.
Verisk's Catastrophe and Risk Solutions group has estimated insured losses of the 6.8 magnitude earthquake that struck near Kumamoto City in Japan on 28 July to be between JPY220bn ($1.4bn) and JPY340bn.
Insurance uptake in Namibia remains relatively low, with most adults (67.3%) lacking any insurance products or services, with affordability as the main reason for the situation, according to the 2025 Namibia Financial Inclusion Survey Report.
Orient Insurance, the leading insurance company in the UAE, has announced strong financial results for the first half of 2026.
The Insurance and Private Pension Regulation and Supervision Authority (SEDDK) has redefined the procedures and principles regarding risk acceptance and management in surety insurance.