Beazley full-year profit falls amid 'softening' insurance market

(Sharecast News) - Beazley posted a fall in full-year profit on Wednesday amid a "softening" insurance market, ahead of its agreed takeover by Zurich Insurance. In the year to the end of December 2025, pre-tax profit declined 19% from the prior year to $1.15bn.

Insurance written premiums dipped 1% to $6.10bn and earnings per share fell 17% to 113.4p.

The undiscounted combined ratio was 81.2% in the year, down from 79.0% in 2024. The combined ratio is a measure of an insurer's profitability. A ratio below 100% indicates the company is making an underwriting profit, while a ratio above means it is paying out more money in claims than it is receiving from premiums.

The Lloyd's of London insurer - which agreed on Monday to be taken over by Zurich Insurance in an £8.1bn deal - also said that as things stand, its exposure to the unfolding events in the Middle East is limited, and it does not expect to be materially impacted by the conflict.

Chief executive Adrian Cox said: "In 2025, Beazley delivered another strong profit, amidst a volatile global backdrop and in a softening insurance rating environment. In these conditions, our robust underwriting discipline and active cycle management continued to ensure our success.

"As we start 2026, we continue to see a similar pattern of competitive insurance pricing and global instability. In this environment, we remain resolutely focused on profitable underwriting and innovating into growth opportunities, particularly with our new Bermuda entity and insurance solutions for the energy transition."