Independent insurance agency network Assurex Global has launched AG London, which is a wholesale broker that will initially place business across speciality lines of business. These lines include product recall, financial and professional, terrorism and active assailant, cyber, marine (first and third party), cargo and stock throughput, logistics and supply chain, and fine art and specie.

Allianz UK has unleashed an AI generative tool called BRIAN to support its commercial underwriters and enable them to respond more quickly and confidently to customer enquiries. The tool makes it faster for underwriters to retrieve specific information from lengthy underwriting guides for property and casualty and specialty lines.

Willis’ recently published Power Market Review details how returning capacity and increased competition to underwrite power and utility companies has led to mid to high double-digit rate reductions for property damage and business interruption policies. It said the softening impact was less pronounced in liability markets due to climate change and decarbonisation pressures.

Managing general agent Pen Underwriting has implemented six enhancements to its UK SME cyber proposition. Pen said the changes would maximise indemnity levels by removing sub-limits and lengthening restoration periods. It said the updated proposition better reflected the evolving exposures faced by SMEs.

Network Coversure has launched Ocean Insurance Brokers (Coversure Bristol), which will be led by Chris Luckett (pictured) and becomes the first operator in the network to formally commit a share of income to its own charity, Broking For Good. It said 2% of its commission income will go to the charity.

The home insurance market in the UK achieved a combined operating ratio of 103% in 2024. This was an improvement on the 111% achieved in 2023 and the 117% in 2022. Moody’s Ratings published the figures and said the average premium in the UK had risen by more than 30% since 2022 in a bid to combat losses.

Admiral Insurance and legal firm HF have worked in tandem to thwart a mother and son who had pursued a fraudulent claim valued at more than £2m following a minor accident. Inderjit Singh and her son Simerjit Singh now face costs and damages awarded against them of more than £200,000.

DAS Legal Expenses Insurance Company has reported gross written premium income of £141.4m for 2024, up from the £139.3m achieved in 2023. Its combined operating ratio was 97.1%, up from the 95.6% recorded in 2023. It made a loss after tax of £4m, adding to the loss on £1.1m the previous year.

The Chartered Institute of Loss Adjusters is to change its name to the Chartered Institute of Loss Adjusting in a move that the organisation said would better reflect the range of professionals involved in loss adjusting activities across the claims value chain.

Lloyd’s has given Ariel Re in principle approval to establish Syndicate 2006, in addition to its existing Syndicate 1910. The new syndicate will write property catastrophe, other property, marine and speciality, cyber and clean energy business (trading as Ariel Green). Ariel Re said the new syndicate would begin quoting on risks from the beginning of December and that binding would be effective from 1st January 2026.

Pro MGA Global Solutions has launched Orb Specialty, which is an independent managing general underwriter set up to act as a capacity connector for managing general agents within the Pro MGA Global Solutions incubation stable. It will operate initially in the UK and as an an appointed representative of Pro MGA Solutions Ltd.

Zurich Insurance will accept no claims discount histories from individual policies and convert them for use in a commercial fleet policy with one premium and a single confirmed claims experience. The insurer said the move would increases the number of small businesses it could support with its small fleet insurance product which is aimed at fleets with between two to 20 vehicles.

Tokio Marine HCC Specialty Group has agreed a partnership with The Acheson Group to enhance the carrier’s product recall crisis consultancy capabilities. The Acheson Group specialises in food safety and public health consulting. Under the new deal, these services will now be available to TMHCC Specialty Group’s clients in the UK and the US.

Insurtech Amarillo, which specialises in bordereaux management solutions, has added a new data dashboard (Dash) and an AI assistant (AIDAr) to its proposition. Amarillo said these two new products would work in conjunction with its bordereaux management tool, Fusion.

Lloyd’s delivered gross written premium of £32.5bn in the first six months of 2025, up from the £30.6bn achieved in the same period the previous year. However, its combined ratio deteriorated by 8.8 percentage points to 92.5%. Profit before tax was £4.2bn, down from the £4.9bn achieved in H1 2024.

Insurance platform Apollo has received in principle approval from Lloyd’s Council to set up Apollo Re Share Syndicate 1972, which is aiming to start writing business from 1st January 2026. It will provide follow only capacity on the outwards reinsurance programmes for Apollo managed syndicates.