Consumer watchdog Which? has called on the Financial Conduct Authority to examine if insurers are being slow to agree liability and settle storm damage claims. Since October, Which? said there had been six named storms and that it was concerned with how some insurers were approaching cover for storms and handling associated claims.

Financial consultancy MarshBerry has said that although the 13 insurance distribution deals announced so far in 2026 are up on the 10 announced during the same period last year, the figure is significantly below the long-term average of 18.2.

Beazley has reported a 19% drop in PBT to US$1,146.5m for 2025 (from US$1,423.5m in 2024). Net insurance written premiums were broadly stable at US$5,198.7m, while the undiscounted combined ratio rose slightly to 81% and RoE fell to 19%.

Asda Money has launched a mobile and gadget insurance proposition which it has delivered in collaboration with insurance intermediary, Taurus Insurance Services. The product offers three tiers of cover. The entry-level policy provides accidental damage cover with theft, and loss and mechanical breakdown cover available with the second and third tier options. The insurance is for mobile phones and gadgets such as tablets, smartwatches and laptops.

Managing general agent Globe Underwriting, which is part of Ardonagh, has rebranded as Orvia Underwriting and migrated its business to the platform of the same name. Ardonagh launched Orvia Underwriting earlier this year as its pan-European managing general agent platform.

London Market broker Price Forbes, which is part of The Ardonagh Group, has agreed to partner with mea Platform and use its AI technology to enhance its operational efficiency and service proposition across the broker’s business. Price Forbes said mea Platform’s technology would be used to improve data ingestion and document processing across submissions, enquiries, and related workflows.

Re/insurance broker Consilium has launched a multi-line policy for private equity firms offering cover for professional liability, crime and D&O exposures. Consilium said its professional and executive risks division had designed the policy in collaboration with its in-house legal counsel to address the complex exposures faced by private equity firms.

Musical instrument and equipment specialist Lark Music has partnered with the Gibson Garage London to launch a free, 12-month point-of-sale cover available to UK customers buying Gibson and Epiphone priced above £1,500. Lark Music is part of Howden.

Young broker Ismaeel Latif has launched Manchester-based Red Apple Brokers under the Coversure umbrella with an emphasis on customer support and education. He said his decision to launch a broker after just eight years in the industry was driven by a desire to promote better customer education.

White Mountains Insurance Group has made a structured capital investment of almost £95m in Bishop Street Underwriters, which is a RedBird Capital Partners portfolio company that owns UK managing general agents Avid and Landmark Underwriting.

On 1st July, Katherine Braddick will become the next deputy governor for prudential regulation at the Bank of England and chief executive of the Prudential Regulation Authority, after incumbent Sam Woods finishes his term at the end of June. Braddick is group head of strategic policy and senior adviser to the CEO at Barclays.

Axa has reported total group revenues of approximately £102bn for 2025, an increase of 6% on the previous year. It announced underlying earnings of £7.4bn, also up by 6% on 2024. Axa said its P&C business delivered gross written premiums and other revenues of £51bn, up by 5% on last year. It achieved underlying revenues of £5.2bn, which were up by 9% and saw its combined operating ratio improve by 0.4 percentage points to 90.6%.

Allianz UK (Holdings) has reported an operating profit of ££476m for 2025, an increase of 29.5% on the previous year. Its combined operating ratio was 93%, an improvement of 2 percentage points on 2024. Total business volumes were £4.6bn, down by 0.3% on the previous 12 months.

In January 2025, storms Goretti, Ingrid and Chandra combined to cause storm damage that saw the month account for almost three-quarters (73%) of total storm damage claims for the entire year, according to Paymentshield. The insurance provider said that in 2024, January was also a peak month for storm damage, accounting for 46% of the year’s total.

Bspoke Private Clients has announced that from 1st April this year, all new business and renewals will have increased limits of up to £15m per location following a capacity enhancement deal it has struck with Accelerant. Bspoke Private Clients said it had also increased its risk appetite.

Hiscox UK reported insurance contract written premium of approximately £710.1m for the year ended 31 December 2025. This was up 8.4% on the £637.5m achieved the previous year. Hiscox London Market announced insurance contract written premium of £922m (2024: £907.2m) and an undiscounted combined ratio 85.9% (2024: 88.6%).