The end of the earnings season is always a good time to take a step back and see who shined (and who not so much). Let’s take a look at how property & casualty insurance stocks fared in Q2, starting with Stewart Information Services (NYSE: STC).

Property & Casualty (P&C) insurers protect individuals and businesses against financial loss from damage to property or from legal liability. This is a cyclical industry, and the sector benefits when there is 'hard market', characterized by strong premium rate increases that outpace loss and cost inflation, resulting in robust underwriting margins. The opposite is true in a 'soft market'. Interest rates also matter, as they determine the yields earned on fixed-income portfolios. On the other hand, P&C insurers face a major secular headwind from the increasing frequency and severity of catastrophe losses due to climate change. Furthermore, the liability side of the business is pressured by 'social inflation'—the trend of rising litigation costs and larger jury awards.

The 33 property & casualty insurance stocks we track reported a satisfactory Q2. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 1.5%.

In light of this news, share prices of the companies have held steady as they are up 4% on average since the latest earnings results.

Stewart Information Services (NYSE: STC)

Founded in 1893 during America's westward expansion when property records were often disputed, Stewart Information Services (NYSE: STC) provides title insurance and real estate services, helping homebuyers, sellers, and lenders verify property ownership and protect against title defects.

Stewart Information Services reported revenues of $723.4 million, up 20.1% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 9.2%. Overall, it was an exceptional quarter for the company with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.

"I am pleased with our performance this quarter as our top line results demonstrate our progress in growing each of our business lines," commented Fred Eppinger, chief executive officer.

Interestingly, the stock is up 21.3% since reporting and currently trades at $72.24.

Is now the time to buy Stewart Information Services? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Best Q2: Root (NASDAQ: ROOT)

Pioneering a data-driven approach that rewards good driving habits, Root (NASDAQ: ROOT) is a technology-driven auto insurance company that uses mobile apps to acquire customers and data science to price policies based on individual driving behavior.

Root reported revenues of $382.9 million, up 32.4% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 7.5%. The business had an incredible quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ net premiums earned estimates.

Although it had a fine quarter compared its peers, the market seems unhappy with the results as the stock is down 28.5% since reporting. It currently trades at $88.06.

Is now the time to buy Root? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Weakest Q2: Selective Insurance Group (NASDAQ: SIGI)

Founded in 1926 during the early days of automobile insurance, Selective Insurance Group (NASDAQ: SIGI) is a property and casualty insurance company that sells commercial, personal, and excess and surplus lines insurance products through independent agents.

Selective Insurance Group reported revenues of $127.9 million, down 89.3% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 90.3%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ EPS and book value per share estimates.

Selective Insurance Group delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates and slowest revenue growth in the group. As expected, the stock is down 12.7% since the results and currently trades at $79.

Read our full analysis of Selective Insurance Group’s results here.

Enact Holdings (NASDAQ: ACT)

Playing a critical role in helping first-time homebuyers access the housing market, Enact Holdings (NASDAQ: ACT) provides private mortgage insurance that enables lenders to offer home loans with lower down payments while protecting against borrower defaults.

Enact Holdings reported revenues of $304.9 million, up 2% year on year. This result missed analysts’ expectations by 1.1%. Taking a step back, it was a mixed quarter as it also logged a narrow beat of analysts’ net premiums earned and EPS estimates.

The stock is up 9.8% since reporting and currently trades at $37.76.

Read our full, actionable report on Enact Holdings here, it’s free.

Essent Group (NYSE: ESNT)

Serving as a crucial bridge between homebuyers and the American dream of homeownership, Essent Group (NYSE: ESNT) provides private mortgage insurance and title services that enable lenders to offer home loans with down payments of less than 20%.

Essent Group reported revenues of $319.1 million, up 2% year on year. This number surpassed analysts’ expectations by 0.7%. It was a strong quarter as it also put up a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.

The stock is up 10.5% since reporting and currently trades at $62.95.

Read our full, actionable report on Essent Group here, it’s free.

Market Update

The Fed’s interest rate hikes throughout 2022 and 2023 have successfully cooled post-pandemic inflation, bringing it closer to the 2% target. Inflationary pressures have eased without tipping the economy into a recession, suggesting a soft landing. This stability, paired with recent rate cuts (0.5% in September 2024 and 0.25% in November 2024), fueled a strong year for the stock market in 2024. The markets surged further after Donald Trump’s presidential victory in November, with major indices reaching record highs in the days following the election. Still, questions remain about the direction of economic policy, as potential tariffs and corporate tax changes add uncertainty for 2025.

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