As the craze of earnings season draws to a close, here’s a look back at some of the most exciting (and some less so) results from Q2. Today, we are looking at property & casualty insurance stocks, starting with Markel Group (NYSE: MKL).

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.

Markel Group (NYSE: MKL)

Often referred to as a "mini Berkshire Hathaway" for its three-engine business model of insurance, investments, and wholly-owned businesses, Markel Group (NYSE: MKL) is a specialty insurance company that underwrites complex risks, manages investment portfolios, and owns a diverse collection of operating businesses.

Markel Group reported revenues of $4.60 billion, up 24.3% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 15.7%. Overall, it was a satisfactory quarter for the company with a solid beat of analysts’ net premiums earned estimates but a slight miss of analysts’ book value per share estimates.

"We've made meaningful changes across our business in recent years, all with the goal of consistently compounding your capital," said Tom Gayner, Chief Executive Officer of Markel Group.

Unsurprisingly, the stock is down 2.9% since reporting and currently trades at $1,948.

Is now the time to buy Markel Group? 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 a solid 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 27.1% since reporting. It currently trades at $89.79.

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 estimates and a significant miss of analysts’ 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 13.2% since the results and currently trades at $78.48.

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

Cincinnati Financial (NASDAQ: CINF)

Founded in 1950 by independent insurance agents seeking stable market options for their clients, Cincinnati Financial (NASDAQ: CINF) provides property casualty insurance, life insurance, and related financial services through independent agencies across 46 states.

Cincinnati Financial reported revenues of $3.25 billion, up 34.9% year on year. This number topped analysts’ expectations by 12.8%. It was an exceptional quarter as it also put up a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and a decent beat of analysts’ book value per share estimates.

The stock is up 3.4% since reporting and currently trades at $152.16.

Read our full, actionable report on Cincinnati Financial here, it’s free.

Employers Holdings (NYSE: EIG)

With roots in Nevada and a strong concentration in California where 45% of its premiums are generated, Employers Holdings (NYSE: EIG) is a specialty provider of workers' compensation insurance focused on small and select businesses engaged in low-to-medium hazard industries across the United States.

Employers Holdings reported revenues of $246.3 million, up 13.5% year on year. This result surpassed analysts’ expectations by 9.1%. More broadly, it was a slower quarter as it produced a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates and a significant miss of analysts’ book value per share estimates.

The stock is down 6.5% since reporting and currently trades at $42.62.

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

Market Update

Thanks to the Fed’s rate hikes in 2022 and 2023, inflation has been on a steady path downward, easing back toward that 2% sweet spot. Fortunately (miraculously to some), all this tightening didn’t send the economy tumbling into a recession, so here we are, cautiously celebrating a soft landing. The cherry on top? Recent rate cuts (half a point in September 2024, a quarter in November) have propped up markets, especially after Trump’s November win lit a fire under major indices and sent them to all-time highs. However, there’s still plenty to ponder — tariffs, corporate tax cuts, and what 2025 might hold for the economy.

Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our Top 5 Quality Compounder Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.

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