The strong recovery in the markets in the past seven months, combined with a benign US windstorm season, leaves the rating environment for a number of business lines in 2010 "finely poised", according to UK-based Brit Insurance. In an interim management statement released this morning, Brit said that Brit Reinsurance was experiencing the best trading conditions of its three Strategic Business Units. In property-catastrophe Brit expects "to continue to run its risk appetite at the upper end of its risk tolerance", with pricing at Brit Re expected "to be under only marginal pressure in 2010 and potential margins are anticipated to remain good". Brit expects that the UK market will experience continued price rises throughout the rest of 2009 and all of next year. However, on the investment side, Brit warned that recent levels of return were unlikely to be maintained, mainly because of a contraction in credit spreads and a fall in government bond yields. This would place "further pressure" on the expected investment result in 2010. For the first nine months of the year, Brit recorded gross written premiums of £1.334bn ($2.22bn), up 19% year on year (4.7% at constant currency rates). The average premium rate increase on renewal business was 4.8%. The Brit Re SBU reported a 17.8% rise in premium growth year on year at constant currency rates, while Brit UK generated growth of 26.4%. Brit Global Markets recorded a decline of 8.4%, "a result of continued active management of the underwriting portfolio". CEO Dane Douetil said that "there has been a continued focus on portfolio management during the quarter and our decision to grow the catastrophe book whilst rebalancing the Global Markets business is beginning to bring tangible benefits". The company did not release interim profit numbers or an interim combined ratio.

...has closed the first nine months of the year with net income of $291.2m, a near doubling of the year-earlier $154.4m that reflected improved underwriting and investment results. Underwriting income also nearly doubled, up to $166.4m from $83.6m, as the combined ratio improved to 76.6% from 90.1%. Platinum swung to $53.9m in realized investment gains from year-earlier realized losses $3.3m, offsetting a 15% decline in investment income to $123.1m. Chief executive Michael Price said that Platinum "found relatively more attractive underwriting conditions for property and marine reinsurance this year and have accordingly shifted our mix of business toward this segment". He also said that the group would resume repurchases of its shares.

...is to become to become the official insurance partner of the Guinness Rugby Union Premiership. The agreement runs through to the end of July 2012. QBE's name and logo will appear on the back of all team shirts in the Guinness Premiership, European competitions and the Anglo-Welsh Cup.

The state of Connecticut has offered a $9m loan to keep reinsurer General Re, part of the Berkshire Hathaway group, in the state. The loan is for 20 years at 2% a year. It requires that General Re keep an average of 820 workers in Stamford until 2013. General Re currently has its headquarters in Stamford, but there had been reports that it was considering a relocation to Westchester, New York. Connecticut Governor Jodi Rell said that she expected the state's Bond Commission to rubber-stamp the $9m loan when it meets next week. "This funding, which goes toward fixtures and equipment in the new facility, ensures that a company based in our state since 1974 is not lost to a neighbouring state", said Gov Rell. The Connecticut Post reported that General Re would also benefit from tax credits and exemptions, together worth several million dollars.