Reinsurance margins under pressure but we still like the business: Arch CEO

Core Viewpoint - Arch Capital Group Ltd.'s reinsurance arm achieved record underwriting income of $1.6 billion for the full year 2025, despite facing property catastrophe rate declines of 10% to 20% at the January renewals, with CEO Nicolas Papadopoulo expressing continued confidence in the business [1][3]. Group 1: Financial Performance - The reinsurance arm contributed over 50% of the firm's total underwriting profit in Q4 2025 [3]. - The firm reported a record underwriting income of $1.6 billion for the full year 2025 [1]. Group 2: Market Conditions - Property catastrophe and short tail excess of loss renewals were highly competitive, with rates declining by 10% to 20% [4]. - Increased competition in the reinsurance market is attributed to strong results from companies over the past three years [7]. Group 3: Strategic Outlook - CEO Papadopoulo indicated that the firm is adjusting its writings to target profitability by region, maintaining a positive outlook on the cat business written at 1.1 [5][6]. - The firm aims to leverage its diversified platform to find new opportunities despite the pressure on margins [9]. Group 4: Future Expectations - The CEO noted that the supply of reinsurance is expected to remain high, particularly in light of the absence of major catastrophes aside from the California wildfires [8]. - There is a belief that rates in the casualty sector could continue to meet mid-trend levels for the foreseeable future, despite some unfavorable developments expected from prior years [11].