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 Q1. Today, we are looking at property & casualty insurance stocks, starting with HCI Group (NYSE: HCI).
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 32 property & casualty insurance stocks we track reported a mixed Q1. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 1.9%.
Thankfully, share prices of the companies have been resilient as they are up 7.5% on average since the latest earnings results.
HCI Group (NYSE: HCI)
Starting as a Florida "take-out" insurer that assumed policies from the state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, HCI Group (NYSE: HCI) provides property and casualty insurance, primarily homeowners coverage, while leveraging proprietary technology to improve underwriting and claims processing.
HCI Group reported revenues of $242.9 million, up 12.2% year on year. This print fell short of analysts’ expectations by 1.1%, but it was still a strong quarter for the company with a solid beat of analysts’ book value per share estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ net premiums earned estimates.
Management Commentary“HCI Group had an excellent start to 2026, delivering record first quarter results for earned premiums, net income and earnings per share,” said HCI Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Paresh Patel.
Interestingly, the stock is up 17.1% since reporting and currently trades at $180.19.
Best Q1: 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 $781.3 million, up 27.7% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 4.6%. The business had an incredible quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.
However, the results were likely priced into the stock as it’s traded sideways since reporting. Shares currently sit at $68.68.
Is now the time to buy Stewart Information Services? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.
Weakest Q1: Fidelity National Financial (NYSE: FNF)
Issuing more title insurance policies than any other company in the United States, Fidelity National Financial (NYSE: FNF) provides title insurance and escrow services for real estate transactions while also offering annuities and life insurance through its F&G subsidiary.
Fidelity National Financial reported revenues of $3.23 billion, up 18.2% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 10.7%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.
Fidelity National Financial delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates in the group. As expected, the stock is down 7.8% since the results and currently trades at $47.29.
Read our full analysis of Fidelity National Financial’s results here.
Mercury General (NYSE: MCY)
Founded in 1961 and maintaining a network of over 6,300 independent agents across the country, Mercury General (NYSE: MCY) is an insurance company that primarily sells automobile insurance policies through independent agents in 11 states, with a strong focus on California.
Mercury General reported revenues of $1.54 billion, up 10.5% year on year. This result beat analysts’ expectations by 5.4%. Overall, it was an incredible quarter as it also recorded a beat of analysts’ EPS and net premiums earned estimates.
The stock is up 10.1% since reporting and currently trades at $107.25.
Read our full, actionable report on Mercury General here, it’s free.
Bowhead Specialty (NYSE: BOW)
Named after the Arctic bowhead whale known for navigating challenging waters, Bowhead Specialty Holdings (NYSE: BOW) is a specialty insurance company that provides customized coverage for complex and high-risk commercial sectors.
Bowhead Specialty reported revenues of $155.7 million, up 26.9% year on year. This number topped analysts’ expectations by 5.5%. It was an incredible quarter as it also put up a solid beat of analysts’ net premiums earned estimates and a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.
The stock is up 28.1% since reporting and currently trades at $29.82.
Read our full, actionable report on Bowhead Specialty here, it’s free.
Market Update
Late in 2025 into early 2026, there was hand-wringing around artificial intelligence. For software companies, the fear was that AI would erode pricing power and compress margins as new tools made it easier to replicate what once required expensive enterprise platforms. Crypto investors had their own version of the same anxiety: if AI agents could trade, allocate capital, and manage wallets autonomously, what exactly was the long-term value of today’s crypto infrastructure?
These concerns triggered a noticeable rotation away from these sectors and into safer havens. But markets rarely dwell on one narrative for long. Spring 2026 came, and the focus shifted abruptly from technological disruption to geopolitical risk. The US’ conflict with Iran became the dominant driver of market psychology, and when geopolitics takes center stage, the script changes quickly. Investors stop debating growth rates and start worrying about oil supply, inflation, and global stability.
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.
