Property-casualty insurer Travelers Cos. on Tuesday said its third-quarter profits fell 44 percent as claims and expenses outpaced premiums.
For the three month period ended Sept. 30, the New York-based insurer, which has a major presence in downtown Hartford, posted net income of $396 million, or $1.50 a diluted share, down 44 percent from $709 million recorded in the year-ago period.
Travelers fell short of Zacks Investment Research’s consensus earnings estimate by nearly 40 percent.
The profit dip was driven mainly by underwriting losses, which included an additional $220 million set-aside for asbestos claims, and to a smaller extent by lower investment income.
Travelers cited “an increasingly challenging tort environment” and higher non-catastrophe weather-related losses, but said it was pleased with record net written premiums, which rose 7 percent to $7.57 billion.
Travelers’ pre-market shares, as of about 11 a.m., were being traded at $132.50, down from $141.36 on Monday, according to Nasdaq.
