The gross premiums written by the German insurer TALANX increased by 10% in 1H2013 compared with the previous year, up to EUR 14.97 billion, while net premiums earned increased by 12% y-o-y to EUR 11.49 billion. At the same time, the TALANX Group closed the first six months of 2013 with an operating profit of EUR 1 billion - up 19% y-o-y, the group net income grew by 15% to EUR 407 million, while the combined ratio improved to 96%.

The Slovenian TRIGLAV Group ended the first half of 2013 with a net profit of EUR 45.6 million, 10% up as compared with 1H2012, the parent company Zavarovalnica TRIGLAV contributing to this result with a share of EUR 37.5 million (50% up y-o-y). With the approval of the interim results, the Group's Supervisory Board gave the green light to Zavarovalnica TRIGLAV's participation in the process of selling off CROATIA Osiguranje.

Swiss ZURICH Insurance Group posted a 1H2013 business operating profit (BOP) of USD 2.29 billion, 9% less than last year's USD 2.51 billion, while its net income attributable to shareholders (NIAS) fell to USD 1.85 billion, from USD 2.27 billion in 1H2012. At the same time, the combined ratio was 95.6%, representing an increase of 0.7% compared with the prior year.

"Our results - the net profit and the amount of premiums collected - showed that the strategy of focusing on the business profitability and the high cost discipline are delivering the expected results," stated Andrzej KLESYK, CEO, PZU on the occasion of the Polish Group's 1H2013 results presentation. Thus, the net consolidated profit amounted to EUR 387 million while collected premiums grew by 3% y-o-y, to about EUR 1.73 billion, whereas the net income of the Group decreased by about 2.4% y-o-y. Return on equity, despite a decline of 2.5pp, remained at a high level of 24.3%.

With an operating result increase of 9.5% y-o-y in 1H2013, to EUR 330.7 million, VIENNA Insurance Group showed a "continuing sound performance", proving the Group's ability to cope with difficult market conditions, as Peter HAGEN, Chairman of the Managing Board and CEO of VIENNA Insurance Group recently stated. VIG's profit before tax amounted to EUR 205.7 million (-31.9%) due to precautions and impairments, while the Austrian group reported premiums of more than EUR 5 billion. Despite precautions and severe weather claims, the combined ratio remained below 100%.

Up to the August 31st official deadline, seven bidders have announced their intention to participate in the process of the top Croatian insurer sale. According to the local financial journal Poslovni Dnevnik, among the bidders there are the domestic financial group ADRIS, the American group AIG, the Austrian Vienna Insurance Group, the German ERGO, the Polish PZU as well as the Slovenian group TRIGLAV. The deadline for submission of non-binding offers is September 20th, 2013. Yet, the decision to sell CROATIA Osiguranje (CO) itself, as well as the figures which already circulated about this topic, has raised lively discussions in Croatia.

The French insurer AXA reported total revenues of EUR 50 billion for the financial period January-June 2013, up 4% y-o-y, while the net income was stable at EUR 2.5 billion, decreasing by one percent. Adjusted earnings were up by 26% to EUR 3 billion, mainly driven by "higher underlying earnings and higher realized capital gains, including EUR 151 million from the sale of a 2.4% equity stake in BNP Paribas", according to the Activity Indicators published by the French group.

For the second quarter of 2013, risk and insurance brokerage service provider AON reported total revenues of USD 2.9 billion, 3% more y-o-y, while the operating income decreased 3% to USD 382 million as compared to USD 394 million for the same period in 2012.

HANNOVER Re has reported net income of EUR 407.7 million for the first half of 2013, representing a slight increase of 0.6% y-o-y. "The modest rise in group's net income to EUR 408 million was driven mainly by an 85% increase in the underwriting profit for non-life reinsurance", Chief Executive Officer Ulrich WALLIN explained. "This more than made up for the reduced profitability in life and health reinsurance and somewhat lower investment income."

MUNICH Re - the world's biggest reinsurer posted a 35% drop in second-quarter IFRS consolidated profit attributable to equity holders to EUR 529 million, from EUR 808 million in the same period last year: "Performance in primary insurance and reinsurance was good as a whole, although the second quarter was marked by claims burdens of EUR 230m from the floods in Germany and neighboring countries and by above-average major losses. In the first half-year, the group achieved a profit of EUR 1.5 billion", MUNICH Re officials said.

MARSH & McLENNAN Companies (MMC) reported a USD 388 million net profit for Q2 2013, up 18% from the USD 329 million level the group reported a year earlier. For the six months ended June 30, 2012, the company posted a profit of USD 801 million, compared with USD 676 million in 1H2012. Consolidated revenue in the second quarter of 2013 totaled USD 3.1 billion 3% more y-o-y (respectively USD 6.2 billion in 1H2013), while the operating income increased 12% to USD 577 million vs. USD 518 million in Q2 2012.

SWISS Re reported that its net income increased more than nine-fold for the second quarter of 2013 to USD 786 billion, despite what the report described as a "period that saw high levels of natural catastrophes." Net income in Q2 2012 was USD 83 million, impacted by a net loss of USD 916 million of the ADMIN Re business. Premiums earned and fee income increased by 11%, to USD 6.80 billion, while the Group's combined ratio was 100.1%, compared to 85.7% in Q2 2012.

In challenging economic and market conditions, Achmea posted a net profit of EUR 123 million over the first half of 2013.

ING Groep NV, the Dutch banking and insurance group, says net profit was 39 percent lower in the second quarter from the same period a year ago, on losses incurred on a U.S. retirement product and on discontinued operations, and because it booked large one-time gains in 2012 on its pension plans.

KBC ended the second quarter of 2013 with a net profit of 517 million euros, compared with a net profit of 520 million euros in the previous quarter and a loss of 539 million euros a year earlier. For the first six months of the year, therefore, net profit has come in at 1 037 million euros as opposed to a net loss of 160 million euros in the first half of last year.

Aegon's underlying earnings before tax increased 5% to EUR 478 million compared to the second quarter of 2012. Business growth and the positive effects of favorable equity markets more than offset the loss of earnings due to the sale of Prisma in the fourth quarter of 2012 and the company's interests in partnerships in Spain (EUR 11 million), as well as the impact of unfavorable currency exchange rates (EUR 12 million).

British insurance group Aviva unveiled a 5 percent rise in operating profit that beat market forecasts, with rising sales, lower costs and healing finances vindicating a group-wide shake-up.

For the first six months of the current year, the value of gross written premiums of Bulgarian insurance group EUROINS (member of EUROHOLD) - recorded a 12.9% growth, reaching EUR 84.4 million compared with EUR 74.8 million for January-June 2012, according to preliminary data published by the group.

The French reinsurer SCOR posted net income of EUR 189 million during the January-June 2013, as compared with EUR 206 million in the first half 2012, while the reinsurance group's gross premium written increased 7.5% to EUR 4.98 billion.

The French insurer GROUPAMA reported for 1H2013, a positive net result of EUR 187 million, compared with EUR -589 million at the end of 2012, or with EUR -87 million at 30 June 2012. "GROUPAMA returns to profitability after two difficult fiscal periods. Everyone's dedication and commitment are hence rewarded. Our strategy ensuring our policyholders' satisfaction is actually driving the group into a new dynamism", stated GROUPAMA's CEO Thierry MARTEL.