Brit has disclosed that its insurance premiums written increased by 4.4% to $1.77 billion in the first half of 2026, with growth predominantly driven by Brit Re, reflecting the continued expansion of the group’s third-party reinsurance platform.
As a reminder, in January, Brit Re commenced writing Property D&F, writing US and Global Property D&F with a focus on US-based complex risks.
According to Brit, its third-party reinsurance platform is contributing meaningfully to headline growth, with third-party written premiums growing by 69.8% to $150.6 million in H1 2026.
This was largely driven by growth in the Casualty Treaty portfolio.
Martin Thompson, Group CEO of Brit, commented, “As our Brit Re strategy enters its second full year of deployment, the company continues to gain momentum.
“Combined with the breadth of business we underwrite through Syndicates 2987 and 2988, and our deep distribution relationships, we are well placed to respond to where we see opportunities in the market while maintaining a relentless focus on cycle management.”
Group-wide, Brit reported higher H1 2026 earnings and an improved underwriting performance, with profit before tax rising to $326.8 million.
The firm’s pre-tax profit in H1 2026 increased from $307.7 million in the prior-year period, while its undiscounted combined ratio improved to 89.5% from 95.2%.
On a discounted basis, the combined ratio strengthened to 83.9% in H1 2026, compared with 87.4% a year earlier.
Meanwhile, insurance premiums written rose 4.4% to $1.77 billion in H1 2026, up from $1.69 billion at the end of June 2025.
At the same time, Brit’s investment returns moderated in H1 2026, with the non-annualised return on invested assets declining to 3.2% from 4.7% in the prior-year period.
The firm also reported a stronger capital position, with its capital ratio increasing to 197.9% at 30 June 2026, compared with 175.2% at the end of 2025.
Thompson continued, “We remain focused on our four strategic pillars: Focus; Capability; Simplification; and Culture. During the period, we continued to invest in underwriting capabilities through the development of our common underwriting platform and associated tooling.
“We also continued to embed AI and automation across the business, simplifying processes, improving efficiency and ensuring a sustainable cost base as market conditions evolve. Looking ahead to the second half of 2026, we remain mindful of continued market softening and increasing competition.
“In this environment, underwriting discipline and effective portfolio management become increasingly important. These are core strengths of Brit and, through enhanced segmentation, we are taking an increasingly selective approach to portfolio construction, directing capital to those areas where we see the most attractive risk-adjusted returns. I am confident that we are well placed for the second half of 2026 and beyond.”
