Finance
Zurich Insurance beats operating profit expectations led by P&C arm
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on February 19, 2026
2 min readLast updated: February 19, 2026
Tags:insurance
Quick Summary
Zurich Insurance beat expectations for full-year operating profit, led by stronger P&C performance. It reported $8.86B versus a $8.76B analyst median estimate, per a company poll.
By Tristan Veyet
Feb 19 (Reuters) - Zurich Insurance beat market expectations for annual operating earnings on Thursday, fuelled by a better-than-expected performance in its property and casualty business, responsible for more than half of its gains.
Europe's second-largest insurer by market capitalisation reported an operating profit of $8.86 billion across its businesses, above analysts' median estimate of $8.76 billion, according to a company-provided poll.
The property and casualty unit, Zurich's core business that led the broad-based consensus beat, reported an operating profit of $5.13 billion, benefitting from higher insurance revenue and an improved combined ratio of 92.6%.
Its other main branches, life insurance and farmers' divisions, also reported respective operating profits 0.6% and 1.4% above analysts' expectations.
The Swiss insurer is on track to achieve or even exceed its 2027 targets, CEO Mario Greco said in a statement. It said in 2024 it was aiming for a core return on equity of more than 23% between 2025 and 2027 and for cumulative cash generation exceeding $19 billion in the same period.
Zurich Insurance said it would propose a dividend of 30 Swiss francs ($39) per share, in line with analysts' expectations.
($1 = 0.7728 Swiss francs)
(Reporting by Tristan Veyet in Gdansk, editing by Milla Nissi-Prussak.)
Key Takeaways
- •Zurich Insurance reported full-year operating profit above market expectations.
- •Performance was driven by a stronger-than-expected P&C (property and casualty) business.
- •Operating profit totaled $8.86 billion versus a $8.76 billion analyst median estimate.
- •Consensus figures were based on a company-provided poll of analysts.
- •Results were reported by Reuters on Thursday, Feb 19.
Frequently Asked Questions about Zurich Insurance beats operating profit expectations led by P&C arm
1What is the main topic?
Zurich Insurance reported a full-year operating profit that beat market expectations, supported by a stronger-than-anticipated performance in its property and casualty segment.
2How much was the operating profit and the estimate?
Operating profit reached $8.86 billion, topping analysts’ median estimate of $8.76 billion based on a company-provided poll.
3When were the results reported and what drove the beat?
The results were reported on Thursday, February 19, 2026, and the beat was driven primarily by the property and casualty business.
