Fairfax’s V. Prem Watsa “very excited” about days to come for insurance
Underwriting at 30 year high, says ‘Canada’s Warren Buffet’
INSURANCE NEWS
By Libby MacDonald
Mar 16, 2016
Despite his signature bearish outlook, V. Prem Watsa, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Fairfax Financial Holdings, told shareholders in his annual letter released Friday: “Fairfax had another excellent year in 2015.”

Watsa wrote in the letter of the year’s underwriting results, which “were the best in our 30-year history.” The year saw “record underwriting profit of $705 million and a record low combined ratio of 89.9%. We earned $568 million after tax ($23.15 per share) in 2015, thereby increasing common shareholders’ equity from $8.4 billion at December 31, 2014 to $9.0 billion.”

Among the best performing insurance companies were OdysseyRe with underwriting profit of $337 million and a combined ratio of 84.7%; and Zenith, with underwriting profit of $134 million and a combined ratio of 82.5%.

“As you can see from the table, all our major insurance companies again had combined ratios less than 100% with Zenith at 82.5%, OdysseyRe at 84.7%, Fairfax Asia at 87.9%, Northbridge at 91.8%, Brit (which we acquired on June 5, 2015) at 94.9% and Crum & Forster at 97.7%.”

“We now have an extremely disciplined underwriting-focused insurance organization operating all over the world with a very entrepreneurial (i.e., decentralized) structure. I am very excited about the future of our insurance and reinsurance operations!”
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