Looking back on property & casualty insurance stocks’ Q4 earnings, we examine this quarter’s best and worst performers, including Root (NASDAQ: ROOT) and its peers.

Property & Casualty (P&C) insurers protect individuals and businesses against financial loss from damage to property or from legal liability. This is a cyclical industry, and the sector benefits when there is 'hard market', characterized by strong premium rate increases that outpace loss and cost inflation, resulting in robust underwriting margins. The opposite is true in a 'soft market'. Interest rates also matter, as they determine the yields earned on fixed-income portfolios. On the other hand, P&C insurers face a major secular headwind from the increasing frequency and severity of catastrophe losses due to climate change. Furthermore, the liability side of the business is pressured by 'social inflation'—the trend of rising litigation costs and larger jury awards.

The 33 property & casualty insurance stocks we track reported a strong Q4. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 2.9%.

Amidst this news, share prices of the companies have had a rough stretch. On average, they are down 8% since the latest earnings results.

Root (NASDAQ: ROOT)

Pioneering a data-driven approach that rewards good driving habits, Root (NASDAQ: ROOT) is a technology-driven auto insurance company that uses mobile apps to acquire customers and data science to price policies based on individual driving behavior.

Root reported revenues of $397 million, up 21.5% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 3.3%. Overall, it was an incredible quarter for the company with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ net premiums earned estimates.

Unsurprisingly, the stock is down 26.5% since reporting and currently trades at $44.87.

Is now the time to buy Root? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Best Q4: First American Financial (NYSE: FAF)

Tracing its roots back to 1889 when California was experiencing its first major real estate boom, First American Financial (NYSE: FAF) provides title insurance, settlement services, and risk solutions for residential and commercial real estate transactions across the United States and internationally.

First American Financial reported revenues of $2.05 billion, up 21.6% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 15.2%. The business had an incredible quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ revenue estimates.

Although it had a fine quarter compared its peers, the market seems unhappy with the results as the stock is down 9% since reporting. It currently trades at $58.55.

Is now the time to buy First American Financial? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Weakest Q4: Old Republic International (NYSE: ORI)

Founded during the Roaring Twenties in 1923 and weathering nearly a century of economic cycles, Old Republic International (NYSE: ORI) is a diversified insurance holding company that provides property, liability, title, and mortgage guaranty insurance through its various subsidiaries.

Old Republic International reported revenues of $2.36 billion, up 9.5% year on year, exceeding analysts’ expectations by 1.6%. Still, it was a softer quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates and a significant miss of analysts’ book value per share estimates.

As expected, the stock is down 11.3% since the results and currently trades at $38.27.

Read our full analysis of Old Republic International’s results here.

CNA Financial (NYSE: CNA)

With roots dating back to 1853 and majority ownership by Loews Corporation, CNA Financial (NYSE: CNA) is a commercial property and casualty insurance provider offering coverage for businesses, including professional liability, surety bonds, and specialized risk management services.

CNA Financial reported revenues of $3.85 billion, up 3.2% year on year. This print topped analysts’ expectations by 0.6%. More broadly, it was a softer quarter as it produced a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.

The stock is down 9.4% since reporting and currently trades at $45.13.

Read our full, actionable report on CNA Financial here, it’s free.

Stewart Information Services (NYSE: STC)

Founded in 1893 during America's westward expansion when property records were often disputed, Stewart Information Services (NYSE: STC) provides title insurance and real estate services, helping homebuyers, sellers, and lenders verify property ownership and protect against title defects.

Stewart Information Services reported revenues of $795.5 million, up 19.7% year on year. This result beat analysts’ expectations by 2.6%. Overall, it was a stunning quarter as it also put up a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ revenue estimates.

The stock is down 12.4% since reporting and currently trades at $60.30.

Read our full, actionable report on Stewart Information Services here, it’s free.

Market Update

Late in 2025 into early 2026, there was hand wringing around artificial intelligence. For software companies, the fear was that AI would erode pricing power and compress margins as new tools made it easier to replicate what once required expensive enterprise platforms. Crypto investors had their own version of the same anxiety: if AI agents could trade, allocate capital, and manage wallets autonomously, what exactly was the long-term value of today’s crypto infrastructure?

These concerns triggered a noticeable rotation away from these sectors and into safer havens. But markets rarely dwell on one narrative for long. Spring 2026 came, and the focus shifted abruptly from technological disruption to geopolitical risk. The US’ conflict with Iran became the dominant driver of market psychology, and when geopolitics takes center stage, the script changes quickly. Investors stop debating growth rates and start worrying about oil supply, inflation, and global stability.

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