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Arch Capital Group Ltd.: Q1 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q1 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 28 April 2026: press release. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Net income reached $2.88 per share: Net income to common shareholders was $1.0 billion, or $2.88 diluted per share, against $564 million or $1.48 a year earlier. Annualized return on average common equity was 17.8%, against 11.1%. Source
  • Operating earnings reached $2.50 per share: After-tax operating income to common shareholders was $901 million, or $2.50 per share, against $587 million or $1.54. Operating return on average common equity was 15.4%, against 11.5%. Source
  • Underwriting income up on lower combined ratio: Underwriting income was $728 million, up 74.6% from $417 million. The combined ratio was 81.7%, against 90.1%. Excluding catastrophe losses and prior-year development it was 82.3%, against 81.0%. Source
  • Insurance combined ratio fell, underlying rose: Combined ratio was 96.5%, against 100.1%. Excluding catastrophe losses and prior-year development it was 92.7%, against 91.1%, a rise of 1.6 points. Source
  • Reinsurance underwriting income more than doubled: Underwriting income was $441 million, against $167 million. Combined ratio was 75.9%, against 91.8%, with the loss ratio at 51.7%, against 66.9%. Source
  • Catastrophe losses of $174 million net: Pre-tax current accident year catastrophe losses for insurance and reinsurance, net of reinsurance and reinstatement premiums, were $174 million. Management attributed the prior-year quarter's catastrophe activity mainly to California wildfires. Source
  • Favorable prior-year reserve development of $200 million: Favorable development in prior-year loss reserves, net of related adjustments, was $200 million. Segment results show favorable development in insurance, reinsurance and mortgage. Source
  • Buybacks of $783 million; book value up: Share repurchases were $783 million, against $798 million in the fourth quarter. Book value per common share was $66.19 at March 31, 2026, up 1.7% from December 31, 2025. Source

“We started the year on an excellent note, delivering an annualized operating return on average common equity of 15.4%, which reflects our disciplined approach to underwriting and capital allocation,”

Arch CEO Nicolas Papadopoulo

Headline results and returns

  • Net income reached $2.88 per share: Net income to common shareholders was $1.0 billion, or $2.88 diluted per share, against $564 million or $1.48 a year earlier. Annualized return on average common equity was 17.8%, against 11.1%. Source
  • Operating earnings reached $2.50 per share: After-tax operating income to common shareholders was $901 million, or $2.50 per share, against $587 million or $1.54. Operating return on average common equity was 15.4%, against 11.5%. Source
  • Underwriting income up on lower combined ratio: Underwriting income was $728 million, up 74.6% from $417 million. The combined ratio was 81.7%, against 90.1%. Excluding catastrophe losses and prior-year development it was 82.3%, against 81.0%. Source
  • Premiums written and earned declined: Gross premiums written were $6,425 million, down 0.6%. Net premiums written fell 3.7% to $4,348 million, and net premiums earned fell 4.8% to $3,986 million. Source

Insurance segment

  • Insurance gross written up, net down: Insurance gross written rose 2.0% to $2,697 million, while net written fell 1.4% to $1,906 million. Excluding non-renewed MCE programs, net written rose 1.1%. Underwriting income was $66 million, against a $2 million loss. Source
  • Insurance combined ratio fell, underlying rose: Combined ratio was 96.5%, against 100.1%. Excluding catastrophe losses and prior-year development it was 92.7%, against 91.1%, a rise of 1.6 points. Source
  • Insurance prior-year releases were smaller: Favorable prior-year development reduced the insurance loss ratio by 0.7 points, against 0.9 points. The rest of the loss ratio change came partly from business mix. Source

“continue to differentiate Arch and position us to generate best-in-class returns through the cycle.”

Arch CEO Nicolas Papadopoulo

Reinsurance segment

  • Reinsurance underwriting income more than doubled: Underwriting income was $441 million, against $167 million. Combined ratio was 75.9%, against 91.8%, with the loss ratio at 51.7%, against 66.9%. Source
  • Reinsurance premiums fell on lower property cat: Gross written fell 2.3% to $3,414 million, and net written fell 6.0% to $2,176 million. Net earned fell 9.7%. Lower reinstatement premiums also reduced net written against wildfire reinstatements in the prior-year quarter. Source
  • Reinsurance reserve releases were larger: Favorable prior-year development reduced the reinsurance loss ratio by 8.3 points, against 5.9. Combined ratio excluding catastrophe and prior-year development was 78.1%, against 78.0%. Source

Mortgage segment

  • Mortgage premiums flat, reserve releases large: Gross written fell 3.1% to $316 million. Net written was flat at $266 million, reflecting lower cessions on U.S. primary business. Favorable prior-year development reduced the loss ratio by 19.2 points, against 20.4. Source
  • Mortgage combined ratio rose to 22.3%: Combined ratio was 22.3%, against 16.1%, and underwriting income was $221 million, against $252 million. Loss ratio rose from 1.1% to 5.3%, with delinquencies modestly higher. Source
  • Mortgage expense ratio rose on acquisition costs: Underwriting expense ratio was 17.0%, against 15.0%, from higher gross acquisition expenses and lower ceding and profit commissions. Lower net premiums earned also affected the ratio. Source

Catastrophe losses and reserve releases

  • Catastrophe losses of $174 million net: Pre-tax current accident year catastrophe losses for insurance and reinsurance, net of reinsurance and reinstatement premiums, were $174 million. Management attributed the prior-year quarter's catastrophe activity mainly to California wildfires. Source
  • Favorable prior-year reserve development of $200 million: Favorable development in prior-year loss reserves, net of related adjustments, was $200 million. Segment results show favorable development in insurance, reinsurance and mortgage. Source
  • Insurance catastrophe loss ratio impact fell: Current-year catastrophe losses were 4.2 points of the insurance loss ratio, against 9.5 points a year earlier. Management attributed the 2025 figure primarily to California wildfires. Source
  • Reinsurance catastrophe losses fell sharply: Current-year catastrophe losses were 5.4 points of the reinsurance loss ratio, against 21.7 points. The segment table shows 5.2% against 18.3% on a net-of-reinsurance basis. Source

Underwriting expenses and costs

  • Insurance expense ratio rose on compensation: Insurance underwriting expense ratio was 36.3%, against 34.1%. The prior-year quarter had an MCE acquisition effect that lowered the ratio by about 1.9 points. Source
  • Reinsurance expense ratio eased slightly: Reinsurance underwriting expense ratio was 24.2%, against 24.9%. The 2025 quarter had lower contingent commissions on ceded business, mainly due to the California wildfires. Source
  • Corporate expenses and amortization fell: Corporate expenses were $31 million, against $50 million, reflecting Bermuda qualified refundable tax credits. Amortization of intangibles was $30 million, against $49 million. Source

Investment income and other items

  • Net investment income rose to $408 million: Pre-tax net investment income was $408 million, against $378 million, or $1.13 per share. Yield at amortized cost was 3.99%, against 4.16%. Total return on investments was 0.10%, against 2.02%. Source
  • Net realized losses reached $87 million: Net realized losses were $87 million, against $3 million of gains, mainly from market movements on derivatives, equity securities and fair value option investments. Equity-method income was $160 million, against $53 million. Source
  • Operating affiliates income increased: Income from operating affiliates was $36 million, or $0.10 per share, against $17 million, or $0.04. It mainly relates to Somers Group Holdings Ltd. and Coface SA. Source
  • Tax rate fell on Bermuda and UK changes: Effective tax rate on pre-tax income was 8.6%, against 17.4%. The rate on pre-tax operating income was 14.8%, against 11.7%. Source
  • Currency revaluation gain of $21 million: Net foreign exchange gains were $21 million, against losses of $27 million a year earlier. Both amounts were primarily unrealized, from revaluing foreign-currency insurance liabilities. Source

Capital, buybacks and book value

  • Buybacks of $783 million; book value up: Share repurchases were $783 million, against $798 million in the fourth quarter. Book value per common share was $66.19 at March 31, 2026, up 1.7% from December 31, 2025. Source
  • Common equity held near year-end level: Ending common shareholders' equity was $23,358 million, against $23,376 million at December 31, 2025. Average common equity was $23,367 million. Source
  • Capital of about $26.9 billion: The company reported approximately $26.9 billion in capital at March 31, 2026, in its company description. Source
  • Diluted share count down year on year: Weighted average diluted shares were 359.7 million, against 381.9 million a year earlier. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Combined ratio Source81.7%
Net premiums written Source$4,348 million
Prior-year reserve development Source$200 million favorable
Catastrophe losses Source$174 million
Investment income Source$408 million
Book value per share Source$66.19 at March 31, 2026

Risks management discussed

  • Financial: Mortgage loss ratio reflected modestly higher delinquencies than a year earlier. Source
  • Operational: Insurance expenses rose on higher compensation and transitional costs tied to the MCE Acquisition. Source
  • Regulatory: Management noted the effective tax rate can move with jurisdictional income mix and catastrophe activity. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.