The end of the earnings season is always a good time to take a step back and see who shined (and who didn’t). Let’s take a look at how property & casualty insurance stocks fared in Q1, starting with Kinsale Capital Group (NYSE: KNSL).

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 32 property & casualty insurance stocks we track reported a mixed Q1. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 2.2%.

While some property & casualty insurance stocks have fared somewhat better than others, they have collectively declined. On average, share prices are down 4.9% since the latest earnings results.

Kinsale Capital Group (NYSE: KNSL)

Founded in 2009 during the aftermath of the financial crisis when many insurers were retreating from riskier markets, Kinsale Capital Group (NYSE: KNSL) is an insurance company that specializes in writing policies for hard-to-place, unusual, or high-risk businesses that standard insurers typically avoid.

Kinsale Capital Group reported revenues of $466.7 million, up 10.2% year on year. This print fell short of analysts’ expectations by 1%. Overall, it was a slower quarter for the company with a significant miss of analysts’ book value per share and revenue estimates.

Unsurprisingly, the stock is down 16.5% since reporting and currently trades at $290.49.

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

Best Q1: Mercury General (NYSE: MCY)

Founded in 1961 and maintaining a network of over 6,300 independent agents across the country, Mercury General (NYSE: MCY) is an insurance company that primarily sells automobile insurance policies through independent agents in 11 states, with a strong focus on California.

Mercury General reported revenues of $1.54 billion, up 10.5% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 5.4%. The business had an incredible quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS and net premiums earned estimates.

However, the results were likely priced into the stock as it’s traded sideways since reporting. Shares currently sit at $96.76.

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

Weakest Q1: Fidelity National Financial (NYSE: FNF)

Issuing more title insurance policies than any other company in the United States, Fidelity National Financial (NYSE: FNF) provides title insurance and escrow services for real estate transactions while also offering annuities and life insurance through its F&G subsidiary.

Fidelity National Financial reported revenues of $3.23 billion, up 18.2% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 10.7%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ revenue and EPS estimates.

Fidelity National Financial delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates in the group. As expected, the stock is down 11.4% since the results and currently trades at $45.43.

Read our full analysis of Fidelity National Financial’s results here.

NMI Holdings (NASDAQ: NMIH)

Founded in the aftermath of the 2008 housing crisis to bring new capacity to the mortgage insurance market, NMI Holdings (NASDAQ: NMIH) provides mortgage insurance that protects lenders against losses when homebuyers default on their mortgage loans.

NMI Holdings reported revenues of $183.5 million, up 5.9% year on year. This result was in line with analysts’ expectations. Zooming out, it was a mixed quarter as it also logged revenue in line with analysts’ estimates but a narrow beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.

The stock is down 8% since reporting and currently trades at $35.60.

Read our full, actionable report on NMI Holdings here, it’s free.

Employers Holdings (NYSE: EIG)

With roots in Nevada and a strong concentration in California where 45% of its premiums are generated, Employers Holdings (NYSE: EIG) is a specialty provider of workers' compensation insurance focused on small and select businesses engaged in low-to-medium hazard industries across the United States.

Employers Holdings reported revenues of $207.6 million, up 2.5% year on year. This number lagged analysts’ expectations by 1.9%. It was a softer quarter as it also recorded a significant miss of analysts’ net premiums earned and book value per share estimates.

The stock is up 2.5% since reporting and currently trades at $43.86.

Read our full, actionable report on Employers Holdings 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.

Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our Top 5 Quality Compounder Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.