The most-read insurance articles on S&P Global Market Intelligence during 2018 included projections for the U.S. P&C industry and the backlash against a working-hours drinking ban at Lloyd's of London.

Auto insurance is the source of near-term growth, longer-term questions

The same business line that may face existential questions over the long term due to technological innovations and societal evolution will continue to serve as the source of some of the U.S. property and casualty industry's strongest top-line growth in the near term.

US P&C industry to post small underwriting profit in 2018 as auto losses retreat

A relatively easy comparison due to heavy losses sustained from natural catastrophes in 2017 looked to set the U.S. property and casualty industry on a path for substantial improvement in underwriting results in 2018, according to this survey from June. But any margin for error the industry had was eroded after Hurricane Michael ripped through the Florida Panhandle and Georgia in early October.

Historic California wildfire leads to sudden collapse of seemingly solid insurer

The devastating Northern California Camp Fire in November pushed tiny Merced P&C into liquidation, with fire-related losses and loss adjustment expenses consuming its surplus as regards policyholders several times over.

Insurtech company tops list of fastest-growing US insurers

It seems fitting that a year full of speculation about how insurtech startups might revolutionize the insurance business culminated with a company that employs a novel, data-driven approach to underwriting and pricing auto coverage ranking as the property and casualty industry's fastest-growing carrier in 2017.

Drinking ban uproar showed Lloyd's exists in 'bubble,' says outgoing CEO

The backlash against a working-hours drinking ban at Lloyd's of London highlighted that the 330-year-old insurance market is living in a "bubble," according to outgoing Lloyd's CEO Inga Beale.