10-KPeriod: FY2010

Chubb Ltd Annual Report, Year Ended Dec 31, 2010

Filed February 25, 2011For Securities:CB

Summary

Chubb Ltd.'s 2010 10-K report highlights a financially robust global insurance and reinsurance organization with total assets of $83 billion and shareholders' equity of $23 billion as of December 31, 2010. The company demonstrated steady growth in net premiums earned, reaching $13.5 billion in 2010, supported by strategic acquisitions including Rain and Hail Insurance Service, Inc. and Jerneh Insurance Berhad, which expanded its product offerings and geographic reach. Operationally, Chubb reported a combined ratio of 90.2% for 2010, indicating profitable underwriting operations. While facing competitive market conditions, particularly in North America and London wholesale markets, the company maintained underwriting discipline. Management's discussion emphasizes a focus on risk management, investment strategy geared towards maximizing total return while ensuring liquidity and quality, and a disciplined approach to loss reserves. The company's financial strength and diversification across multiple segments and geographies provided stability amidst global market volatility.

Financial Statements
Beta
Revenue$16.01B
Interest Expense$224.00M
Net Income$3.08B
EPS (Basic)$9.08
EPS (Diluted)$9.04
Shares Outstanding (Basic)339.69M
Shares Outstanding (Diluted)341.25M

Key Highlights

  • 1Total assets reached $83 billion and shareholders' equity stood at $23 billion as of December 31, 2010.
  • 2Net premiums earned grew to $13.5 billion in 2010, with key contributions from strategic acquisitions like Rain and Hail and Jerneh Insurance Berhad.
  • 3The company reported a combined ratio of 90.2% for 2010, indicating profitable underwriting operations.
  • 4Chubb operates across four main segments: Insurance – North American, Insurance – Overseas General, Global Reinsurance, and Life, demonstrating significant geographic and product diversification.
  • 5The company maintains a strong focus on risk management, including sophisticated catastrophe modeling and a disciplined approach to loss reserving, with net loss reserves of $25.2 billion at year-end 2010.
  • 6Investments are primarily in investment-grade fixed-income securities, managed with an objective to maximize investment income and total return while ensuring liquidity and quality.
  • 7The company repurchased approximately 4.9 million shares in December 2010 under a $600 million authorization, reflecting capital management strategies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Chubb operated through four main segments: Insurance – North American (42% of net premiums earned), Insurance – Overseas General (39%), Global Reinsurance (8%), and Life (11%). This diversified structure allowed the company to serve a broad range of customers globally.

Chubb emphasized quality underwriting and risk management, utilizing actuarial expertise and catastrophe modeling. Its underwriting performance was reflected in a combined ratio of 90.2% for 2010, indicating that for every dollar of premium earned, the company incurred $0.90 in losses and expenses, resulting in an underwriting profit.

During 2010, Chubb made significant acquisitions, including acquiring the remaining outstanding common stock of Rain and Hail Insurance Service, Inc. for approximately $1.1 billion, and acquiring Jerneh Insurance Berhad in Malaysia for approximately $218 million. Additionally, the company signed an agreement to acquire New York Life's Hong Kong and Korea life insurance operations, with the Korea portion closing in February 2011.

Chubb's investment portfolio was primarily invested in investment-grade fixed-income securities. The company generated $2.07 billion in net investment income for 2010, with a return on average invested assets of 4.3%. The portfolio was managed by external firms with a focus on maximizing total return while ensuring liquidity and quality, with an average duration of 3.7 years for fixed income securities at year-end 2010.