v2.3.0.15
Segment Reporting Disclosures
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2011
Segment Reporting Disclosures [Abstract] 
Segment Reporting Disclosures

6. Segment Reporting Disclosures

The Company operates in three segments of the specialty insurance marketplace: the Excess and Surplus Lines, the Specialty Admitted and the London markets. The Company considers many factors, including the nature of its insurance products, production sources, distribution strategies and regulatory environment in determining how to aggregate operating segments.

All investing activities related to our insurance operations are included in the Investing segment. For purposes of segment reporting, the Other Insurance (Discontinued Lines) segment includes lines of business that have been discontinued in conjunction with acquisitions. The Company's non-insurance operations primarily consist of controlling interests in various businesses. For purposes of segment reporting, the Company's non-insurance operations are not considered to be a reportable operating segment.

Segment profit or loss for each of the Company's operating segments is measured by underwriting profit or loss. The property and casualty insurance industry commonly defines underwriting profit or loss as earned premiums net of losses and loss adjustment expenses and underwriting, acquisition and insurance expenses. Underwriting profit or loss does not replace operating income or net income computed in accordance with U.S. GAAP as a measure of profitability. Underwriting profit or loss provides a basis for management to evaluate the Company's underwriting performance. Segment profit for the Investing segment is measured by net investment income and net realized investment gains or losses.

For management reporting purposes, the Company allocates assets to its underwriting, investing and non-insurance operations. Underwriting assets are all assets not specifically allocated to the Investing segment or to the Company's non-insurance operations. Underwriting assets are not allocated to the Excess and Surplus Lines, Specialty Admitted, London Insurance Market or Other Insurance (Discontinued Lines) segments since the Company does not manage its assets by operating segment. Invested assets related to our insurance operations are allocated to the Investing segment since these assets are available for payment of losses and expenses for all operating segments. The Company does not allocate capital expenditures for long-lived assets to any of its operating segments for management reporting purposes.

 

a) The following tables summarize the Company's segment disclosures.

 

b) The following table reconciles segment assets to the Company's consolidated balance sheets.

 

(dollars in thousands)

   September 30,
2011
     December 31,
2010
 

Segment Assets:

     

Investing

   $ 8,572,794       $ 8,198,401   

Underwriting

     2,329,856         2,273,621   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total Segment Assets

   $ 10,902,650       $ 10,472,022   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Non-insurance operations

     469,104         353,567   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total Assets

   $ 11,371,754       $ 10,825,589