The end of an earnings season can be a great time to discover new stocks and assess how companies are handling the current business environment. Let’s take a look at how Mercury General (NYSE: MCY) and the rest of the property & casualty insurance stocks fared in Q1.

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 1.9%.

Luckily, property & casualty insurance stocks have performed well with share prices up 13% on average since the latest earnings results.

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. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 5.4%. Overall, it was an incredible quarter for the company with a beat of analysts’ EPS and net premiums earned estimates.

Interestingly, the stock is up 13.7% since reporting and currently trades at $110.81.

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

Stewart Information Services (NYSE: STC)

Founded in 1893 during America's westward expansion when property records were often disputed, Stewart Information Services (NYSE: STC) provides title insurance and real estate services, helping homebuyers, sellers, and lenders verify property ownership and protect against title defects.

Stewart Information Services reported revenues of $781.3 million, up 27.7% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 4.6%. The business had an incredible quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.

However, the results were likely priced into the stock as it’s traded sideways since reporting. Shares currently sit at $68.37.

Is now the time to buy Stewart Information Services? 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’ EPS estimates.

Fidelity National Financial delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates in the group. As expected, the stock is down 5.3% since the results and currently trades at $48.56.

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

CNA Financial (NYSE: CNA)

With roots dating back to 1853 and majority ownership by Loews Corporation, CNA Financial (NYSE: CNA) is a commercial property and casualty insurance provider offering coverage for businesses, including professional liability, surety bonds, and specialized risk management services.

CNA Financial reported revenues of $3.70 billion, up 1.6% year on year. This result came in 2.8% below analysts’ expectations. Overall, it was a disappointing quarter as it also logged a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.

The stock is up 7.8% since reporting and currently trades at $51.78.

Read our full, actionable report on CNA Financial here, it’s free.

Lemonade (NYSE: LMND)

Built on the principle of giving back unused premiums to charitable causes selected by policyholders, Lemonade (NYSE: LMND) is a technology-driven insurance company that offers homeowners, renters, pet, car, and life insurance through an AI-powered digital platform.

Lemonade reported revenues of $258 million, up 70.6% year on year. This number surpassed analysts’ expectations by 2.4%. It was an exceptional quarter as it also put up a solid beat of analysts’ net premiums earned estimates and a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.

Lemonade scored the fastest revenue growth among its peers. The stock is up 16.2% since reporting and currently trades at $76.40.

Read our full, actionable report on Lemonade 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 Strong Momentum Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.