COX Insurance yesterday blamed tough market conditions for a fall in half-year profits from nearly £10m to a loss of £600,000.
The company, which started life in the 1930s as a marine insurer, is to quit marine insurance altogether in a bid to stem losses. It expects this move to cost it £15m in the second half of the year, but to save £5m a year from 2001.
Chief executive Michael Dawson said the marine arm had been eroding profits by between £5m and £10m a year. "It is better to take the hit and just move on," he said. Redundancies are expected. Earnings per share plunged from 6.6p to 0.6p, although the share price held reasonably firm, off 6 at 230p. About 50pc of the stock is held by the management and two venture capital firms, Warburg Pincus and Palamon.
Cox is attempting to shift from reliance on the commercial sector, insuring power stations and aeroplanes for example, where premiums have collapsed in a price war. Mr Dawson said: "Commercial markets have been on one of the worst cycles we can remember." Cox has moved strongly into the personal lines market, selling motor insurance direct to the public. Its internet arm insure.co.uk is writing £750,000 a week in premiums.
The company said it had "pursued consolidation in the Lloyd's sector" but had been unable to achieve an acceptable outcome for shareholders. This was thought to be a reference to Cox's takeover approach to Wellington Underwriting, its smaller Lloyd's of London rival.