Market Insights

The small business and personal lines sectors enter 2026 in a more stable position. Following several years of disruption and rate escalation, market conditions have begun to normalize.

This State of the Market report features expert insights from Amwins professionals into the elements influencing these trends. It examines rate movements, capacity and evolving coverage across various industries, business lines and risk specialties in the United States, London and Bermuda.

Healthcare markets are showing selectivity, particularly in classes exposed to vulnerable populations or high-severity claims, while competition remains strong in more stable sectors.

After two years of turmoil, the energy insurance market enters 2026 with a mix of renewed competition and selective underwriting discipline.

Adequate coverage helps ensure HOAs can recover quickly from unexpected losses, maintain operations without interruption and continue fulfilling their obligations to residents.

The public entity market has remained relatively stable in 2025, though challenges persist. Property competition is strong due to increased capacity, while accounts with large CAT exposures or high loss activity still face strict underwriting. Casualty capacity is steady, but social inflation, litigation and legislative changes continue to create pressure. Carriers are becoming more selective, using updated data and technology to manage risk. With evolving exposures and tight budgets, an experienced broker is essential.

Changes to FEMA and NFIP do not have to trigger uncertainty and doubt for public officials, or for the agents and brokers who advise them. Parametric insurance models offer a fresh alternative capable of closing funding gaps and transforming disaster recovery.

For brokers and insureds alike, the evolving AV market presents both opportunity and uncertainty. Capacity is limited, but carriers are getting creative, moving toward more comprehensive, manuscript-style solutions that blend auto liability, products coverage and tech E&O.

The market has become increasingly complex. Higher valuations have raised borrowing costs and more frequent natural disasters are straining profitability and reshaping coverage needs.

Insuring hospitals and other healthcare facilities against natural disasters is both essential and nuanced. Roofing age, disaster response plans and business income contingencies all play a role in shaping insurability.

A recent AWS outage disrupted more than 100 services, highlighting the widespread reliance on cloud providers and the potential for systemic business interruption losses. As carriers reassess wording and exposure, insureds are encouraged to review their cyber policies and work closely with brokers to ensure coverage clarity.

For years, the product recall insurance market seemed poised for rapid growth. Supply chain disruptions, evolving regulations and growing concerns around brand risk created the perfect backdrop for adoption, particularly among small and midsize manufacturers. And yet, the surge hasn’t come.