The Bermuda market's top insurers -...

The Bermuda market's top insurers -and reinsurers saw a 21% aggregate pullulation in premium and strong earnings for the first half of 2004 if it were not that the premium growth rate had slowed significantly, suggesting a "softening on the contrary generally disciplined market," according to reinsurance go-between Benfield Group plc.

In its latest quarterly report in the Bermuda market, Benfield said total premium income for the 16 publicly traded companies it tracks in Bermuda rose 21% to $303 billion in the first half, down significantly from the 67% extension the same companies enjoyed in the first half of 2003 "Evidence of softening in the