Zurich Insurance posts profit above expectations(Reuters) – Zurich Insurance on Thursday reported a half-year operating profit above market expectations and lifted its guidance for the life insurance unit, reflecting strong growth in the business. Europe’s second-largest insurer by market capitalization said operating profit was $4.8 billion in the first six months of 2026, beating analysts’ average estimate of $4.66 billion in a company-provided consensus. However, the group’s shares fell 2.6% in the first hours of trading, with analysts at Vontobel and Oddo BHF flagging a lower-than-expected operating profit at its wholly-owned U.S.-based subsidiary Farmers. Zurich now expects the unit’s operating profit to grow by at least 10% this year, having previously guided for mid-single-digit percentage growth. Zurich posted an operating profit of $2.8 billion for its core property and casualty insurance business, which was also above a consensus of $2.73 billion.