Hiscox's gross written premiums rise despite rating pressure

Lloyd's of London underwriter Hiscox Ltd said its gross written premiums for the first nine months jumped more than 14 percent in local currency, driven by strong performance across all its businesses. Hiscox, which underwrites a range of risks from oil refineries to kidnappings, said gross written premiums rose to 1.86 billion pounds ($2.31 billion) in the nine months ended Sept. 30, from 1.54 billion pounds a year earlier. The underwriter, which earns the bulk of its revenue overseas, benefite