Aspen outpaces consensus despite profits slide

Aspen narrowly topped analyst consensus figures in the first
quarter, despite weaker underwriting results that dragged earnings
down by a third.
The headline combined ratio was 5 points weaker year-on-year at
96.6 percent, but marked a return to profitability for the New
York-listed carrier after a fourth-quarter loss driven by its
insurance arm.
The Bermudian (re)insurer's diluted operating earnings per
share came in at $0.79, $0.05 ahead of Wall Street's consensus
estimate, according to a Mark