Assurant tops forecasts despite revenue drop

Assurant beat Wall Street second quarter estimates citing the
absence of catastrophe losses and reduced corporate expenses.
The specialty carrier posted operating profit of $90.5mn, or
$1.63 a share for the just-ended quarter. Analysts had forecast
$1.58, the average of five estimates collected by MarketWatch.
Underwriting profitability deteriorated as the company's
combined ratio for its biggest segment, global lifestyle, weakened
to 97.0 percent from 95.8 percent while ratio in its next-larges