Zurich Financial Services AG, Switzerland's largest insurer, reported a blowout fourth quarter and 2006 results Thursday, citing strong growth in several categories, especially in its largest market, the United States.
The company said fourth-quarter profits rose 33 percent as fewer claims from catastrophes helped propel earnings at its property and casualty unit, and that net income for the full year rose 41 percent to a record $4.5 billion.
As a result, the company said its board had recommended a 57 percent increase in its annual dividend, which is paid in Swiss francs, and a repurchase of approximately $1 billion in U.S. dollars in its stock during the year.
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