Hartford Reports Profit Increase Buoyed by Workers' Comp Results

The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. reported a 10% increase in its fourth quarter 2015 net income to $421 million, from $382 million in the year prior. The company’s commercial lines, which include a large workers’ compensation book and accounted for 85% of the company’s premiums, saw an increase of 15% in its core earnings as well as a favorable 3-point decrease in its combined ratio to 88.2, partly due to lower-than-expected outlays for workers’ comp claims. The national insurer noted that its small commercial business combined ratio also declined by 1.7 poi...