Property-casualty insurers should report “improved” operating results this year, after being hurt by heavy catastrophe-related losses and weak earnings in 2011, according to Fitch Ratings.

Private U.S. property-casualty insurers’ net income fell 71%, fueled in large part by losses from catastrophes.

Operating profits declined for most property-casualty insurers in the first half of the year, but exceeded the poor performance in the first six months of 2009, according to a Fitch analysis of 50 publicly traded companies.

The outlook of First Jersey Casualty Insurance Co. has been downgraded to “negative,” from “stable,” according to A.M. Best Co.

State Auto Group, which recently opened a regional headquarters in Hunt Valley, Md., has had its counterparty credit and financial strength ratings lowered by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Service.

The least successful way to run a business is to lose money. Just ask the executives at Circuit City. Yet, taking a loss is what Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan is admitting it will do with its individual health plans.

Like other health insurance companies nationwide, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan is citing increasing medical costs as the primary driver for its need to raise rates on some of its plans.

A Pennsylvania-based insurance company’s ratings were downgraded by A.M. Best Co. because of concerns about underwriting and operating losses over the last three years.

Coming of a first quarter where it earned $396 million, Nationwide said it plans to fill 1,400 open positions across the country.

Noting heavy snow and rainfall in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic, Selective Insurance reported $24 million in catastrophic losses for the first quarter, but also saw gains of more than 100% in its net and operating income.