Winter Storm Fern Estimated to Cause $4 Billion in Insured Losses
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 4d ago
0mins
Should l Buy VRSK?
Source: Newsfilter
- Loss Estimates: Verisk estimates that Winter Storm Fern could lead to insured losses of up to $4 billion for property and auto, primarily driven by freeze impacts, with additional losses from wind and snow.
- Widespread Impact: The storm affected the Midwest, Northeast, South, Tennessee Valley, and Mid-Atlantic from January 23 to 26, causing widespread power outages in Georgia, the Carolinas, and Virginia, with ice accumulation reported up to 1 inch in some areas.
- Historical Significance: If the loss estimates hold, Fern would rank as the third costliest winter storm in U.S. history, following Winter Storm Elliott in 2022 and Winter Storm Uri in 2021, highlighting its unusual intensity and complex regional impacts.
- Model Enhancements: Verisk's updated U.S. Winter Storm Model, set for release in June 2026, includes enhanced modeling of freezing rain and its downstream impacts, improving the ability to capture vulnerabilities in U.S. power interconnections and their effects on damage and loss.
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Analyst Views on VRSK
Wall Street analysts forecast VRSK stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for VRSK is 252.89 USD with a low forecast of 220.00 USD and a high forecast of 300.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
12 Analyst Rating
5 Buy
6 Hold
1 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 184.680
Low
220.00
Averages
252.89
High
300.00
Current: 184.680
Low
220.00
Averages
252.89
High
300.00
About VRSK
Verisk Analytics, Inc. is a data analytics and technology provider serving clients in the insurance ecosystem. The Company offers predictive analytics and decision support solutions to clients in rating, underwriting, claims, catastrophe, weather risk, and many other fields. Its insurance segment serves its property and casualty insurance customers across personal and commercial lines of business, focusing on insurance programs, the prediction of loss, the selection and pricing of risk, and compliance with their reporting requirements in each United States state in which they operate. It also develops and utilizes machine-learned and artificially intelligent models to forecast scenarios and produce both standard and customized analytics that help its customers better manage their businesses, including detecting fraud before and after a loss event. It owns a SaaS platform that supports an open ecosystem where specialized model partners make their models, hazard data and analytics.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Underwriting Gain Surge: The U.S. insurance industry reported a $35.3 billion underwriting gain through the first nine months of 2025, a significant increase from the $4 billion gain in the same period of 2024, indicating a robust recovery and improved market confidence.
- Premium Revenue Growth: Net written premiums rose by 5.1% to $740.7 billion, reflecting stable demand across commercial and personal lines, which is expected to enhance insurers' profitability and market share moving forward.
- Loss Expense Control: Incurred losses and loss adjustment expenses increased by only 0.6%, significantly lower than the 2.7% rise in 2024, with the combined ratio improving to 94%, marking the first time in a decade it has fallen below 95, thus indicating stronger underwriting performance and financial stability in the industry.
- Policyholders' Surplus Increase: Policyholders' surplus grew from $1.12 trillion in 2024 to $1.20 trillion, demonstrating enhanced capital management and risk-bearing capacity among insurers, which is likely to bolster their competitive position in the market.
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- Loss Estimates: Verisk estimates that Winter Storm Fern could lead to insured losses of up to $4 billion for property and auto, primarily driven by freeze impacts, with additional losses from wind and snow.
- Widespread Impact: The storm affected the Midwest, Northeast, South, Tennessee Valley, and Mid-Atlantic from January 23 to 26, causing widespread power outages in Georgia, the Carolinas, and Virginia, with ice accumulation reported up to 1 inch in some areas.
- Historical Significance: If the loss estimates hold, Fern would rank as the third costliest winter storm in U.S. history, following Winter Storm Elliott in 2022 and Winter Storm Uri in 2021, highlighting its unusual intensity and complex regional impacts.
- Model Enhancements: Verisk's updated U.S. Winter Storm Model, set for release in June 2026, includes enhanced modeling of freezing rain and its downstream impacts, improving the ability to capture vulnerabilities in U.S. power interconnections and their effects on damage and loss.
See More
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- Live Webcast Discussion: The management team will host a live audio webcast at 8:30 a.m. ET on the same day to discuss financial results and business highlights, aiming to enhance investor understanding of the company's operational efficiency and risk management capabilities.
- Diverse Participation Options: Interested parties can listen to the live event via the Verisk investor website, with dial-in numbers provided for U.S./Canada and international participants, reflecting the company's commitment to transparency and communication.
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- Live Webcast Discussion: The management team will host a live audio webcast on the same day at 8:30 AM ET to discuss financial results and business highlights, which is expected to attract significant attention from investors and analysts, enhancing market transparency.
- Replay Availability: The webcast discussion will be available for replay for 30 days on the Verisk investor website, ensuring that investors who cannot participate live can access key information, thereby increasing information accessibility.
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- Underwriting Gain Surge: The U.S. insurance industry reported a $35.3 billion underwriting gain through the first nine months of 2025, a significant increase from the $4 billion gain in the same period of 2024, indicating a robust recovery and improved market confidence.
- Premium Revenue Growth: Net written premiums rose by 5.1% to $740.7 billion, reflecting stable demand across commercial and personal lines, which is expected to enhance insurers' profitability and market share moving forward.
- Loss Expense Control: Incurred losses and loss adjustment expenses increased by only 0.6%, significantly lower than the 2.7% rise in 2024, with the combined ratio improving to 94%, marking the first time in a decade it has fallen below 95, thus indicating stronger underwriting performance and financial stability in the industry.
- Policyholders' Surplus Increase: Policyholders' surplus grew from $1.12 trillion in 2024 to $1.20 trillion, demonstrating enhanced capital management and risk-bearing capacity among insurers, which is likely to bolster their competitive position in the market.
See More
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Dow Jones Milestone: Despite the concerns surrounding AI, the Dow Jones Industrial Average has reached a significant milestone, trading above 50,000 for the first time.
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Winter Storm Fern Estimated to Cause $4 Billion in Insured Losses
- Loss Estimates: Verisk estimates that Winter Storm Fern could lead to insured losses of up to $4 billion for property and auto, primarily driven by freeze impacts, with additional losses from wind and snow.
- Widespread Impact: The storm affected the Midwest, Northeast, South, Tennessee Valley, and Mid-Atlantic from January 23 to 26, causing widespread power outages in Georgia, the Carolinas, and Virginia, with ice accumulation reported up to 1 inch in some areas.
- Historical Significance: If the loss estimates hold, Fern would rank as the third costliest winter storm in U.S. history, following Winter Storm Elliott in 2022 and Winter Storm Uri in 2021, highlighting its unusual intensity and complex regional impacts.
- Model Enhancements: Verisk's updated U.S. Winter Storm Model, set for release in June 2026, includes enhanced modeling of freezing rain and its downstream impacts, improving the ability to capture vulnerabilities in U.S. power interconnections and their effects on damage and loss.
See More
Verisk (VRSK) to Report Q4 and FY 2025 Results on February 18, 2026
- Earnings Release Schedule: Verisk will report its fourth quarter and fiscal year 2025 financial results on February 18, 2026, before market open, showcasing its capabilities as a strategic data analytics partner in the insurance industry.
- Live Webcast Discussion: The management team will host a live audio webcast at 8:30 a.m. ET on the same day to discuss financial results and business highlights, aiming to enhance investor understanding of the company's operational efficiency and risk management capabilities.
- Diverse Participation Options: Interested parties can listen to the live event via the Verisk investor website, with dial-in numbers provided for U.S./Canada and international participants, reflecting the company's commitment to transparency and communication.
- Replay Availability: A replay of the webcast will be accessible for 30 days on the Verisk investor website, further enhancing information accessibility and helping investors better understand the company's financial performance and future strategies.
See More
Verisk (NASDAQ:VRSK) to Report Q4 and FY 2025 Results on February 18, 2026
- Earnings Release Schedule: Verisk plans to report its Q4 and FY 2025 financial results on February 18, 2026, before market open, showcasing its capabilities in data analytics and technology partnerships within the insurance industry.
- Live Webcast Discussion: The management team will host a live audio webcast on the same day at 8:30 AM ET to discuss financial results and business highlights, which is expected to attract significant attention from investors and analysts, enhancing market transparency.
- Replay Availability: The webcast discussion will be available for replay for 30 days on the Verisk investor website, ensuring that investors who cannot participate live can access key information, thereby increasing information accessibility.
- Global Impact: As a leading strategic data analytics and technology partner to the global insurance industry, Verisk is committed to enhancing operational efficiency and addressing global risks through its teams across more than 20 countries, demonstrating its leadership position in the industry.
See More
Verisk Sells Marketing Solutions to Focus on Insurance Sector
- Strategic Focus: Verisk's sale of its marketing solutions division, VMS, to ActiveProspect is aimed at better serving the global insurance industry, ensuring VMS can concentrate on long-term growth and product development.
- Market Leadership: VMS is a leading consent-verified lead orchestration and identity resolution platform, and the acquisition will enhance ActiveProspect's data capabilities, expanding its influence in the identity resolution and marketing intelligence space.
- Customer Base Expansion: This transaction allows ActiveProspect to tap into VMS's large enterprise customer base, accelerating its ability to provide identity and marketing intelligence solutions to marketing, data, and analytics teams.
- Advisory Support: TD Securities acted as a financial advisor to Verisk, ensuring a smooth transaction process that further solidifies Verisk's strategic position in the insurance industry.
See More
