Munich Re unveiled Monday a sharp first quarter loss owing to major disasters in the Asia Pacific region, but said it should still make a profit this year.
Munich Re suffered a net loss of 948 million euros ($1.37 billion) in the three months from January to the end of March, compared with a profit of 485 million euros in the same period a year earlier, a statement said.
Analysts polled by Dow Jones Newswires had forecast an even bigger loss of arund 1.1 billion euros.
The slump was widely anticipated following earthquake and weather-related catastrophes in Japan, Australia and New Zealand early this year.
For 2011 as a whole, Munich Re said it expected to turn a profit, without giving a detailed figure.
The March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan forced the German group to ditch its previous forecast for a net profit of 2.4 billion euros this year.
Frankfurt, May 9, 2011 (AFP)
