MILAN, Feb 10 - European insurance stocks fell sharply on Tuesday as investors reacted to a selloff in U.S. insurance brokers, triggered by concerns that new artificial intelligence tools could
European Insurers Experience Stock Decline Amid AI Disruption Fears
Impact of AI on European Insurance Stocks
By Lucy Raitano and Danilo Masoni
Market Reactions to AI Developments
LONDON/MILAN, Feb 10 - European insurance stocks fell on Tuesday, echoing a selloff in U.S. insurance brokers the day before on the back of renewed concern that new artificial intelligence tools could accelerate disruption in this sector too.
Investor Sentiment and Stock Performance
One trader said the U.S. market lagged the UK in using price‑comparison sites, but added that investors still underestimate the risks AI could pose to European insurers as well.
Comparison with U.S. Market Trends
Europe’s STOXX 600 insurance was last down 1.3%, the biggest sector decliner in the region, while the broader STOXX 600 was flat.
Among the steepest fallers were Hiscox, down 3.7%, along with Mapfre, Admiral, Aviva and AXA which were down between 1.6%-3%. The S&P 500 Insurance index fell 3.9% on Monday, the biggest drop since October 2025. The index was up around 0.9% in opening trade on Tuesday.
Late last week, investors battered global software and data analytics stocks after an update to Anthropic's AI tools raised questions about many of these companies' vulnerability to disruption.
On Monday, it was the turn of the insurers, as shares in top U.S. brokers Willis Towers Watson, Aon and Arthur J. Gallagher slumped between 9% and 12%, after online insurance platform Insurify released an AI‑powered comparison tool built on ChatGPT. These shares recovered some of those losses in early trading on Tuesday.
Back in Europe, shares in UK financial comparison website operators also fell. Dan Coatsworth, head of markets at AJ Bell, attributed the fall to the same AI disruption fears.
Moneysupermarket owner Mony Group fell 12% and shares in Future, which operates GoCompare, fell 3.6%.
"We’re seeing knee-jerk reactions from investors as they panic before obtaining all the facts and make rational decisions," Coatsworth said.
"The share price slump in the owners of Moneysupermarket and GoCompare suggests investors are worried their business could be severally damaged if people start to obtain insurance using the likes of ChatGPT," he wrote.
(Reporting by Danilo Masoni in Milan and Lucy Raitano in London, editing by Alun John and Amanda Cooper)
