The well-known US insurance exchange Marketscout has compiled its monthly "barometer" of the state of the US property and casualty insurance market which shows that US commercial property is leading the rate increases amongst the other classes that they monitor such as homeowners and workers' compensation with increases of up to 5% being recorded.

Overall positive rate movements were recorded with an average for US property and casualty rate of 4% over last year.

The composite market conditions from 2001 to 2012 are set out in annual charts here towards the bottom of the article.