Feb 26 (Reuters) - Australia's biggest insurer QBE Insurance Group QBE.AX reported an annual loss on Monday as it reels from a claims blowout from natural disasters at home and overseas.
Annual cash loss came in at $258 million compared with a profit of $898 million a year ago as payouts related to massive California wildfires, storms in Australia and Hurricane Maria weighed on earnings. This beat estimates of a $235.7 million loss predicted by Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S based on an average of eight analysts.
Dividends also took a hit with the insurer declaring a final dividend of A$0.04 per share, lower than A$0.33 per share a year ago.