Beazley delivered a strong financial performance in the first half of 2014, with profit before tax rising 61% over the equivalent period in 2013. Gross written premiums rose 1% to $1.077.7 million. The company saw more growth opportunities in smaller business lines underwritten locally in the US, where the number of underwriters has grown to 92. Specialty lines and property divisions performed well. The investment portfolio returned 1.1% for the period. The board declared an interim dividend of 3.1 pence per share, in line with a target of 5-10% annual dividend growth. The outlook for the remainder of 2014 is for continued growth in professional liability and management liability lines and smaller scale risks, led