The US commercial property and casualty market continued to soften in the first quarter, the Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers says.

The average fall of 2.3% follows a 0.7% decline in the final quarter of last year, according to its market index.

Council President Ken Crerar says pricing slid across all regions for most lines.

“A relatively calm catastrophe season, with the exception of the harsh winter in the northeast, helped push commercial property pricing down in most of the country.”

Carriers competed aggressively as new capacity entered the market, but brokers say insurers are still seeking good loss histories and will raise premiums for clients with bad ones.

Interest in cyber cover increased in the quarter, when hacking is featured in the news almost daily.