A 7% increase in the company's quarterly dividend. Raised to $1.24 annually from $1.16.

Skornicka also set out to find which firm would benefit most from the bust-up of AIG (AIG), the world's largest and, arguably, most aggressive, property-and-casualty insurer. His answer: ACE (ACE). The Swiss insurer appears to be slowly stepping into businesses like commercial and workers' compensation, which AIG has pulled back from. ACE is expected to earn around $7.75 a share for fiscal 2009. At a recent 35, it was trading around 4.6 times 2009 earnings, or around book value. "ACE clearly stands to benefit the most from the troubles affecting AIG," says Skornicka. "Rates have been softening in the property-and-casualty business for years. Now they're starting to stabilize."

Increase of 7% in the dollar-denominated dividend, to $ 1.24 annually ($ 0.31 per quarter), from the $ 1.16 dividend approved in 2008.

7% increase to 1.24 annually , from the 1.16 dividend for 2008.

Property-and-casualty insurance stocks got a lift recently amid expectations of an end to the slide in commercial premiums. Yet, Allstate (ALL) and The Travelers Companies (TRV) still trade at or under book value, while two of the strongest insurers, Ace (ACE) and Chubb (CB), trade at modest premiums to book and at less than 10 times projected 2009 profits. Depressed asset managers like Franklin Resources (BEN) and AllianceBernstein (AB) trade for 10 to 15 times projected 2009 profits.

From a recent Mad Money show:

"They've been cautious, but that's the best house in a bad neighborhood. No, it's too hard."

From a recent Mad Money show:

"They've been cautious, but that's the best house in a bad neighborhood. No, it's too hard."

7.4%

Employment

M&A Can't Overcome the Malaise
Shares did amid some sizeable deals as traders fret about last week's inflation news and this week's coming earnings.

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