Syndicate 33

Hiscox PLC
31 May 2005

                            HISCOX PLC ANNOUNCEMENT
                             Syndicate 33 Estimates

Hiscox plc, the UK's leading specialist insurer, today announces its current
estimate for Syndicate 33 for the 2003 and 2004 years of account.

Year of        Current estimate   Previous estimate   Capacity       Hiscox plc
account                                                              share
2003            12.5% to 17.5%     12.5% to 17.5%         £842m       65%
2004            5.0% to 12.5%       5.0% to 12.5%         £846m       65%

                                    - ends -

For further information:

Hiscox plc
Bronek Masojada             Chief Executive                   020 7448 6012
Stuart Bridges              Finance Director                  020 7448 6013
Robert Childs               Director of Underwriting          020 7448 6645
Fiona Fong                  Director of Communications        020 7448 6447

The Maitland Consultancy
Philip Gawith                                                 020 7379 5151


Notes to editors

1. The Syndicate results and estimates are after standard personal
expenses, such as Managing Agent fees and profit commission and all charges
levied directly on syndicates by Lloyd's, but before Members Agents' charges.

2. Hiscox plc is a specialist insurance group listed on the London Stock
Exchange where it has a market capitalisation of circa £500 million. There are
three main underwriting parts of the Group - Global Markets, UK Retail and
International Retail. Global Markets underwrites, via Syndicate 33, mainly
internationally traded business in the London Market - generally large or
complex business which needs to be shared with other insurers or needs the
international licences of Lloyd's. The UK Retail business offers a wide range of
specialist insurance for professionals and business customers, as well as high
net worth individuals. It has regional offices in Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds,
Maidenhead and Colchester. The International Retail business has offices in
Paris, Amsterdam, Munich, Brussels and Guernsey. The European offices write
mainly fine art, high value household business and some specialist professional
indemnity business. The Guernsey office underwrites fine art business and kidnap
and ransom. Hiscox is the largest specialist fine art and high net worth insurer
in Europe. For further information, go to www.hiscox.com







                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange