of 22 cents per ordinary share, payable October 17 to shareholders of record September 30.

The ACE group of companies provides insurance and reinsurance for a diverse group of international clients.

The firm's subsidiaries, ACE Insurance Co. Ltd., Corporate Officers & Directors Assurance Ltd. and Tempest Reinsurance Co. Ltd., provide excess liability insurance, directors & officers liability insurance and property catastrophe reinsurance, as well as satellite, aviation, excess property, financial lines and political risk coverages.

ACE also owns three Lloyd's managing agencies, Methuen Underwriting Ltd., ACE London Aviation Ltd. and ACE London Underwriting Ltd., and provides corporate capital to Lloyd's syndicates under their management. At June 30 ACE had some $2.4 billion in shareholders' equity and over $4.8 billion in assets.