CHICAGO, July 26 (Reuters) - Endurance Specialty Holdings Ltd.(ENH) said today that its quarterly profit fell 4 percent. The company attributed the better-than-expected results to "a low level of catastrophe loss activity" during the second quarter as well as a reduction in estimated losses for prior quarters.

The Bermuda-based reinsurer reported second-quarter net income of $110 million, or $1.67 a share, compared with $114.8 million, or $1.69 a share, a year ago.

Endurance said that operating income, which excludes investment and foreign-exchange gains and losses, fell 5 percent to $111.8 million, or $1.69 a share.

Wall Street analysts had, on average, expected Endurance to report earnings from continuing operations of $1.44 a share, according to Reuters Estimates.

Addressing questions about its exposure to more recent disasters, Endurance said that it believed it faced claims of less than $20 million total from policyholders for damage caused by Hurricanes Dennis and Emily.

Gross premiums written by the company during the second quarter rose 15 percent to $403.2 million, Endurance said.