NEW YORK (Reuters) - Property insurer Travelers Cos Inc and Allstate Corp , the largest publicly traded US home insurer, reported weaker results, hurt by higher catastrophe losses.

Travelers, which saw an 82 percent slide in earnings, said it is trying to exploit opportunities from troubles at its rival American International Group Inc , which may allow it to firm up pricing.

Allstate posted a surprise loss, hurt both by catastrophe losses and losses on its investment portfolio.

Travelers chief executive Jay Fishman, in a post-earnings call with investors, said there had been an increase in requests for quotations on business from current AIG customers.

The company is also seeing signs that insurance rates, which have dropped sharply in recent years, could be heading higher after large catastrophe losses and investment losses from the credit crisis, and restrained capacity after large mortgage losses pushed AIG near the brink of bankruptcy last month.

Allstate, which is down 46 percent over the same period, was hit by the second highest catastrophe losses in its 77-year history in 2008.

That helped cause an operating loss of $190 million, or 35 cents a share, far short of analysts earnings forecast of 66 cents a share, according to Reuters Estimates.