Insurer Advent swings to loss on hurricanes

* Says market conditions have improved

* '08 pretax loss 14.4 mln stg vs profit of 25.2 mln yr ago

* Incurs 2008 hurricane losses of 49.8 mln stg

Feb 20 (Reuters) - Lloyd's of London [LOL.UL] insurer Advent Capital (Holdings) Plc (ADV.L) swung to a pretax loss in 2008 due to an unexpected level of losses from its offshore energy account on Hurricane Ike, but said market conditions have improved, particularly in the reinsurance market.

For the year ended Dec. 31, 2008, the company posted a pretax loss of 14.4 million pounds ($20.6 million) compared with a profit of 25.2 million pounds in 2007.

The company incurred 2008 hurricane losses of 49.8 million pounds, of which 19.7 million pounds resulted from Hurricane Ike offshore energy account losses, in excess of its reinsurance protection.

($1=.6980 Pound) (Reporting by Tresa Sherin Morera in Bangalore; Editing by Vinu Pilakkott)