UPDATE 1-Old Republic loss wider-than-expected, shares fall

* Posts wider-than-expected Q4 loss

* Weakness across all segments

* Shares down as much as 15 pct

Jan 22 (Reuters) - Insurance holding company Old Republic International Corp (ORI.N) posted a wider-than-expected fourth-quarter loss, hurt mainly by weakness in the company's mortgage guaranty and title insurance operations, sending its shares down as much as 15 percent.

The Chicago-based insurer had a fourth-quarter loss of $126.5 million, or 54 cents a share, compared with a profit of $20.2 million, or 9 cents a share, a year earlier.

On an operating basis, the company posted a loss of 31 cents a share, while analysts were looking for a loss of 25 cents a share.

Old Republic said the factors hurting the company in the quarter will exert additional earnings pressures throughout 2009 and, at the least, a part of 2010.

Pretax operating loss in the company's mortgage guaranty group widened 58 percent to $178.3 million, and net premiums and fees earned in the title insurance group fell 20 percent to $154 million.

Old Republic conducts its business through a number of regulated insurance company subsidiaries organized into three major segments: General (property and liability insurance), Mortgage Guaranty and Title Insurance Groups.

In the general insurance group the company posted a 11 percent fall in net premiums earned, and a 24 percent fall in pretax operating income.

The company competes with MGIC Investment Corp (MTG.N) in the mortgage insurance segment, First American Corp (FAF.N) in title insurance and HCC Insurance Holdings (HCC.N) in the general insurance segment.

Shares of the company were down $1.71 at $10.41 in morning trade on the New York Stock Exchange. They earlier touched a low of $10.35. (Reporting by Anurag Kotoky in Bangalore, Editing by Dinesh Nair) ((anurag.kotoky@thomsonreuters.com; within U.S. +1 646 223 8780; outside U.S. +91 80 4135 5800; Reuters Messaging: anurag.kotoky.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))