investments News

Fitch Downgrades Argentine Insurers Ratings after Sovereign Downgrade

Fitch Ratings has downgraded the long-term National Scale ratings of 12 insurance companies in Argentina, and has also revised the companies’ rating outlooks to negative from stable. Fitch said it took the rating actions following its Nov. 27 downgrade of …

China’s Ping An Considers Legal Action vs. NY Times after Family Wealth Exposé

China’s second-biggest insurance company has threatened to take legal action against the New York Times for reports that Premier Wen Jiabao’s relatives had accumulated massive wealth, largely through holdings in the firm. In a written statement on Monday, Ping An …

Best Affirms Greenlight Re and Affiliates Ratings; Outlook Stable

A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A’ (Excellent) and issuer credit rating (ICR) of “a” of Greenlight Reinsurance, Ltd., as well as the FSR of ‘A-’ (Excellent) and ICR of “a-” of Greenlight Re’s affiliate, …

India’s Battered Insurers May Need More than Foreign Investment

India’s proposal to allow more foreign investment in its $41 billion insurance business provides a lifeline for an industry starved of capital and squeezed by regulation – but it may not pass parliament and it may not be enough. India’s …

Chief Investment Officer Blumer to Step down from Swiss Re Post

Swiss Re’s Board of Directors has announced that Chief Investment Officer David Blumer has decided to leave the company, effective November 1, 2012. His successor will be announced in due course. Blumer joined Swiss Re in May 2008 as Head of Asset …

Best Reports on MENA Insurance Market; Regulatory Change Coming

A report from A.M. Best examines the current state of the insurance market in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. It notes that “over the past decade, the insurance industry has experienced strong growth in terms of premiums. …

Willis Germany to Present Photovoltaic Cover at Solar Energy Conference

Willis Germany, part of Willis Group Holdings, announced that it will be demonstrating the special features of “Willis Electronic Plus,” at the 27th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition in Frankfurt on September 25-28. Willis described it as “an …

Low Interest Rates: an Ongoing Problem for the Re/insurance Industry

Swiss Re’s sigma report analyzing the effect on the insurance industry of the continuing low interest rates doesn’t paint a pretty picture. They have been at historic lows for several years. For instance the nominal yield on a 10-year U.S. …

Global Reinsurer Capital Reaches $480 Billion: Aon Benfield Study

The latest edition of the Aon Benfield Aggregate (ABA) report, which analyzes the financial position of the world’s leading reinsurers for the first half of 2012, concludes that “global reinsurer capital totaled a record $480 billion at June 30, 2012, …

Willis Exec Comments on Russia Joining WTO

A note from Willis Group Holdings features comments from Ann Longmore, Executive Vice President of Willis’ Executive Risks practice, who analyzes the impact(s) of Russia’s accession to the World Trade Organization as its 156th member earlier this month.  “We expect …