Latest AM Best Headlines

All the headlines from our AM Best Topic Page, ordered by recency.

A.M. Best Downgrades Credit Ratings of Florida-Based MedMal Direct Insurance

Apr 23 2018 // A.M. Best has downgraded the Financial Strength Rating to B- (Fair) from B++ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating to “bb-” from “bbb” of MedMal Direct Insurance Co., headquartered in...

Ratings Outlooks Revised to Positive for Michigan’s AmeriTrust Insurance Group

Apr 20 2018 // Ratings agency A.M. Best has revised the outlooks to positive from stable and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of B++ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings (Long-Term ICR) of “bbb+” for the...

Rising Claims Frequency Hampers Results in Directors & Officers Liability Insurance Sector

Apr 16 2018 // The underwriting performance in the U.S. directors and officers (D&O) liability insurance market deteriorated significantly in 2017. Competitive pricing and an increasing number of lawsuits have hurt the line’s...

A.M. Best Upgrades Credit Rating of North Dakota’s Hartland Mutual Insurance

Apr 13 2018 // A.M. Best has upgraded the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating to “bbb+” from “bbb” and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of B++ (Good) of Hartland Mutual Insurance Co. (Hartland Mutual), based in...

A.M. Best Upgrades Ratings of Nodak Insurance Group, NI Holdings

Apr 11 2018 // A.M. Best has upgraded the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) to “a+” from “a” and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A (Excellent) of Nodak Insurance Company (Nodak...

A.M. Best Upgrades Issuer Credit Rating of Kentucky Growers Insurance Co.

Apr 6 2018 // A.M. Best has upgraded the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating to “bbb+” from “bbb” and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of B++ (Good) of Kentucky Growers Insurance Company (KGIC) of Lexington, KY....

A.M. Best Issues Ratings for Andover Companies Pool Members

Apr 5 2018 // A.M. Best has removed from under review with negative implications, downgraded the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings to “aa-” from “aa” and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A+ (Superior) for...

How Predictive Analytics Boost Commercial Insurance Profits, Smooth Cycles

Apr 5 2018 // The increasing use of predictive analytics among commercial lines insurers has helped improve their bottom lines and led to more balanced underwriting cycles, A.M. Best says in a report. “Underwriting cycles have...

Workers’ Compensation Insurer Stonetrust Enters Missouri, Tennessee

Apr 3 2018 // Workers’ compensation insurer Stonetrust Commercial Insurance Co. has begun writing business in Missouri and Tennessee. Stonetrust, which is headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is also writing in Louisiana,...

P/C Insurers Record $23.5B in Underwriting Loss in 2017

Apr 2 2018 // The U.S. property/casualty industry recorded a net underwriting loss of $23.5 billion for year-end 2017, according to preliminary results from A.M. Best. That was $18 billion bigger than the underwriting loss in 2016. The...

A.M. Best Removes from Under Review, Upgrades Ratings of Great Plains Casualty

Mar 22 2018 // A.M. Best has removed from under review with positive implications and upgraded the Financial Strength Rating to A- (Excellent) from B++ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating to “a-” from...

Outlooks Revised to Stable for Louisiana’s Stonetrust Commercial Insurance

Mar 21 2018 // A.M. Best has revised the outlooks to stable from negative and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of B++ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “bbb” of workers’ compensation insurer,...

How Bad Was P/C Insurers’ Underwriting Loss in 2017?

Mar 20 2018 // The U.S. property/casualty industry recorded a net underwriting loss of $23.5 billion for year-end 2017, according to preliminary results from A.M. Best. That was $18 billion bigger than the underwriting loss in 2016. The...

What A.M. Best Thinks of AmTrust’s Plan to Go Private, Sell Some Fee-Based Business

Mar 5 2018 // A.M. Best, which placed the ratings of AmTrust Financial Services under review with negative implications last November, says it is still reviewing the impact of the company’s plans to sell some of its fee business...

AXIS’ A.M. Best Ratings Revised to Negative; Insurance Arm Blamed

Feb 20 2018 // AXIS Capital Holdings’ money-losing insurance segment has drawn the attention of A.M. Best, which revised its outlooks for the Bermuda-based carrier to negative from stable, based largely on its...

Peak Re to Get Capital Boost After Prudential Financial Buys 13.1% Stake: A.M. Best

Feb 15 2018 // A wholly owned subsidiary of Prudential Financial Inc. (PFI) has signed definitive agreements to purchase a 13.1 percent stake in Peak Reinsurance Holdings Ltd., the sole shareholder of Hong Kong-based Peak Reinsurance Co....

Marine P&I Clubs Face Intense Pricing Pressures in February Renewals: A.M. Best

Feb 14 2018 // While the balance sheets of clubs operating in the marine protection and indemnity (P&I) sector are generally strong, underwriting discipline will be tested over the February 2018 renewal period, according to a report...

A.M. Best Calculates P/C Insurers’ Underwriting Loss for 2017

Feb 7 2018 // Rating agency A.M. Best expects the U.S. property/casualty insurance industry to post a second consecutive underwriting loss in 2017, driven mainly by catastrophe losses. The expected net underwriting loss for 2017 of...

A.M. Best Ratings Recap

Feb 5 2018 // Rating Assigned: Pan-American Casualty A.M. Best assigned a Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent) and a Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a” to Pan-American Casualty Co. (PACC) in Richardson, Texas.The...

Still an Uphill Climb for Commercial Auto Market

Feb 5 2018 // The difficult job of moving commercial auto insurance to a profitable place has not gotten any easier. More vehicles on the road thanks to a rebounding economy, more miles driven, distracted drivers and...