Latest AM Best Headlines
All the headlines from our AM Best Topic Page, ordered by recency.
German and French Insurance Markets Show Resilience
Oct 16 2014 // Despite varying internal pressures, the German and French insurance markets have shown resilience in their respective ways, according to two separate reports issued by A.M. Best. While Germany’s economy is among the...
A.M. Best: Prospects Improve for Insurers in ASEAN Market
Oct 15 2014 // While integration of insurance markets among the 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has a long way to go, the prospects for closer connectivity in a region with vibrant growth give...
A.M. Best: UK Non-Life Insurers’ Profits Under Pressure
Oct 14 2014 // Profit margins in the U.K. non-life insurance sector are under pressure this year as companies fight to maintain pricing discipline in an extremely competitive market, according to a new A.M. Best special report. Premium...
A.M. Best Affirms Rating of Kiln Syndicate 510
Sep 26 2014 // A.M. Best has affirmed the financial strength rating of A (Excellent) and the issuer credit rating of “a+” of Lloyd’s Syndicate 510 (United Kingdom), which is managed by RJ Kiln & Co. Limited (RJ...
A.M. Best: Saudi Market Returning to Profitability
Sep 24 2014 // The Saudi insurance market continued its strong growth over the first half of 2014 with gross written premium expanding 24 percent compared with the first half of 2013, according to a new Best’s briefing. The...
Surplus Lines Rate Hikes to Slow As Competition Grows
Sep 23 2014 // Two insurance rating entities see slowing rate increases for the surplus lines segment in the coming months as competition grows. Moody’s Investors Service said that the U.S. excess and surplus lines sector is...
How Strong Is Florida’s ‘Revived’ Homeowners Market?
Sep 11 2014 // As Florida seeks to revive its private home insurance market after almost a decade without a hurricane, homeowners are pouring $6 billion a year in premiums into a new generation of small, in-state insurance companies with...
State of the Market: Surplus Lines Bounces Back
Sep 8 2014 // The surplus lines industry showed its subpar showing in 2012 was uncharacteristic as it outperformed the overall property/casualty industry once again in 2013. While 2013 was a good year all-round for the P/C industry, it...
A.M. Best Downgrades Tower Group Again
Sep 8 2014 // Tower Group International must deal with more ratings downgrades from A.M. Best, spurred by its soaring net losses and uncertainty over whether it can carry its debts through an intended merger with ACP Re. A.M. Best said...
A.M. Best Downgrades Tower Group Again
Aug 29 2014 // Tower Group International must deal with more ratings downgrades from A.M. Best, spurred by its soaring net losses and uncertainty over whether it can carry its debts through an intended merger with ACP Re. A.M. Best said...
Ratings Recap: Continental, Nat’l. Guaranty, Westminster, Triangle, Ellington Mutual
Aug 22 2014 // A.M. Best has upgraded the financial strength rating to ‘A’ (Excellent) from ‘A-‘ (Excellent) and the issuer credit rating to “a” from “a-“of Chicago-based Continental...
Weakening Operating Fundamentals Tip Reinsurers’ Outlook to Negative: A.M. Best
Aug 20 2014 // A.M. Best announced that it has “revised its ratings outlook on the global reinsurance sector to negative from stable, citing the significant ongoing market challenges that will hinder the potential for positive...
A.M. Best: Outlook Stable for Wisconsin Mutual Insurance
Jul 31 2014 // A.M. Best has revised the outlook to stable from negative and affirmed the financial strength rating of A- (Excellent) and the issuer credit rating of “a-” of Wisconsin Mutual Insurance Co. (WMIC), based in...
New IFRS Standard to Significantly Change Insurers’ Financial Reports: A.M. Best
Jul 29 2014 // “The emerging international accounting standard for insurance contracts will change the data that form one part of the material used by A.M. Best in the insurance sector,” the rating agency said in a Special...
Best Takes Rating Actions on AXA Financial, Certain Subsidiaries
Jul 21 2014 // A.M. Best has revised the outlook of the issuer credit ratings (ICR) to stable from negative and affirmed the ICR of “a-” and debt ratings of New York-based AXA Financial, Inc., and has revised its outlook on...
Ellington Mutual Insurance Co. Ratings Downgraded, Withdrawn
Jul 17 2014 // A.M. Best has downgraded the financial strength rating to B- (Fair) from B (Fair) and the issuer credit rating to “bb-” from “bb” of Ellington Mutual Insurance Co. (EMIC) in Hortonville, Wis. The...
Best to Endorse Selected Ratings outside EU for Regulatory Use
Jun 16 2014 // A.M. Best Europe – Rating Services Limited (AMBERS) has confirmed that it has notified the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) that, effective immediately, “AMBERS intends to endorse selected...
Ratings Recap: Sunderland Marine, Heddington, Bosna Re
Jun 9 2014 // A.M. Best has removed from under review with developing implications and affirmed the financial strength rating of ‘A-‘ (Excellent) and issuer credit rating of “a-” of UK-based Sunderland Marine...
Best Affirms AmTrust Financial and Subs P&C Ratings; Outlook Stable
Jun 2 2014 // A.M. Best has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A’ (Excellent) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “a” of the property/casualty subsidiaries of AmTrust Financial Services, Inc. (AFSI),...
Ratings Recap: Frankenmuth, Sooner, Tokio Marine America, Kingstone, Canopius U.S., HDI-Gerling America
May 28 2014 // A.M. Best has revised the outlook to stable from negative and affirmed the issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “a+” of Frankenmuth Mutual Insurance Company and its affiliates, Ansur America Insurance Company,...
