Latest AM Best Headlines
All the headlines from our AM Best Topic Page, ordered by recency.
A.M. Best Withdraws Ratings of Century Casualty Company in Georgia
Jul 28 2016 // A.M. Best has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of B (Fair) and the issuer credit rating (ICR) of “bb+” of Century Casualty Company in Alpharetta, Ga. The outlook for the FSR remains stable, while...
Ironshore Files for IPO in U.S. After A.M. Best Review of Parent Firm Fosun
Jul 25 2016 // Ironshore Inc., the insurer purchased by Chinese conglomerate Fosun International Ltd. last year, filed for an initial public offering in the U.S. after a ratings firm cited concerns about the parent firm’s financial...
Best Revises Lloyd’s Outlook to Stable from Positive on Difficult Business Conditions
Jul 22 2016 // A.M. Best has revised the outlooks to stable from positive of Lloyd’s and Lloyd’s Insurance Co. (China) Ltd., while at the same time affirming their financial strength rating (FSR) of A (Excellent) and issuer...
A.M. Best’s ‘A-‘ Rating Not as Good as It Seems: Fitch
Jul 14 2016 // Fitch Ratings this week warned that users of insurance ratings from four large credit rating agencies (CRAs) fail to understand differences in the rating scales – differences that separate A.M. Best from the rest of that...
A.M. Best Upgrades North Carolina’s Atlantic Casualty Ratings
Jul 11 2016 // A.M. Best removed from under review with positive implications and upgraded the financial strength rating (FSR) to A (Excellent) from A- (Excellent) and the issuer credit rating (ICR) to “a” from...
P/C Insurance Results for Q1 Hurt by High Catastrophe Losses, Low Investment Income
Jul 8 2016 // Driven by the highest level of first-quarter catastrophe losses since 2011, the underwriting results of the U.S. property/casualty (P/C) industry in the first quarter of 2016 deteriorated from the prior year. The industry...
A.M. Best: Outlook Stable for Southern Pioneer Property and Casualty Insurance
Jul 7 2016 // A.M. Best has revised the outlook to stable from negative and affirmed the financial strength rating of B++ (Good) and the issuer credit rating of “bbb” of Southern Pioneer Property and Casualty Insurance Co....
AXIS Capital’s New Bermuda Operation, Harrington Re, Raises $600M
Jul 6 2016 // Harrington Re, a fledgling Bermuda operation sponsored by AXIS Capital Holdings Ltd., has raised $600 million in capital designed to beef up underwriting and investment plans put forth by its sponsor. Blackstone Group will...
A.M. Best Affirms Ratings of Markel Int’l & Lloyd’s Syndicate 3000
Jul 5 2016 // A.M. Besthas affirmed the financial strength ratings of A (Excellent) and the issuer credit ratings of “a+” of UK-based Markel International Insurance Co. Ltd.(MIICL) and Lloyd’s Syndicate 3000. The...
A.M. Best Removes Ironshore from ‘Under Review’ Status
Jun 27 2016 // A.M. Best has changed its mind about Ironshore, removing the Bermuda-based specialty insurer from its status as “under review with negative implications.” A year after initially taking action, the ratings...
French & German Floods to Hit Insurers’ Earnings but Not Ratings: A.M. Best
Jun 27 2016 // The earnings of French and German insurers during the first half of 2016 will be dampened by flood claims following storms Elvira and Friederike, which pounded the countries in quick succession between late May and early...
Ratings Downgrades for Members of California-based CSAA: A.M. Best
Jun 20 2016 // A.M. Best has downgraded the financial strength rating to A (Excellent) from A+ (Superior) and the issuer credit ratings to “a+” from “aa-” of the members of Walnut Creek, Calif.-based CSAA...
Persistent Soft Market Begins to Hit Reinsurer Stock Prices: A.M. Best
Jun 15 2016 // While global reinsurers are continuing to withstand challenging market conditions, their stock prices, on average, are starting to take a hit as a result of the persistent soft market and its negative effect on top line...
A.M. Best Removes Atlantic Casualty from Under Review, Upgrades Ratings
Jun 13 2016 // A.M. Best has removed from under review with positive implications and upgraded the financial strength rating (FSR) to A (Excellent) from A- (Excellent) and the issuer credit rating (ICR) to “a” from...
Outlooks Revised to Stable for Hallmark Financial Services, Subsidiaries
Jun 9 2016 // Ratings agency, A.M. Best, has revised the outlooks to stable from negative and affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of A- (Excellent) and the issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “a-” of the members of...
Ratings Downgrades for Members of California-based CSAA: A.M. Best
Jun 8 2016 // A.M. Best has downgraded the financial strength rating to A (Excellent) from A+ (Superior) and the issuer credit ratings to “a+” from “aa-” of the members of Walnut Creek, Calif.-based CSAA...
Agency E&O and Carrier Insolvency: Things Stay the Same
Jun 6 2016 // Insurance company insolvency has been a thorny issue spanning many decades. The only consistency is that there is no one solution and that an agent can be held liable for placing coverage with a company that becomes...
A.M. Best Upgrades Ratings of Republic Underwriters Insurance, Affiliates
May 17 2016 // A.M. Besthas removed from under review with positive implications and upgraded the financial strength rating (FSR) to A (Excellent) from A- (Excellent) and the issuer credit rating (ICR) to “a” from...
Medical Professional Liability Insurers’ Profits Decline But Outlook Stable: A.M. Best
May 11 2016 // The specialty medical professional liability (MPL) insurance industry remained profitable in 2015, however its net income fell nearly 36.6 percent to almost $1.1 billion in 2015. In a special report, A.M. Best said the MPL...
Costly Alberta Wildfires to Hit Q2 Results; Insurers Are Resilient: Ratings Reports
May 9 2016 // While the wildfires raging through northern Alberta and the city of Fort McMurray could bring one of the largest catastrophe losses in Canadian history, property insurers are resilient, according to A.M. Best and...
