Latest AM Best Headlines
All the headlines from our AM Best Topic Page, ordered by recency.
A.M. Best: Nigeria Insurance Sector Offers Significant Potential for Investors
May 26 2015 // Although fluctuating oil prices threaten Nigeria’s economic expansion, the country’s insurance sector offers significant potential for foreign investors attempting to build a profile in the market, according to...
A.M. Best Assigns Ratings to Coverys Specialty in New Jersey
May 22 2015 // A.M. Best has assigned a financial strength rating of A (Excellent) and an issuer credit rating of “a” to Coverys Specialty Insurance Company. The outlook assigned to both ratings is stable. Coverys Specialty...
A.M. Best Upgrades Issuer Credit Ratings of Medical Mutual of North Carolina
May 21 2015 // A.M. Best has upgraded the issuer credit ratings (ICR) to “a+” from “a” and affirmed the financial strength rating of A (Excellent) of Medical Mutual Insurance Company of North Carolina (Medical...
A.M. Best: Middle Eastern Insurance Market Primed for M&As, Stakebuilding
May 18 2015 // Merger and acquisition (M&A) activity and stakebuilding is gaining momentum in the Middle East as financially strong and profitable insurers seek to deploy surplus capital to broaden their profiles and satisfy...
A.M. Best: Australia’s Nat Cat Losses Will Challenge Underwriting Profits
May 12 2015 // A string of recent major natural catastrophe events in Australia is expected to materially affect non-life insurers’ upcoming earnings for the fiscal year that ends June 30, 2015, according to an A.M....
Nepal Quake Impact ‘Minimal on Global Reinsurers;’ Locally Severe: A.M. Best
May 8 2015 // A.M. Best’s analysis of the damages caused by the earthquake that struck Nepal on April 25, 2015, describes the “significant property damages and fatalities in the Himalayan country.” However, no accurate...
A.M. Best Revises Outlook to Stable for Georgia Farm Bureau Group Members
May 1 2015 // 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 Georgia Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co. and Georgia...
Ratings of Illinois-Based Specialty Risk of America Downgraded
Apr 17 2015 // A.M. Best has downgraded the financial strength rating (FSR) to B+ (Good) from B++ (Good) and the issuer credit rating (ICR) to “bbb-” from “bbb+” of Specialty Risk of America (SPRISKA) in...
A.M. Best: Takaful Operators Struggle With Fierce Competition, Profitability
Apr 14 2015 // The significant premium growth in the global takaful sector is expected to continue and reach USD$20 billion by 2017, with the majority of that increase originating from Malaysia and Saudi Arabia, according to a new A.M....
Nonstandard Auto Insurance Market Is Not For Everybody
Apr 13 2015 // The nonstandard auto market is not for every carrier or agency. Since 2007, carriers writing nonstandard auto policies have reported deteriorating operating performance and many have struggled to maintain market share. But...
Best: Indonesia Insurers’ Reinsurance Buying Habits Could Affect Capital Ratios
Apr 10 2015 // The purchase of reinsurance by Indonesian non-life insurers is high, which could have a significant effect on capital requirements and magnify the capital impact of changes to reinsurance asset quality, according to anA.M....
ASEAN Open Market Will Benefit Region’s Insurance Industry: Best’s Report
Apr 9 2015 // While the planned year-end timeline for 10 Southeast Asia nations forging ahead under a single, open economic market appears to be slipping, the region’s insurance industry has reached common ground on the benefits...
A.M. Best: Insurers Must Consider Risks of U.K. Exit From European Union
Apr 8 2015 // Insurers based in the United Kingdom underwriting a material amount of European business should be monitoring the potential consequences of the United Kingdom exiting or renegotiating its position within the European Union...
A.M. Best: European Reinsurers Report Strong Results, Growth Limited
Apr 6 2015 // Major European reinsurers have posted very strong full-year results for 2014 and continue to be well capitalized, with profitable underwriting results due to the absence of sizable natural catastrophes and ongoing reserve...
A.M. Best Downgrades Ratings of Southern General Insurance Co.
Apr 6 2015 // 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 Southern General Insurance Co. (SGIC) of Marietta, Ga. The...
A.M. Best Revises Outlook for Southern Mutual Church Insurance Co.
Apr 1 2015 // A.M. Best has revised the outlook to stable from negative for the financial strength rating (FSR) and the issuer credit rating (ICR) of Southern Mutual Church Insurance Co. (SMCIC) of Columbia, S.C., while affirming the...
A.M. Best: Germanwings Crash May Put More Pressure on Aviation War Sector
Mar 31 2015 // A.M. Best said the total insurance loss of Germanwings Flight 4U9525, which crashed in the French Alps on March 24, 2015 killing 150 people, may put further pressure on the beleaguered aviation war sector. The total...
A.M. Best Downgrades Ratings of Southern General Insurance Co.
Mar 26 2015 // 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 Southern General Insurance Co. (SGIC) of Marietta, Ga. The...
IAIS’ International Capital Standards Have Ambitious Timeline: A.M. Best
Mar 25 2015 // Given the potential wide-reaching impacts on pricing, products, investment strategies and the cost of capital, A.M. Best doubts that the ambitious timeline can be met to develop and implement international capital...
A.M. Best: India Law to Raise Foreign Investment Interest in Insurance Sector
Mar 24 2015 // There will be heavy interest fromforeign investors in India’s insurance sector now that global insurers are permitted to increase their stakes in Indian companies, according to a new briefing from A.M. Best. The...
