Latest Europe Headlines
All the headlines from our Europe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Insurers Prop up European Shares Ahead of ECB News Conference
Aug 4 2011 // European shares held steady on Thursday, as strong earnings from insurers provided ballast and hopes that the European Central Bank could show readiness to buy bonds offset worries about slow economic growth in the...
ING Wavers on Insurance IPO Plan
Aug 4 2011 // ING will not be launching a stock market flotation for its insurance operations any time soon and trade buyers are expressing interest, the Dutch bancassurer said on Thursday. European Commission regulators seeking payback...
When Rating Agencies Judge the World – an Analysis
Aug 3 2011 // The man who holds in his hands the fate of U.S. credit, and with it potentially the global economy, favors small tie knots, sports a bushy mustache and smokes his fair share of cigarettes. Beyond that, he is a mystery,...
Insurers Interested in ING European, Asian Units
Aug 2 2011 // ING could get a far bigger pay-out if it ditched a plan to spin-off its Asian and European insurance units as a single stock market-listed business and instead chose buyers from a long list of interested parties. A trade...
Ratings Recap: Lemma, Adamjee, CCR (Algeria), Bosna Re
Jul 26 2011 // A.M. Best Europe – Rating Services Limited has removed from under review with negative implications and affirmed the financial strength rating of ‘B+’ (Good) and issuer credit rating of “bbb-” of...
EU Doesn’t Need More Corporate Governance Rules Say Risk Managers
Jul 26 2011 // The Federation of European Risk Management Associations (FERMA) has told the European Commission that it should start with “implementation and robust enforcement” of existing EU corporate governance rules on...
Liberty International Appoints Environmental Liability Underwriter for France
Jul 25 2011 // Liberty International Underwriters in Europe (LIU Europe), a member of Liberty Mutual Group, has appointed Audrey Mondin as Environmental Impairment Liability Underwriter in its Paris Office. LIU said the move resulted...
Best Names Holzberger as Managing Director – Analytics for EMEA
Jul 25 2011 // A.M. Best Co. announced that Stefan Holzberger has joined A.M. Best Europe – Rating Services Limited as managing director, analytics. He will be based in London and will report directly to Roger Sellek, CEO –...
ING Sale of Latin American Insurance Unit Sets Stage for Others
Jul 25 2011 // Dutch bancassurer ING is to sell most of its Latin American operation to Colombia’s GrupoSura for 2.6 billion euros ($3.7 bln) in a deal resulting from its state rescue in 2008. ING agreed to split its bank and...
Europe’s Banks, Insurers Take Greek Debt Hit in Stride
Jul 22 2011 // Major European banks have limited their losses on Greek bonds to just over €5 billion [$7.2 billion] after negotiating a 21 percent haircut on their debt holdings as part of a rescue plan. France’s BNP Paribas is...
Study Confirms Growth of Extended Warranties on Mobile, Non-Mobile Products in Europe
Jul 22 2011 // According to new research issued by financial services market research consultancy Finaccord, the market for extended warranties and insurance related to mobile and non-mobile consumer products in Europe was worth around...
Aon GRIP Solutions Expands Europe, Middle East and Africa Team
Jul 21 2011 // Aon Risk Solutions, the global risk management and insurance brokerage business of Aon Corp., announced three senior-level appointments for Aon GRIP Solutions in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Aon GRIP Solutions...
Stress Test Puts Banks’ Euro Zone Debt in Spotlight
Jul 18 2011 // Pressure on Europe’s banks to raise more capital increased on Monday after last week’s stress tests revealed their holdings of European sovereign debt, with likely losses on Greek bonds a growing concern. A...
Allianz: Investors Should Forgive 25-30% of Greek Debt
Jul 18 2011 // German insurer Allianz , owner of the world’s largest bond investor Pimco, favors private investors writing off 25-30 percent of Greece’s debt, company managers were on Monday quoted as saying. Three weeks of...
Europe’s PERILS Expands Coverage to Norway, Sweden
Jul 14 2011 // PERILS, the independent Zurich-based company that provides industry-wide catastrophe insurance data, announced that it has extended its market coverage to include Norway and Sweden. The two Nordic markets are in addition...
Head of S&P Germany Rejects Euro Zone Criticism
Jul 14 2011 // Standard & Poor’s hit back at criticism over the credit rating agencies’ role in the euro zone debt crisis on Thursday, with its German operations head saying rating agencies would lose credibility if they...
Europe at Impasse on Greece, IMF Backs Investor Role
Jul 14 2011 // The International Monetary Fund joined Germany on Wednesday in pushing for private sector investors [presumably including the EU’s insurers] to help cut Greece’s debt mountain as the euro zone sought to break...
Europe Considers Greek Default Possible; Leaders to Meet
Jul 12 2011 // European Union leaders are poised to hold an emergency summit after finance ministers acknowledged for the first time that some form of Greek default may be needed to cut Athens’ debts and stop contagion to Italy and...
Cigelnik Joins Insurer Trade Group PCI
Jul 12 2011 // The trade group Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI) has hired Randi Cigelnik as its new senior vice president, corporate secretary and general counsel effective Aug. 1. Most recently, Cigelnik served as...
EU Court Says eBay May Be Liable on Trademark Abuse
Jul 12 2011 // Internet auction marketplace eBay may have to take more responsibility over what is sold via its website or it could be sued for trademark abuse, Europe’s top court ruled on Tuesday. The European Court of Justice...
