Latest Europe Headlines

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

Aon Benfield Monthly Cat Report: Thai, Europe Floods Costly for Insurers

Dec 7 2011 // Aon Benfield’s Monthly Cat Recap report, which reviews the natural disaster perils that occurred worldwide during November, concludes that insured losses in Thailand could top $10 billion, while floods in Europe will...

RSA Names Slingsby Global Program Director-Global Specialty Lines

Dec 6 2011 // RSA announced the appointment of Steve Slingsby as Global Program Director for Global Specialty Lines (GSL). He will work closely with the specialty lines teams, supporting the running of the GSL business. Paul Donaldson,...

Torus Acquires Renewals of C.V. Starr for Continental Europe; Interview with Int’l. CEO O’Donohoe

Dec 5 2011 // Torus announced that it has entered into an agreement with Starr Underwriting Agents Limited whereby Torus Syndicate 2243 acquires the renewal rights to CV Starr Syndicate 1919’s Continental European Marine,...

Swiss Re Economists See Weak Growth; Some Market Hardening; EU Peril

Dec 2 2011 // Swiss Re presented its latest analysis of the global economic outlook and its potential impact on the insurance industry at an economic forum in London yesterday, December 1. Chief Economist Kurt Karl began the discussion...

Thai Flood May Hit Asia Harder Than Japan Disaster: Official

Nov 29 2011 // The impact from Thailand floods on Asia’s production networks may last longer and be deeper than that from Japan’s March earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis, a senior Asian Development Bank official said on...

Ratings: Bahrain Kuwait, Twin Bridges/Majestic, GTA Assur, Bahamas First, swisspartners (SPV & SPC)

Nov 28 2011 // A.M. Best Europe – Rating Services Limited has assigned a financial strength rating of ‘A-‘ (Excellent) and issuer credit rating of “a-” to Bahrain Kuwait Insurance Company B. S. C. (BKIC), both...

World Economy Counts the Cost of Euro Zone Dithering

Nov 23 2011 // From credit bottlenecks in Eastern Europe to slower growth in China, delays in tackling the euro zone’s debt crisis are causing ever-greater economic and financial damage well beyond the borders of the 17-nation...

Ratings Recap: BEST RE, Garant, ZEP-RE, East Africa Re, Custodian

Nov 23 2011 // A.M. Best Europe – Rating Services Limited has affirmed the financial strength rating of ‘A- ‘(Excellent) and issuer credit rating of “a-” of Malaysia-based BEST RE Family (L) Limited, both with...

Best Performs Added Stress Testing Due to Europe’s Economic Uncertainty

Nov 22 2011 // A.M. Best Co. announced that it has performed additional stress tests of the balance sheets of insurers’ exposure to euro zone debt as economic conditions within the region continue to worsen. Best has published the...

Buffet on Japan Visit; Says Euro Zone Has ‘Major Flaw’

Nov 21 2011 // Billionaire investor Warren Buffett said Europe’s debt crisis had shown up a “major flaw” in the 17-member euro zone system and it would take more than words to fix it. “There is a major flaw in the...

AmTrust Europe to Open Branch in Italy

Nov 18 2011 // UK-based insurer AmTrust Europe, Ltd., a FSA [Financial Services Authority] authorized insurance company, which already has had operations in Italy “under freedom of services (LPS) for a number of years,”...

Breaking up the Euro? Try Unscrambling an Omelet – an Analysis

Nov 17 2011 // Can you unscramble an omelet? That, in essence, is what euro zone leaders and the global monetary policy elite will have to do if the euro zone is to be reshaped in any semblance of an orderly manner, be it by letting...

Torus Strengthens European P&C Platforms with New Appointments

Nov 17 2011 // Torus Insurance announced that it has “enhanced its offering in Europe with the appointment of Brian Byrnes as Senior Underwriter for General Property and Marco Sonntag as Senior Underwriter for Casualty.” They...

Reuters Analyst Warns World Must Keep Focus on Climate Risk

Nov 17 2011 // Gerard Wynn, a Reuters market analyst, has expressed his own views on the necessity of continuing to deal with the challenges presented by extreme weather and its global impact. Rising temperatures are driving more...

HK Shares Close Down 2%; Chinese Insurers Slump

Nov 16 2011 // Hong Kong shares slumped on Wednesday, dragged down by weakness in Chinese insurers and property developers, with turnover low as investors became more averse to riskier assets on fears of contagion from Europe’s...

RSA Makes Changes to Operational Structure, Executive Team

Nov 14 2011 // UK-based RSA has announced announces a number of changes to the Group’s operating structure and Executive Team. As of January first the group will be reorganized into four regions: UK & Western Europe;...

FERMA Pushes Brazil to Relax Reinsurance Regulatory Restrictions

Nov 14 2011 // The Federation of European Risk Management Associations (FERMA) announced that it has sent “specific recommendations to the Brazilian insurance regulator SUSEP to limit the impact of regulations 225 and 232 on market...

Does the Legacy of the Great War Still Haunt Europe?

Nov 10 2011 // As Americans and much of the rest of the world pause to honor the men and women who have served their country, one is reminded of the significance of the date – November 11. 93 years ago the guns of World War I fell...

Swiss Re Places $130 Million Cat Bond for Hurricanes, European Wind

Nov 9 2011 // Swiss Re has obtained a further $130 million in protection through the Successor X Ltd. catastrophe bond program, which covers exposures to “North Atlantic hurricane and European windstorm.” Swiss Re noted that...

Best Affirms Torus Insurance Holdings and Operating Subs Ratings

Nov 9 2011 // A.M. Best Europe – Rating Services Limited has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A-‘ (Excellent) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “a-” of Torus Insurance (Bermuda) Limited, Torus...