Latest Reinsurance Headlines
All the headlines from our Reinsurance Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Re/Insurers May Be Entering Reserving ‘Danger Phase’: JLT Re Execs
Sep 14 2016 // Re/insurers have released redundant liability reserves into their earnings for the past eight years as a result of favorable loss development. This practice has worked well to compensate for low investment yields and soft...
11 Years After Spitzer Sued, Greenberg’s Trial Over Reinsurance Begins
Sep 14 2016 // It’s a day of reckoning — or the moment of truth — for former American International Group Inc. head Maurice “Hank” Greenberg. More than 11 years after he was sued by former New York Attorney...
Big Reinsurers Pin Profit Hopes on Tailoring Coverages to Specific Risks
Sep 14 2016 // In a world of increasing automation and standardization, Europe’s big reinsurers are betting that a more personal touch can reverse years of falling prices. Companies including Munich Re AG and Swiss Re AG are...
Aon: Global Reinsurer Capital Hits Record $585B
Sep 13 2016 // Total global reinsurer capital, which comprises capital both from the traditional and alternative markets, rose by four percent to a record USD585 billion over the six months to June 30, 2016, reinsurance intermediary Aon...
Hiscox Expansion of ILS Activity Includes New Collaterized Capability, Rebranding
Sep 13 2016 // Insurer Hiscox said it is building a collateralized reinsurance insurance linked securities (ILS) capability for launch on January 1, 2017, in addition to expanding its fully-fronted ILS fund structures. The expanded ILS...
Is This the Bottom of Reinsurance Cycle? Opinions Vary at Rendez-Vous
Sep 13 2016 // It may be wishful thinking – but some major reinsurers are hoping the bottom of the reinsurance cycle is at hand. Both Swiss Re and Hannover Re told journalists at this year’s reinsurance Rendez-Vous de Septembre...
Fitch Sees Weak Profits Leading to Takeovers of Smaller Reinsurers
Sep 13 2016 // Weak profitability is likely to leave more reinsurers worldwide vulnerable to takeover in 2017, reinvigorating mergers and acquisition activity as healthier firms seek growth and efficiency savings, according to Fitch...
Axis CEO Says Acquisition Still in Play Despite Striking Out on PartnerRe
Sep 12 2016 // Axis Capital Holdings Ltd., the reinsurer seeking to grow its business after losing a bidding war for PartnerRe, is looking for more partnerships and may try another comparable takeover, its chief executive officer...
Top 25 Non-Life Reinsurers: Swiss Re Leads, Berkshire Drops in A.M. Best’s 2016 Ranking
Sep 12 2016 // Swiss Re landed on top of a ranking of global non-life reinsurers, just edging out Munich Re by a few hundred million dollars in premium on a list extracted from an A.M. Best analysis. The rating agency’s special...
Casualty Losses and Cyber, Crop, Property Demand Driving Reinsurance Growth: Aon
Sep 12 2016 // Reinsurance demand has increased over the past 18 months, with the cession ratio across the global property/casualty insurance industry registering a small rise for the first time in several years, and the trend expected...
London’s BMS Re Acquires Texas Reinsurance Broker
Sep 9 2016 // London-based BMS Re US, a specialist insurance and reinsurance broker, has acquired a reinsurance intermediary that complements its own operations. BMS, which is the broking arm of Minova Insurance, acquired Advocate...
Greenlight Re Expanding into Europe, Asia with New Partnership
Sep 9 2016 // Greenlight Capital Re Ltd., the reinsurer that counts on hedge fund manager David Einhorn to oversee its investment portfolio, reached a deal to expand in Europe and Asia as the company seeks to improve underwriting. The...
Ex-AIG Chief Greenberg Won’t Surrender in 11-Year Old Reinsurance Fight
Sep 9 2016 // Even at 91, former American International Group Inc. Chairman Maurice “Hank” Greenberg isn’t ready to quit fighting. Greenberg scrapped with regulators and the Internal Revenue Service and beat the...
Viewpoint: How Trade Agreements Could Help P/C Insurers in Global Market
Sep 8 2016 // The insurance industry and its consumers need to be concerned about the recent rise of protectionist policies in markets around the globe. Our industry has played an important role in building a more open, interconnected...
Europe’s Top Cedents Saw Cessions Jump by Double Digits in 2015: A.M. Best
Sep 8 2016 // Europe’s top cedents reported a double-digit hike in cessions for 2015 compared to the previous year. The trend stems from their taking advantage of cheap and bountiful reinsurance capacity, A.M. Best said in a new...
Ratings Agencies Expect Reinsurance Premiums to Continue Dropping in 2017
Sep 7 2016 // Reinsurance premiums are likely to continue to fall next year, ratings agencies said on Tuesday, following years of weaker prices due to competition in the sector and a lack of natural catastrophe losses. Reinsurers act as...
Negative Reinsurance Sector Outlook Not Changing Anytime Soon: A.M. Best
Sep 7 2016 // A.M. Best said its outlook for the reinsurance sector remains negative due to a multitude of factors, and it will likely stay that way for quite some time. “Our rating outlook remains longer-term than our typical...
Reinsurers’ Profits in Danger of Falling Below Their Cost of Capital: S&P
Sep 6 2016 // Reinsurers’ profits will soon drop below their cost of capital* and could remain there until the underwriting and/or investment cycles turn, according to Standard & Poor’s in a new report. S&P...
Cat Bonds Match Traditional Reinsurers on Reliability Scale: S&P
Sep 1 2016 // Some traditional reinsurers have asserted that catastrophe bonds are unreliable in terms of paying claims after major events. A new Standard & Poor’s article rebukes that idea. “We have explored the claims...
Commentary: It is a Catastrophe that No One Listens to the Experts on Florida
Sep 1 2016 // “If you don’t read the newspaper, you are uninformed. If you do read the newspaper, you are misinformed.” Although the author is unknown, this comment is often attributed to Mark Twain or Thomas...
