Latest S&P Headlines
All the headlines from our S&P Topic Page, ordered by recency.
S&P Analyzes EU’s Proposed Solvency II Regulations on ‘Hybrid Capital’
Mar 5 2010 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has published updated assumptions for assessing European insurance hybrid capital instruments (see “Assumptions: Implications Of Solvency II Proposals For Our European...
S&P Affirms Max Capital and Harbor Point Ratings
Mar 4 2010 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has affirmed its ‘BBB’ counterparty credit ratings on Bermuda-based insurance and reinsurance holding company Max Capital Group Ltd. and its intermediary...
S&P Puts ‘the Pru’ on CreditWatch / Negative on AIA Acquisition
Mar 2 2010 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has placed its ratings on Prudential PLC and its operating subsidiaries, including the ‘A+’ long-term counterparty credit rating on Prudential, on CreditWatch with...
Ratings Recap: AIA/AIAB, SOVAG, Coface, PhilNaRe, Generali Rueck
Mar 2 2010 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has placed its ‘A+’ counterparty credit and financial strength ratings on American International Assurance Co. Ltd. (AIA) and American International Assurance Co....
Ratings: Western, Hanover (debt), Public Service/Magna Carta, First Hawaii
Mar 2 2010 // A.M. Best Co. has downgraded the financial strength ratings to ‘B++’ (Good) from ‘A-‘ (Excellent) and issuer credit ratings to “bbb” from “a-” of Western Insurance Company...
Rating Agencies React to Fairfax Zenith Deal; See No Ratings Change
Feb 22 2010 // Neither Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services nor A.M. Best are currently expecting to change their ratings on Zenith National Insurance Corp or on Toronto-based Fairfax Financial Holdings, following the...
Ratings Roundup: Compania Internacional, Oman Insurance
Feb 12 2010 // A.M. Best Co. has upgraded the issuer credit rating to “bbb+” from “bbb” and affirmed the financial strength rating of’ B++’ (Good) of Panamanian insurer Compania Internacional de...
Berkshire Hathaway Loses ‘AAA’ Ratings from S&P
Feb 5 2010 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has lowered its long-term counterparty credit rating on Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK) to ‘AA+’ from ‘AAA’. S&P also lowered its financial strength...
Ratings: RSA Canada, Korean Re, New India, Labuan Re, Al-Ahleia, Generali/Volksfuersorge, GCAN
Jan 28 2010 // A.M. Best Co. has upgraded the financial strength ratings (FSR) to ‘A’ (Excellent) from ‘A-‘ (Excellent) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) to “a” from “a-” of Royal & Sun...
U.S. Judge Dismisses Claims Against Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s
Jan 27 2010 // In a victory for ratings agencies, a U.S. judge Tuesday dismissed claims against Moody’s Corp. and McGraw-Hill’s Standard & Poor’s in litigation over nearly $100 billion of Lehman Brothers Holdings...
Validus Prices Debt Offering; S&P Rates Issue ‘BBB-‘; Affirms Ratings
Jan 22 2010 // Validus Holdings announced that it has priced a registered offering of $250 million aggregate principal amount of 8.875 percent Senior Notes due 2040. They are to be sold to the public at a “price of 98.71 percent of...
S&P:No Downgrades for Financials, Insurers from Japan Airlines Bankruptcy
Jan 21 2010 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services stated that its ratings on Japan’s financial institutions and insurance companies “would be unaffected by the debt forgiveness requested by Japan Airlines Corp....
S&P Comments on RenRe’s Management Changes; No Rating Change
Jan 12 2010 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has stated that its ratings on Bermuda-based RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. (currently ‘A’ with a stable outlook) and related entities are not affected by the...
Ratings Recap: Berkshire H. (Notes), AXA US, Chartis PR, AGCS Marine
Jan 12 2010 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has assigned its ‘AAA’ senior debt rating to Berkshire Hathaway Finance Corp.’s (BHFC) $1.0 billion senior notes. The notes will have various maturity dates....
Ratings Recap: Cattolica, Ghana Re, Al Ittihad, Grafton, RCHL
Dec 22 2009 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating of ‘A’ (Excellent) and the issuer credit rating of “a” of Italy’s Societa Cattolica di Assicurazione – Societa Cooperativa. Both...
S&P Revises Outlook on Credit Insurer Coface to Negative
Dec 22 2009 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services said today that it has revised its outlook on the core operating entities of French credit insurance group Coface to negative from stable. The core entities are: —...
S&P Raises Platinum Holdings Ratings to ‘BBB+’; Insurance Subs Rated ‘A’
Dec 21 2009 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has raised its counterparty credit rating on Platinum Underwriting Holdings Ltd. to ‘BBB+’ from ‘BBB’. S&P also assigned its ‘A’...
S&P Upgrades Catlin’s Subsidiaries Ratings to ‘A’; Outlook Stable
Dec 15 2009 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has raised its long-term counterparty credit and insurer financial strength ratings on the following core subsidiaries of Bermuda-based Catlin Group Ltd. to ‘A’...
Ratings Recap: XL Europe, Wagram, NAGICO, AGS, ARIG
Dec 15 2009 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that it withdrew its ‘A’ counterparty credit and financial strength ratings on XL Europe Ltd. on Dec. 10, 2009. “We withdrew the ratings because of...
Ratings Recap: WUEBA (Chartis), Solid, West of England Club, Coface, InterGlobal
Dec 11 2009 // A.M. Best Co. has withdrawn the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘B++’ (Good) and issuer credit rating (ICR) of “bbb” of German insurer Wuerttembergische und Badische Versicherungs-AG (WUEBA) and...
