Latest S&P Headlines
All the headlines from our S&P Topic Page, ordered by recency.
S&P Puts Allied World On CreditWatch Negative after Darwin Deal
Jul 2 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has placed its ‘BBB’ counterparty credit rating on Bermuda-based Allied World Assurance Co. Holdings Ltd. (AWH) on CreditWatch with negative implications. S&P...
S&P Raises Markel’s Ratings to ‘BBB’ From ‘BBB-‘; Outlook Stable
Jul 2 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has raised its counterparty credit rating on Markel Corp. to ‘BBB’ from ‘BBB-‘ and affirmed a stable. S&P said: “The upgrade is based on...
Ratings Recap: Darwin, Cincinnati Financial, Arch Indemnity, Prospect
Jul 2 2008 // A.M. Best Co. has placed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A-‘ (Excellent) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “a-” of Darwin Group and its members under review with positive implications. Best...
Ratings Round Up Mitsui Sumitomo: Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong
Jun 30 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has raised its counterparty credit rating and insurer financial strength rating on Taiwan-based Mingtai Fire & Marine Insurance Co. Ltd. to ‘AA-‘ from...
Europe Ratings Recap: Montpelier Syndicate 5151, Alliance Int’l., Tryggingamidstödin
Jun 30 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has assigned its interactive Lloyd’s Syndicate Assessment (LSA) of ‘3-‘ (average dependency) to U.K.-based Montpelier Syndicate 5151 with a stable outlook....
S&P: Rising Claims, Competition Squeeze Canadian P/C Insurers
Jun 26 2008 // “Lack of premium growth nationwide and diminished results in the Ontario auto segment restrained results for Canadian property and casualty insurers in the past year,” according to a newly published report from...
Ratings Recap: Guardian, Old Republic, Ingosstrakh, Cattolica, Caelus Re, Secura, Elwood
Jun 26 2008 // A.M. Best Co. has upgraded the issuer credit rating to “bbb+” from “bbb” and affirmed the financial strength rating of ‘B++’ (Good) of Guardian Insurance Company, Inc. of the U.S.,...
Ratings Recap: Tugu, Pacific Indemnity, Torus, SIAT, Farmers Mutual (NZ), MAPFRE (Puerto Rico)
Jun 24 2008 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating of ‘B++’ (Good) and issuer credit rating of “bbb” of Hong Kong’s Tugu Insurance Company Limited with stable outlooks. Best said: The...
Ratings Roundup: Allianz, Stellar, W.R. Berkley (Europe), Kiln
Jun 19 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has affirmed its ‘A+’ junior subordinated long-term debt rating on the $2.0 billion undated, subordinated, fixed-rate callable bonds issued by Germany’s...
Ratings Roundup: White Mountains, Everest Re, Inter Hannover
Jun 18 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has said that its ratings on White Mountains Re Group Ltd. (WMRe) – currently ‘BBB-‘ with a stable outlook – and its operating subsidiaries,...
S&P: Pros And Cons of a U.S. Federal Natural Catastrophe Backstop
Jun 18 2008 // Because of a natural catastrophe’s high cost to society, some believe that the U.S. federal government should provide a program to backstop losses for natural catastrophes, said an article published by Standard...
Ratings Roundup: Berkley (Europe), Brit, Maiden, Länsförsäkringar, Ocaso
Jun 16 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has assigned its ‘A’ long-term counterparty credit and insurer financial strength ratings to U.K.-based non-life insurer W.R. Berkley Insurance (Europe) Ltd....
S&P: U.S. Insurers Sitting with Excess Capital Face Rocky Road
Jun 16 2008 // U.S. insurers, in an industry awash in excess capital, face a stretch of turbulence that won’t soon abate, according to analysts at a recent Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services...
S&P Comments on Potential Impact of Ambac, MBIA Downgrades
Jun 13 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has released an analysis of its downgrades of monoline bond insurers MBIA Insurance Corp. and Ambac Assurance Corp. S&P’s report – “Who Will Feel The...
S&P: Volatility, Regulation Testing Global Multiline Insurers
Jun 12 2008 // Managers of global multiline insurance companies have their work cut out for them in 2008, according to analysts. The year 2008 will be one of challenge for global multiline insurers as they simultaneously try to remain...
Ratings: Wiener Staedtische, AXA (Canada), Max Capital, Tryggingamidstödin, Aveta, Ansvar, Norwegian Hull
Jun 11 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has affirmed its ‘A-‘ junior subordinated long-term debt rating on the €250 million ($387 million) undated, subordinated notes issued by Austria-based Wiener...
S&P Raises Fairfax Operating Companies Ratings
Jun 10 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has raised its counterparty credit and financial strength ratings on Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd.’s (FFH) operating insurance companies (collectively, Fairfax) to...
S&P: Investment Opportunities Still Exist For Insurers, Despite A Troubled Market
Jun 10 2008 // For insurance companies, today’s turbulent markets are presenting both tough investment choices and significant opportunities. That was the sense of a panel of investment officers at Standard & Poor’s...
S&P Lowers Willis Ratings to ‘BBB-‘; Outlook Negative
Jun 10 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has lowered its counterparty credit rating on Willis Group Holdings Ltd. to ‘BBB-‘ from ‘BBB’ following the recent announcement that it will acquire...
Ratings Recap: Mapfre/Commerce, Eurasia, Gulf Re, Central Re, Pioneer
Jun 6 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services said that its ratings and outlook on Spain’s Mapfre S.A. (A+/Stable/–; core operating entities Mapfre Empresas, Compania de Seguros y Reaseguros, S.A. and Mapfre Re...
