Latest S&P Headlines
All the headlines from our S&P Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Ratings Roundup: Ambac, Prospect Medical, First American Title
Jan 22 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has placed Ambac Assurance Corp.’s financial strength, financial enhancement, and issuer credit ratings and Ambac Financial Group Inc.’s senior unsecured, issuer...
S&P Updates Results of Bond Insurance Stress Test for Revised Assumptions
Jan 18 2008 // The formerly placid world of the bond insurers has suddenly become as chaotic as the P/C sector after a major hurricane. Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services published a new version of its bond insurance stress...
Best, S&P See No Change in RenRe Ratings from Channel Re Write Down
Jan 18 2008 // Both A.M. Best Co. and Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services have released statements that they see no immediate changes in their respective ratings on RenaissanceRe, following yesterday’s announcement that...
S&P: Allstate’s Ratings Unaffected by Florida Suspension
Jan 17 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services said today that news reports (See IJ web site) about the suspension issued to Allstate Corp. (ALL) by the Florida Insurance Commissioner that prohibit some of the companies...
S&P Affirms, Withdraws Westport Ratings after Merger with Employers Re
Jan 16 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has affirmed its ‘AA-‘ financial strength rating on Westport Insurance Corp. and then withdrew the rating at the request of management. The outlook had been...
Ratings Recap: Verlan, ACMAT, Heritage, Alfa, Petroleum Marketers, Berkshire (Debt), Consumers, ACA Financial
Jan 15 2008 // A.M. Best Co. indicated that the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A’ (Excellent) and issuer credit rating (ICR) of “a” of Verlan Fire Insurance Company of Silver Spring, MD, are unchanged...
S&P: TRIPRA’s Passage Keeps U.S. Commercial Lines Outlook Stable
Jan 8 2008 // On Dec. 26, 2007, President George W. Bush signed into law the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (TRIPRA), thereby retaining the federal backstop for terrorism risk through Dec. 31, 2014. The...
S&P Revises Swett & Crawford’s Rating Outlook to Negative
Jan 7 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has revised its outlook on HMSC Corp., the intermediate holding company of Swett & Crawford Group Inc., to negative from stable, while also affirming its ‘B’...
S&P Affirms Arrowhead General Ratings; Lowers Outlook to Negative
Jan 7 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has revised its outlook on San Diego, Calif.-based Arrowhead General Insurance Agency Inc. to negative from stable. At the same time S&P affirmed its ‘B’...
Ratings Recap: Allied World, Dongbu, Bluewater
Jan 7 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has affirmed its ‘BBB’ counterparty credit and senior debt ratings on Bermuda-based Allied World Assurance Co. Holdings Ltd. and affirmed its ‘A-‘...
Ratings Recap: Green Valley (Swiss Re), Aviva Canada, CSOB Pojistovna, Harbor Point Re, Hiscox
Dec 27 2007 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has assigned its ‘BB+’ debt ratings to the €200 million ($292 million) Class A Series 1 Principal At-Risk variable-rate notes due Jan. 10, 2011 issued by Green...
Navigators Group To Join S&P SmallCap 600
Dec 27 2007 // New York-based specialty insurer Navigators Group Inc. has been added to the S&P SmallCap 600 Index. The addition to the index, widely used by private investors and money managers, will be effective after the close of...
Ratings Roundup: Insurance Australia Group, Bank of China
Dec 21 2007 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has revised its ratings outlook on the counterparty and insurer financial strength ratings on Insurance Australia’s group of companies to negative from stable. S&P...
S&P Announces Rating Actions on Bond Insurers; Teleconference Today
Dec 20 2007 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has announced various ratings actions (see list below) on six financial guaranty insurance companies. “The rating actions were prompted by worsening expectations for the...
S&P Lowers Kingsway Ratings to ‘BB+’; Outlook Negative
Dec 20 2007 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services joined A.M. Best in lowering its senior unsecured and long-term counterparty credit ratings on Toronto-based Kingsway Financial Services Inc. to ‘BB+’ from...
Ratings Recap: National Grid, HDI (Belgium), HDI (Germany), HDI (Italy)
Dec 19 2007 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating of ‘A’ (Excellent) and the issuer credit rating of “a” of National Grid Insurance Company Ltd. (NGICL), which is based on the Isle of Man, a...
S&P to Host Teleconference Tomorrow on U.S. P/C, Global Reinsurance
Dec 18 2007 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services will hold a telephone conference call on Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2007 at 11:00 A.M. Eastern Time (5:00 P.M. -Europe; 4:00 P.M. UK). The conference will feature an overview of...
Ratings Roundup: TokioMarine/Nichido, Zurich Australia, ACE
Dec 18 2007 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has indicated that there will be “no impact on its ratings on Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Co. Ltd. (AA/Stable/A-1+) following the company’s...
Rating Agencies Positive on ACE, Aon, Munich Re Deal for Combined, Sterling
Dec 18 2007 // The rating agencies have generally been positive about ACE’s acquisition of Aon’s Combined Life Insurance Company and Munich Re’s purchase of Sterling Life. The specific reactions were as follows: A.M....
S&P Raises RenRe’s Ratings to ‘A’ and ‘AA-‘; Outlook Stable
Dec 17 2007 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has raised its counterparty credit rating on Bermuda-based RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. to ‘A’ from ‘A-,’ as well as its counterparty credit and...
