Latest Trends Headlines

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

U.S. Commercial Auto Insurers Report Worst Losses in Decade: AM Best

Jun 30 2020 // The U.S.commercial automobile insurance segment’s underwriting losses deepened to $4.0 billion in 2019, the segment’s worst loss in 10 years and a continuation of a decade-long trend of worsening underwriting...

Australia to Spend Nearly $1 Billion on Cyber Security During Next Decade

Jun 30 2020 // SYDNEY – Australia will spend A$1.35 billion ($926.1 million) over the next 10 years to boost its cyber security defenses, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Tuesday, as Canberra seeks to combat a wave of attacks. The...

Municipal Bond Insurance Industry Busier Than Ever After Decade-Long Slump

Jun 26 2020 // As the coronavirus pandemic rips through the finances of state and local governments, municipal-bond insurers are busier than they’ve been in years. Since early May, about 10% of new bond sales have been offered with...

Outlook for Texas’ MGA Insurance Issuer Credit Rating Revised to Positive

Jun 25 2020 // AM Best has revised the outlook to positive from stable for the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of B++ (Good) and the Long-Term ICR of “bbb” of...

Bayer Gambles on Science to Let It Keep Selling Roundup, Mitigate Future Claims

Jun 25 2020 // FRANKFURT/NEW YORK— Seeking to forestall further claims, Bayer AG is taking a risky bet that an independent scientific review will ultimately show that its widely used weed killer Roundup does not cause cancer, legal...

The Future of Work in America Is in the Office: Opinion

Jun 25 2020 // Ever since the coronavirus sent millions of people home to work, people have been predicting that remote work will endure after the pandemic is over. Color me skeptical. I can’t imagine everyone not wanting to race...

COVID-19 Could Rank Among Re/Insurance Sector’s Most Expensive Events: Carpenter

Jun 25 2020 // Although considerable uncertainty remains over its ultimate cost, the COVID-19 pandemic looks set to rank among the re/insurance sector’s most expensive events, according to a report published by reinsurance broker...

Emerging Mkt Infrastructure Projects to Bring Premiums of $50B in Next Decade: Sigma

Jun 18 2020 // Investment in infrastructure development is set to be one of the main drivers of growth in emerging markets after the COVID-19 crisis subsides, according to Swiss Re’s latest sigma report. Emerging markets will...

S&P’s Outlook for AGCS Revised to Negative on ‘Weak Underwriting Performance’

Jun 18 2020 // S&P Global Ratings has revised its outlook on Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty SE (AGCS) to negative from stable, while at the same time affirmed the insurer’s “AA” financial strength and...

Backers of Controversial California Homeowners Insurance Bill Like Its Momentum, Timing

Jun 17 2020 // Backers of a controversial bill in California, which they say is designed to increase insurance coverage in high-risk wildfire areas by amending Proposition 103, believe it has the right timing and plenty of momentum to go...

Appeals Court Strikes Down Trump TV Ad Drug Price Rule

Jun 17 2020 // A U.S. appeals court on Tuesday upheld a ruling that struck down a Trump administration rule that required pharmaceutical companies to include the wholesale prices of their drugs in television advertisements. The U.S....

China Pacific Insurance Co.’s Shares Rise on $1.8 Billion London Market Debut

Jun 17 2020 // Shares in China Pacific Insurance Co. (CPIC) rose on their London debut on Wednesday after the company completed the largest fund raising on the London Stock Exchange in three years, sparking hopes of a revival in the...

California Workers’ Comp Direct Written Premium Continued to Fall Last Year, Report Shows

Jun 16 2020 // California workers’ compensation total direct written premium continued to decline in 2019, falling 7.0% to a five-year low of $11.42 billion, as nine out of the state’s 10 largest insurer groups wrote less...

Companies Press Insurance Brokers for Workarounds to Rising D&O Costs

Jun 15 2020 // When Elon Musk said in April he was dropping the insurance policy that protects Tesla Inc.’s board from shareholder lawsuits, it got Skip McBride’s attention. To McBride, who used to manage law firm Bracewell...

Survey: Florida Residents More Concerned for Hurricane Season Amid Pandemic

Jun 15 2020 // Florida has officially started hurricane season and a new survey shows a majority of residents are more concerned for this year’s potential storms than in previous years, given the simultaneous continuing issues...

Edge Computing, Supply Chains, Deepfakes Among 2020’s Top Emerging Risks: Swiss Re

Jun 12 2020 // Pandemic threats were once on the list of potential emerging risks facing the insurance industry and society. Now that this risk has materialized with the COVID-19 crisis, it is perhaps a good time to take a look at the...

Insuretech Noblr Enters Louisiana Auto Insurance Market

Jun 12 2020 // Behavior-based auto insurance from Noblr is now available in Louisiana, the company said. The company provides an app-powered, personalized car insurance experience that rewards members’ good driving behaviors with...

Texas Surplus Lines Premium Amount Increases Again in May

Jun 12 2020 // The amount of surplus lines premium reported in Texas in May 2020 was nearly $100 million higher than reported in the same month last year, according to the Surplus Lines Stamping Office of Texas (SLTX). In May 2020,...

How Coronavirus Could Further Stress an Already-Stressed D&O Insurance Market

Jun 12 2020 // Players should expect the directors and officers insurance market to “undergo radical changes” based on 2019 results and the “unprecedented turbulence” created by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to...

Coronavirus Survey Last Call: How Have the Pandemic and Lockdowns Affected You?

Jun 11 2020 // No matter where you work in the property/casualty insurance industry, your experience is important. How is the coronavirus pandemic affecting you now? Going forward? What do you expect to change? When will you be ready to...