Latest Trends Headlines
All the headlines from our Trends Topic Page, ordered by recency.
The Value of Hurricane Forecasts
May 18 2015 // While state of the art of hurricane forecasting has improved over the last two decades, coastal exposures and populations at risk have also increased, offsetting those gains. Given the importance of forecasts to the...
Outlook for Dallas-Based MGA Insurance Revised to Positive
May 15 2015 // A.M. Best has revised the outlook to positive from stable for the issuer credit rating (ICR) of MGA Insurance Co. Inc. (MGA) in Dallas and affirmed its ICR of “bbb.” Concurrently, A.M. Best has affirmed the...
Outlooks for American Agricultural Insurance Positive
May 15 2015 // A.M. Best has revised the outlooks to positive from stable and affirmed the financial strength rating of A- (Excellent) and the issuer credit rating of “a-” of American Agricultural Insurance Co. (AAIC) of...
Louisiana Workers’ Comp Claim Costs Flat after Growth: WCRI
May 15 2015 // A recent study by the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) found costs per workers’ compensation claim in Louisiana changed little from 2011 to 2013 ― a flattening that followed three years of 5 percent...
Old Mutual Q1 Sales Rise 18% on Growth in Emerging Markets Business
May 14 2015 // Old Mutual plc, the London-based insurer, said first-quarter sales gained 18 percent as revenue from operations in Africa jumped by a third. Gross sales increased to 7.3 billion pounds ($11.5 billion), from 6.3 billion...
Fitch Upgrades Citizens to ‘AA-‘, Outlook Stable
May 14 2015 // Fitch Ratings has upgraded the rating on the following senior secured bonds of the Citizens Property Insurance Corp., FL, PLA/CLA to ‘AA-‘ from ‘A+’: –$1.1 billion series 2012A-1; –$200...
Use of Captives Rises for Non-Traditional Risks: Marsh
May 13 2015 // Captive insurance vehicles are increasingly being used by businesses to provide cover for non-traditional risks, according to a new benchmarking report published by Marsh. Marsh’s report, “The World of...
European Insurers’ Dividend Growth Unlikely With Rock-Bottom Interest Rates
May 11 2015 // Expectations of rising dividends and share buybacks from Europe’s insurance companies are fading as ultra low interest rates make it harder for them to meet new capital regulations. Rock-bottom interest rates reduce...
Third Point Re Reports Q1 Net Income of $50.5M, Up From $39.8M in Q1 2014
May 8 2015 // Bermuda-based Third Point Reinsurance Ltd. reported first quarter net income of $50.5 million, or $0.47 per diluted common share, compared with net income of $39.8 million, or $0.37 per diluted common share, for the first...
Beazley Reports Q1 Premiums Up 6% to $546 Million
May 8 2015 // Beazley plc reported that first quarter premiums grew by 6 percent to $546 million, compared to $516 million in 2014. Beazley’s largest division, specialty lines, wrote $226 million during the first quarter, which is...
Survey: More Than 96% in Massachusetts Have Health Insurance
May 7 2015 // Massachusetts continues to the lead the nation in health care with more than 96 percent of residents reporting coverage despite lingering cost barriers. That’s according to a survey by The Center for Health...
RSA Q1 Premiums Rise 1% to $2.3 Billion in Competitive Markets
May 7 2015 // RSA Insurance Group plc, the U.K.’s second-largest non-life insurer by market value, said revenue for the first quarter edged higher as it disposed of assets. Net written premiums for its core operations rose 1...
Allstate Says Profit Up 13% in Q1; Will Raise Auto Rates
May 6 2015 // Allstate Corp., the largest U.S. publicly traded seller of auto and home insurance, said first-quarter profit rose 13 percent as margins improved at the property- liability business and catastrophe losses fell. Net income...
RenaissanceRe Reports Q1 Net Income of $167.8M, Up From $151M in Q1 2014
May 6 2015 // Bermuda-based RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. reported net income available to RenaissanceRe common shareholders of $167.8 million, or $4.14 per diluted common share, in the first quarter of 2015, compared to $151.0 million,...
IronHealth Launches Emerging Infectious Disease Business Interruption Coverage
May 6 2015 // IronHealth, the specialty healthcare unit of Ironshore Inc., has introduced an endorsement on excess policies for its emerging infectious disease business interruption coverage. The drop-down coverage option will reimburse...
Endurance Reports Q1 Net Income of $100.3M, Up From $96.3M in Q1 2014
May 5 2015 // Endurance Specialty Holdings Ltd. reported net income available to common shareholders of $100.3 million and $2.23 per diluted common share for the first quarter of 2015 versus net income of $96.3 million and $2.17 per...
Great American Public Sector Increases Casualty Capacity
May 5 2015 // Great American Insurance Group has added an additional $10 million in casualty capacity for public sector risks attaching $10 million or higher. When attached to a risk in conjunction with Great American Public...
Fitch Upgrades Citizens’ Coastal Account, Outlook Stable
May 5 2015 // Fitch Ratings has assigned an ‘AA-‘ rating to the following senior secured bonds of the Citizens Property Insurance Corp., Coastal Account (formerly known as the High Risk Account): –$750 million series...
S&P Revises Outlook on Fairfax Financial to Stable; Affirms Ratings
May 4 2015 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has revised its outlook on Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. to stable from negative. At the same time, we affirmed our ‘BBB-‘ long-term counterparty credit rating on...
California Workers’ Comp Premium Up 11% in 2014; Combined Ratio Still Exceeds 100
May 4 2015 // California written premium for calendar year 2014 was roughly $16.5 billion, 11 percent above 2013 and 88 percent above the written premium reported for 2009, according to a report from the California Workers’...
