Latest Trends Headlines

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

I.I.I. Forecast Presents Mixed Bag

Feb 4 2003 // Each year before Groundhog Day, the Insurance Information Institute invites a panel of Wall Street stock analysts and industry professionals to come out of their holes, look around for their shadow and forecast the outlook...

Moody’s Revises AXA Group’s Debt Rating Outlook from Stable to Negative

Jan 31 2003 // Moody’s Investors Service announced that it has changed its outlook to negative from stable on the A1 senior debt and A2 subordinated and junior subordinated debt ratings of France’s AXA group. Moody’s...

Benfield Report Notes “Capital Shortage” May Mean a Difficult Year for Reinsurers

Jan 30 2003 // A reinsurance market review prepared by the London-based Benfield Group, one of the world’s leading independent reinsurance intermediaries, has concluded that “despite the massive tidal wave of new capital...

P/C Pricing Growth Fastest Since 1986

Jan 28 2003 // The insurance industry is well into a rebound from the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, with premiums increasing aggressively for more than a year, according to the Chicago-based Raymond James Financial. Greg Peters,...

RenRe Already Looking to 2003 – Sees CWP Up 15%

Jan 28 2003 // Bermuda-based RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. doesn’t seem to have lost its touch. Prior to its appearance at conferences sponsored by the New York Society of Securities Analysts and Salomon Smith Barney this week, the...

Risk Retention Groups Owning Up to Success

Jan 27 2003 // Due to the restricted coverages available in the market today, risk retention groups (RRGs) have experienced a significant amount of rapid growth over the past year. At a time when the industry is facing what is perhaps...

Wash. Workplace Injuries Down in 2001

Jan 27 2003 // Washington’s job sites were safer in 2001, continuing a trend that began nearly a decade ago, according to survey results released by the Department of Labor and Industries. The survey showed that 7.6 out of every...

TX Workers’ Comp Costs Per Claim Keep Rising

Jan 27 2003 // A new study by the Workers Compensation Research Institute shows that workers’ compensation costs per claim in Texas continued to increase at double digit rates during recent years. According to WCRI, workers’...

CIAB Market Survey Reports Premiums Still Gaining

Jan 23 2003 // According to a survey by The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers (CIAB), more than two-thirds of the small and medium-sized commercial property/casualty accounts and 59 percent of the large accounts experienced...

Penn-America Posts 2002 Income Gains; Q4 Operating Income up 41.7%

Jan 23 2003 // Penn-America Group, Inc. reported that its fourth quarter operating income increased 41.7 percent to $2.9 million or $0.24 per share (basic and diluted), compared with operating income of $2.1 million or $0.18 per share...

S&P Revises Austrian Insurance Market Outlook to “Stable”

Jan 22 2003 // Standard & Poor’s announced that it has revised its outlook for rated Austrian insurers to stable from negative, indicating that insurer financial strength ratings are more likely to remain the same than to be...

Zenith Announces 4th Q Increase in Loss Reserves

Jan 21 2003 // Zenith National Insurance Corp. reported that its actuaries have completed a review of the loss and loss adjustment expense reserves of our insurance companies at Dec. 31, 2002 and have determined that it is necessary to...

New BCBS Survey Points to Impact of Med-Mal Crisis

Jan 16 2003 // The nation’s medical malpractice insurance crisis is threatening healthcare costs and access to care, according to a new survey of the 42 Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) companies. Blue Plans believe that because...

Lloyd’s Chairman Notes U.S. Premium Income Rises to New High of $8.2B

Jan 16 2003 // In his inaugural speech as Chairman of Lloyd’s of London, Lord Levene confirmed that the U.S. continues to be Lloyd’s largest single market accounting for approximately 40 percent of its business. He announced...

P/C Insurers Feel $6.6B Decline in Investment Gains in First Half of 2002

Jan 13 2003 // Property and casualty insurers suffered a staggering $6.6 billion decline in investment gains during the first six months of 2002, to $18.1 billion from $24.7 billion during the same period in 2001, according to Weiss...

ERC Faces an Uncertain Future

Jan 13 2003 // Employers Reinsurance Corp. (ERC), the chief operating unit of General Electric’s sprawling reinsurance empire, is facing an uncertain future. It’s been hit by the same problems as Munich Re, Swiss Re, SCOR,...

ERC Faces an Uncertain Future

Jan 13 2003 // Employers Reinsurance Corp., the chief operating unit of General Electric’s sprawling reinsurance empire, is facing an uncertain future. It’s been hit by the same problems as Munich Re, Swiss Re, SCOR, Gerling...

Willis NA’s Outlook Raised

Jan 13 2003 // Moody’s Investors Service revised its outlook on the debt ratings of Willis NorthAmerica Inc., a subsidiary of Willis Group Holdings. to positive from stable. The rating agency commented that improved earnings,...

Oxley Forecasts Insurance Issues Awaiting the 108th Congress

Jan 13 2003 // For more than a year, the issue of federal backstop legislation for terrorism risk has dominated Congress’ attention when it comes to insurance industry issues. Now that the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act has been...

WCIRB’s Q3 Report Reveals Price Increases and Adverse Loss Development

Jan 9 2003 // The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau’s (WCIRB) summary of statewide third quarter 2002 experience shows sharp increases in rates charged to policyholders, declines in claim frequency, and continued...