German reinsurer Munich Re is boosting its cash reserves in the face of the punishing negative interest rates from the European Central Bank, it said on Wednesday. The world’s largest reinsurer is far from alone in seeking alternative investment strategies …
Shares of European insurers fell after the European Central Bank decided to extend its quantitative easing program until at least March 2017 and broaden the range of assets purchased. The decision is “disappointing” because bond purchases by the ECB will …
The German government’s panel of economic advisers said on Wednesday the European Central Bank’s low interest rates were creating substantial risks, and Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble warned of a “moral hazard” from loose monetary policy. The double-barreled message came after …
Low interest rates together with highly liquid and stable financial markets have prompted European insurers to tap the capital markets in their efforts to lower the cost of capital and optimize levels of risk-adjusted capitalization, according to a new report …
The European Central Bank said on Thursday that record low interest rates were putting insurance firms and banks under increasing pressure and warned that any sell-off in stocks and bonds could damage the euro zone’s recovery. In its twice-yearly Financial …
The financial repercussions of record-low interest rates in Europe were highlighted Wednesday as Vienna Insurance Group AG, eastern Europe’s biggest insurer, posted its worst first-quarter profit since the financial crisis. The insurer, based in Austria’s capital, said the effect of …
Assicurazioni Generali SpA, Italy’s biggest insurer, reported the highest quarterly operating profit in seven years, spurred by a surge in investment income. Profit in the three months to March climbed 6 percent to 1.3 billion euros ($1.5 billion), the Trieste-based …
The new fixed-income haven is, of all things, the market for junk bonds. With government securities in Germany to Japan and Ireland yielding less than nothing, money is pouring into exchange- traded funds that buy speculative-grade debt, traditionally the riskiest …
Allianz SE, Europe’s biggest insurer, was cut to underperform by Jefferies Group as the investment bank warned insurance stocks may face an industrywide sell-off. “If bond yields fall further from here, the sector will likely sell off as investors factor …
Vienna Insurance Group AG wrote down debt of Austrian “bad bank” Heta Asset Resolution AG by 80 million euros ($85 million), a larger amount than expected, causing the firm to miss estimates for profit last year. The insurer, based in …
