inflation News

AM Best: Ukraine Invasion to Likely Have ‘Substantial Impact’ on Insurance Industry

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could add to inflationary pressures and will likely have a substantial impact on the global insurance industry, said AM Best. The rating agency Friday said efforts by the global central banks and the U.S. Federal Reserve …

Fed’s Powell Prepares for Possible Pivot With Inflation Risks Rising

The U.S. central bank needs to be ready to respond to the possibility that inflation may not recede in the second half of next year as most forecasters currently expect, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said on Wednesday. In his …

Demand Outpacing Supply in One of Best E&S Markets in 50 Years, Industry Veteran Says

The chair of W.R. Berkley Corp. has been observing conditions in the excess and surplus and specialty markets for more than five decades and views the current environment as just about the best in that time span. According to William …

The Inflation Specter Looms for Property/Casualty Insurers

Inflation, defined as the rate at which prices for goods and services are increasing, tends to occur when prices rise due to increases in production costs or when the demand for a product exceeds its supply (i.e., too much money …

World Economic Climate Continues to Decline: ICC/Ifo Survey

The health of the world’s economy continues to deteriorate as insufficient demand, unemployment and the on-going debt crisis in Europe undermine recovery efforts, according to the latest findings from the ICC-Ifo World Economic Survey (WES). The ICC said that “based …

Low Interest Rates: an Ongoing Problem for the Re/insurance Industry

Swiss Re’s sigma report analyzing the effect on the insurance industry of the continuing low interest rates doesn’t paint a pretty picture. They have been at historic lows for several years. For instance the nominal yield on a 10-year U.S. …

India’s Basic Realities May Confound New Finance Minister’s Reform Agenda

The return of a pro-market reformer to India’s finance ministry has cheered investors and contributed to a market rally, but Palaniappan Chidambaram will need both political deftness and some luck to tackle the problems dragging the economy down. Faced with …

Int’l Chamber of Commerce Survey: ‘World Economic Climate Has Worsened’

According to the World Economic Survey (WES), published by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the Munich-based Institute for Economic Research (Ifo), “the world economic climate has worsened in the fourth quarter, as indicated by increasingly negative expectations from …

Moody’s: P/C Insurers More Mindful of Inflation Risks

Until recently, the risk of inflation shocks has not ranked high on the agenda for U.S. property/casualty insurers, Moody’s Investors Service says in a new report, but aggressive monetary policy over the past few years has rekindled concerns about escalating …

Davos Leaders Warn on Food Inflation, Speculation amid Mideast Unrest

World leaders warned on Thursday that soaring food prices risked stoking unrest and even war, but top executives meeting in the Swiss resort of Davos rejected calls for curbs on commodity speculation. Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said the world’s …