Spain News

Economic Storm Clouds Continue to Gather over Europe

In many ways Ireland is a “microcosm for Europe,” said Danny McCoy, the Director General of the Irish Business & Employer’s Confederation (IBEC) at the EIF Forum. He described the present situation as a “crisis of government and of business …

Tackling Euro Zone Crisis is Top Priority for G8 Leaders

Leaders of major industrial economies meet this weekend to try to tackle a full-blown crisis in Europe where fears are growing that Greece could leave the euro zone bloc, threatening the future of the common currency. President Barack Obama, the …

Spanish Economy in ‘Huge Crisis’ after Sovereign Debt Downgrade

Spain’s sickly economy faces a “crisis of huge proportions”, a minister said on Friday, as unemployment hit its highest level in two decades and Standard and Poor’s weighed in with a two-notch downgrade of the government’s debt. Spain’s unemployment rate …

MAPFRE to Insure Iberia, Other Airlines for 3 Years

MAPFRE GLOBAL RISKS, a subsidiary of Spain’s MAPFRE, which specializes in underwriting large risks, announced that for the next there years it will insure the aviation risks in the insurance programs of Iberia, Vueling, Air Nostrum and the newly created …

S&P Revises Argentina’s Sovereign Debt Rating Outlook to Negative

Standard & Poor’s revised its outlook on Argentina’s sovereign debt rating to negative from stable on Monday, citing policies that include a government push to seize control of energy company YPF from Spain’s Repsol. President Cristina Fernandez announced the YPF …

OECD Says Euro Zone Public Debt Crisis Far from Over

The euro zone’s public debt crisis is not over despite calmer financial markets this year, the OECD said on Tuesday, with a warning that the bloc’s banks remain weak, debt levels are still rising and fiscal targets are far from …

Bondholder Group Sees Over $131.8 Trillion Greek Default Risk

A disorderly Greek default would probably leave Italy and Spain needing outside help to stop contagion spreading and cause more than €1 trillion ($1.318 trillion) of damage to the euro zone, the group representing Athens’ bondholders warned. Greek private creditors …

JLT in Tie-up with Spanish Commercial Broker Unipsa

The UK-based Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group plc announced that it will combine its existing Spanish retail brokerage business, JLT-SIACI Espana S.L., with the business of March – Unipsa Correduria de Seguros, S.A.U., the fourth largest commercial insurance broker in Spain …

Best Downgrades MAPFRE RE’s Ratings; Placed on Review/Negative

A.M. Best Europe – Rating Services Limited announced that “as a result of the continued negative developments regarding the euro zone sovereign debt crisis,” it has downgraded the financial strength rating to ‘A’ (Excellent) from ‘A+’ (Superior) and issuer credit …

S&P Puts Allianz, Aviva, AXA, Generali, Mapfre Units, 10 Other EU Insurers on CreditWatch/Negative

Standard & Poor’s Ratings announced that it has placed its ratings on the following insurers (and certain related operating subsidiaries and certain holding companies) on CreditWatch with negative implications: • Allianz Group (including the Euler Hermes group) • Aviva Group …