Topic
Earnings / Ratings
Fort Mac wildfire more than an “earnings event” for some insurers, domestic market posts $1 billion underwriting loss in H1: MSA
September 28, 2016 by Canadian UnderwriterThe Fort McMurray wildfire may have been an “earnings event” for the largest insurers in Canada’s property and casualty industry, but that was not the case for some smaller regional writers, notes the newly released MSA Quarterly Outlook Report for…
Combined ratio 100.3% for U.S. mutual insurers in 2015: A.M. Best
September 22, 2016 by Canadian UnderwriterMutual property & casualty insurers in the United States experienced more growth in their commercial business than in personal lines over the past five years, while improved pricing sophistication has led to lower loss ratios, A.M. Best Company suggested in…
Lloyd’s reports 1.46 billion pound profit for first half of 2016, combined ratio up 8.5 points to 98%
September 22, 2016 by Canadian UnderwriterDespite seeing a “major claims increase due primarily to the Fort McMurray fires in Alberta, Canada” and a challenging market environment, Lloyd’s of London has reported a profit of 1.46 billion pounds – or nearly $2.5 billion – for the…
U.S. surplus lines financially sound despite market pressures and economic challenges: A.M. Best
September 20, 2016 by Canadian UnderwriterUnderwriters of surplus lines in the United States generated growth in direct premium of 2.5% in 2015, the smallest annual increase in the last five years, according to an A.M. Best special report released on Monday. The Best’s Special Report,…
U.S. P&C insurance industry posts underwriting loss of US$2.3 billion in first half of 2016: A.M. Best
September 16, 2016 by Canadian UnderwriterThe property and casualty insurance industry in the United States posted an underwriting loss of approximately US$2.3 billion and a 3.5% decline year-over-year in net investment income through the first six months of 2016, said a new A.M. Best Company…
Change in exposure driving widening gap between insured, economic losses following disaster events
September 14, 2016 by Angela StelmakowichCALGARY – A dramatic loss scenario around disaster events is developing globally, contributing to a widening gap between insured and economic losses, Alex Kaplan, senior vice president of global partnerships for Swiss Re, suggested earlier this week during the RIMS…
Technology driving long-term transformation of the insurance industry; price levels expected to stabilize: Swiss Re
September 12, 2016 by Canadian UnderwriterTechnological developments will profoundly change the way in which the re/insurance industry develops, distributes, underwrites and administers the insurance protection it sells to consumers, Swiss Re said on Monday. New technologies such as cognitive and cloud computing as well as…
U.S. commercial insurance prices nearly flat during second quarter of 2016: Willis Towers Watson
September 12, 2016 by Canadian UnderwriterCommercial insurance prices in the United States were nearly flat during the second quarter of 2016, according to the most recent Commercial Lines Insurance Pricing Survey (CLIPS), released on Monday. Willis Towers Watson (WTW), a global advisory, broking and solutions…
Hermine expected to have “modest” impact on P&C, cat bond markets: Fitch
September 8, 2016 by Canadian UnderwriterHurricane Hermine is expected to have a “modest” impact on the property and casualty and catastrophe bond markets, according to ratings agency Fitch Ratings. Insured losses for reinsurers from this event will also likely be limited, but Fitch said in…
Bank of Canada raises concerns about economy, holds interest rate at 0.5%
September 7, 2016 Craig Wong - THE CANADIAN PRESSOTTAWA – The Bank of Canada struck a note of caution Wednesday as it held its key interest rate target steady at 0.5 per cent and raised concerns after the export sector disappointed earlier this year. “While the strength in…
Flash estimate for insured losses from Hurricane Hermine US$500 million: KCC
September 6, 2016 by Canadian UnderwriterThe current flash estimate of insured losses associated with Hurricane Hermine – likely to produce in excess of 50,000 claims – approaches US$500 million, with total economic damages almost US$1 billion, Karen Clark & Company (KCC) reported Friday. “The storm…
Looking Ahead
September 2, 2016 Greg Meckbach, Associate EditorWith property and casualty reinsurance prices showing few signs that downward pressure is ending any time soon, traditional reinsurance looks to be a real bargain for carriers hoping to protect their balance sheets and prepare themselves for future catastrophes. Forward-looking carriers are also recognizing that cost-effective reinsurance can help secure their future profitability.