Keyword
A.M. Best Company
Credit rating upgrades outpace downgrades for U.S. P&C carriers in 2016: A.M. Best
February 7, 2017 by Canadian UnderwriterCredit rating activity in 2016 turned positive as upgrades outpaced downgrades for the property & casualty industry in the United States, despite headwinds that include pressure on underwriting results and the low investment yield environment, according to a new special…
Munich Re, Insurance Europe welcome U.S.-EU covered agreement
January 20, 2017 by Canadian UnderwriterMunich Re and Insurance Europe are welcoming the successful conclusion of “covered agreement” negotiations between the United States and the European Union. Munich Re said in a press release on Thursday that “finalizing the agreement is an important step to…
Brexit uncertainties weigh on U.K. insurers but rated entities able to withstand pressure: A.M. Best
January 20, 2017 by Canadian UnderwriterRatings firm A.M. Best Company said on Friday that it does not anticipate taking any rating actions as a direct result of plans for the United Kingdom to exit the European Union (EU), “although the cost implications of continuing to…
U.S. professional liability market to remain robust in 2017, with competitive level for D&O and E&O businesses remaining heightened: A.M. Best
January 13, 2017 by Canadian UnderwriterThe professional liability sector of the United States property and casualty insurance market will continue to be robust in 2017, with the competitive level for directors and officers (D&O) and errors and omissions (E&O) businesses specifically remaining heightened, A.M. Best…
Benefits of merging Fairfax and Allied World ‘far outweigh’ overlap in reinsurance: Fairfax Insurance COO
December 19, 2016 by Canadian UnderwriterThe merger agreement announced Sunday by Toronto-based Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. and Allied World Assurance Company Holdings AG will give Fairfax a “rather different profile” of insurance business than it currently owns, but it is not clear what percentage of…
U.S. Federal Reserve interest rate increase unlikely to provide much short-term relief for insurers: A.M. Best
December 14, 2016 by Canadian UnderwriterThe U.S. Federal Reserve’s decision to raise short-term interest rates by 25 basis points is unlikely to provide much relief for insurers, ratings firm A.M. Best Company said on Wednesday. That day, the Federal Reserve raised its benchmark rate by…
A.M. Best maintains global reinsurance sector outlook at negative
December 13, 2016 by Canadian UnderwriterA.M. Best Company is holding its outlook for the global reinsurance sector at negative, citing the continued market challenges that will hinder the potential for positive rating actions over time and may eventually translate into negative rating pressures. The Best’s…
Net income for U.S. P&C industry for first nine months of 2016 down 26.8% compared to 9M 2015: A.M. Best
November 28, 2016 by Canadian UnderwriterThe property and casualty industry in the United States reported a US$2.3 billion net underwriting loss in the first nine months of 2016 and a 26.8% decline in net income compared with the same period in 2015, according to preliminary…
Canadian insurers ‘in a tough time for investments,’ A.M. Best analysts warn
November 15, 2016 Greg Meckbach, Associate EditorMergers and acquisitions in the reinsurance sector sometimes involve carriers acquiring managing general agents, while in Canada, M&As have involved insurers trying to “beef up certain parts of their enterprise,” analysts from A.M. Best Company Inc. suggested at a recent…
Canadian insurers covering Fort McMurray property ‘learned a lot’ from 2011 Slave Lake wildfire: A.M. Best’s Silverthorn
November 10, 2016 Greg Meckbach, Associate EditorThe insured loss from the wildfire in May in Fort McMurray, Alta. will be “somewhere between” $3.6 billion and $4.6 billion, with European reinsurers covering nearly half of the loss, analysts from A.M. Best Company Inc. suggested Thursday. “The reinsurers…
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…
Reinsurers ‘more willing’ to decline participation where demands from cedents are too great: Guy Carpenter
September 9, 2016 by Canadian UnderwriterAs investment returns remain low and with recent drops in renewal pricing, reinsurance carriers are resisting “aggressive buying tactics” on the part of cedents, Guy Carpenter & Company LLC suggested in an article published Friday. “From a buying perspective, while…