Keyword
interest rates
Fed likely to leave rates alone but signal more hikes coming
May 1, 2017 Martin Crutsinger - THE ASSOCIATED PRESSWASHINGTON – With the U.S. economy on solid footing and unemployment at a near-decade low, the Federal Reserve remains in the midst of a campaign to gradually raise interest rates from ultra-lows. But this week, it’s all but sure to…
CIBC economist tells insurers how investment returns could be affected by ‘things that go Trump in the night’
April 26, 2017 Greg Meckbach, Associate EditorInterest rates in Canada are predicted to stay “very low by historic standards” through the end of 2019, an economist recently told insurance professionals, while a “movement against globalization” is a concern for one of Canada’s largest carriers. Avery Shenfeld,…
U.S. Federal Reserve raises benchmark interest rate 0.25 points
March 15, 2017 THE CANADIAN PRESSTORONTO – Stock indexes in Toronto and New York surged, while the loonie rose nearly a full U.S. cent, after the U.S. Federal Reserve raised its benchmark interest rate for the second time in three months. As widely expected, the…
Staying Power
March 1, 2017 Greg Williams, Senior Director, Property/Casualty Ratings Division, A.M. Best Group, Inc.Ongoing challenges have not forced Canada’s property and casualty industry from its position of strength, but that continued performance should not be viewed as a given. Ongoing and emerging threats demand that the market remains vigilant and beefs up enterprise risk management capabilities.
Insurance industry needs more focus on the long-term, OSFI’s Henderson suggests at KPMG conference
December 8, 2016 Jason Contant, Online EditorThe insurance industry as a whole needs to focus more on long-term issues, Neville Henderson, the assistant superintendent of the insurance supervision sector of the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI), suggested on Wednesday. Speaking at KPMG’s 25th…
Insurance undergoing “a fundamental structural change”: KPMG speaker
December 8, 2016 by Angela StelmakowichThe insurance industry is undergoing structural change with the emergence of platform-based business models and insurers need to ready themselves to be able to take part, Matthew Smith, insurance co-lead for the Global Strategy Group at KPMG, suggested during the…
Policy uncertainty, rising rates pose credit risks in North America: S&P report
December 7, 2016 by Canadian UnderwriterCanada is expected to witness a slower pick-up in business investment until a clearer picture develops on recent developments around credit conditions south of the border, including the influence of the outcome of the recent U.S. election, suggests a briefing…
Higher interest rates could help global economy: ex Bank of Canada boss
December 2, 2016 Andy Blatchford - THE CANADIAN PRESSOTTAWA – Former Bank of Canada governor David Dodge says the world economy might be better off if policy-makers bumped interest rates a little bit higher. In prepared remarks for a speech today, Dodge says boosting borrowing costs would help…
Low oil prices a double-edged sword for Canadian economy: KPMG seminar speaker
October 24, 2016 Jason Contant, Online EditorLow oil prices continue to present a major challenge for the Canadian economy, but they could be viewed as a “positive shock” for some jurisdictions and the economy of the United States, a speaker suggested on Monday at KPMG’s annual…
Canadian banks shake off oilpatch fears, report better than expected earnings
August 26, 2016 Alexandra Posadzki - THE CANADIAN PRESSTORONTO – Panic about how the oil price shock could affect the banks’ bottom lines has subsided, as several of the country’s largest financial institutions reported better-than-expected third-quarter results. CIBC (TSX:CM) reported that its quarterly profit climbed nearly 50 per…
SCOR reports combined ratio of 93.8% for first half of 2016, up from 90.9% for the first six months of 2015
July 28, 2016 by Canadian UnderwriterGlobal reinsurer SCOR announced on Wednesday that its Global P&C segment recorded “strong technical profitability with a robust net combined ratio of 93.8% despite a high number of events in all perils and regions in the second quarter of 2016…
Fed leaves rates unchanged; no hint on timing of next hike
June 15, 2016 Martin Crutsinger - THE ASSOCIATED PRESSWASHINGTON – The Federal Reserve is keeping interest rates unchanged in light of an uncertain job market and offering no hints of when its next rate hike might occur. The Fed noted in a statement Wednesday after its latest policy…