Credit rating activity for the United States’ property and casualty industry in the first half of 2017 was favourable, with upgrades outpacing downgrades, A.M. Best Company reported on Thursday. Nearly one-third of the 2017 upgrades were driven by “increased parental…
With property catastrophe prices dropping during the 2017 renewals, combined with natural catastrophe losses exceeding US$50 billion last year, global reinsurers are at greater risk of having negative underwriting results and will tend to “shy away” from property catastrophe business,…
The 3.7% increase in global insurance premiums on the non-life side in 2016 was driven by expansion among the emerging countries and exceptional performance in China, although growth weakened in advanced economies, Swiss Re Institute suggests in its latest sigma…
The private property and casualty insurance industry in the United States saw its net income after taxes drop to US$7.7 billion in the first quarter of 2017 from US$13.4 billion in Q1 2016, a 42.2% decline, according to ISO, a…
More than four in 10 companies surveyed for an XL Catlin-sponsored study have reported achieving positive outcomes from digital transformation investments, especially those using digital technology at all levels of operations, from supply chains and distribution networks to compliance activities…
The soft pricing in the global reinsurance market will continue for at least the rest of 2017, ratings firm Fitch Ratings said in a report released Monday. “We expect premium rates to continue declining, due to large volumes of under-deployed…
Over the past 20 years, 161 different insurance companies have exited the Canadian P&C market, 96% of which were voluntary exits, according to a new report from the Property and Casualty Insurance Compensation Corporation (PACICC). The report, the 11th in…
The energy sector is still beset by some significant challenges, including low oil prices, but there may also be a “new normal” emerging in the global energy insurance market, according to global advisory, broking and solutions company Willis Towers Watson…
Global reinsurer capital rose by 5% to US$595 billion at Dec. 31, 2016, according to the latest edition of the Aon Benfield Aggregate (ABA) report. The report, released on Tuesday, highlights trends in property and casualty reinsurance through the analysis…
Slower consumer spending on big-ticket insurable items, as well as an aging population, will weigh on the outlook for Canadian insurance firms, according the Conference Board of Canada’s first outlook for the insurance industry. Canadian Industrial Outlook: Insurance – Winter…
A.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…
The key variables driving overall commercial insurance customer satisfaction in Canada and the United States are insurer profitability and broker expertise, according to the J.D. Power 2016 Large Commercial Insurance Study. The survey, which provides an “independent and objective” measure…