Latest AM Best Headlines
All the headlines from our AM Best Topic Page, ordered by recency.
A.M. Best: Republic Underwriters Insurance Co. Ratings Under Review
Oct 5 2015 // A.M. Best has placed under review with positive implications the financial strength rating (FSR) of A- (Excellent) and the issuer credit rating (ICR) of “a-” of Dallas-based Republic Underwriters Insurance Co....
A.M. Best Affirms Zurich Insurance Ratings; Outlook Negative on Expected Losses
Oct 5 2015 // A.M. Besthas affirmed the financial strength rating of A+ (Superior) and the issuer credit rating of “aa-” while at the same time revising the outlook to negative from stable forZurich Insurance Company...
A.M. Best: UK Non-Life Insurers’ Earnings Remain Under Pressure
Oct 5 2015 // Market conditions for UK non-life insurers are challenging as pricing remains weak across most business lines amid fierce competition, according to a new A.M. Best special report. Titled “UK Non-Life Earnings Under...
How P/C Mutual Insurers Perform Compared to P/C Industry
Sep 30 2015 // Mutual property/casualty insurers tend to underperform the property/casualty insurance industry as a whole in several areas of performance, a new report says. However, the A.M. Best report notes, the mission of a mutual...
A.M. Best: European Insurers Continue Emerging Markets’ Growth – with Caution
Sep 30 2015 // In an attempt to deploy excess capital, some major European insurers have developed overseas operations over the past several years but are now taking a more cautious approach, as not all overseas strategies have proven...
Arkansas Mutual Insurance Co. Rated ‘A’ by A.M. Best
Sep 29 2015 // A.M. Best has assigned a financial strength rating of “A” (Excellent) and an issuer credit rating of “a” to Arkansas Mutual Insurance Company (AMIC) in Little Rock, Ark. The outlook assigned to both...
A.M. Best: Sub-Saharan Re/Insurance Markets Attract Capacity Despite Challenges
Sep 24 2015 // Much has been said in recent years about the opportunities presented by the buoyant strides in economies across the African continent together with challenges that market participants have to overcome; the...
Overcapacity Weighs on Middle East, No. Africa Reinsurers: A.M. Best Report
Sep 22 2015 // A special report from A.M. Best notes that the “low level of insurance penetration seen in many Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries, combined with the robust, albeit deteriorating, profitability achieved by...
A.M. Best Explains Its Rating Fundamentals for Hedge Fund Reinsurers
Sep 22 2015 // Since the Aug. 11, 2015 withdrawal of PaCRe Ltd.’s financial strength rating and issuer credit rating at the company’s request, A.M. Best said there has been considerable speculation about A.M. Best’s...
A.M. Best Withdraws Ratings of Chicago-Based American Access Casualty
Sep 17 2015 // A.M. Best has downgraded the issuer credit rating (ICR) to “bb” from “bb+” and affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of B (Fair) of American Access Casualty Company (AACC), based in Chicago,...
New England Mutual Insurance Co.’s Financial Strength Rating Upgraded
Sep 15 2015 // A.M. Best announced on Sept. 10 that it has upgraded the financial strength rating to A+ (Superior) from A (Excellent) and the issuer credit rating to “aa-” from “a” of New England Mutual Insurance...
10 Drivers of Surplus Lines Growth
Sep 7 2015 // Times are good for surplus lines professionals. The surplus lines industry reached new heights in 2014, growing direct premium written (DPW) in 2014 to $40.2 billion – the highest point in history, reports A.M....
Surplus Lines Posts Record-Breaking Year for 2014
Sep 4 2015 // The surplus lines industry broke records in 2014, growing direct premium written (DPW) in 2014 to $40.2 billion — the highest point in history, reports A.M. Best’s “2014 Special Report U.S. Surplus Lines –...
A.M. Best: Reinsurance Sector Faces New Reality Shaped by Abundant Capacity
Sep 3 2015 // The reinsurance market is operating in a new reality of abundant capacity from traditional and alternative sources, low interest rates and thinner reinsurance margins, driven by intense competition against shrinking demand...
European Re/Insurers Well Positioned to Withstand Market Volatility: A.M. Best
Aug 27 2015 // European re/insurers are well positioned to withstand the current volatility in the stock markets, having made significant changes to their investment portfolios since the global financial crisis of 2008, as well as the...
A.M. Best Places 2 Chinese Insurers’ Ratings Under Review After Tianjin Blast
Aug 20 2015 // As a result of losses resulting from the recent explosions at Tianjin port, A.M. Best has placed under review with negative implications the financial strength rating of two Chinese insurers, which have large exposures to...
European Captives More Focused on Risk Mgmt., Investments: A.M. Best
Aug 14 2015 // A.M. Best has released a new study -“European Captives Increase Focus on Risk Management and Investments Ahead of Solvency II -” which concludes that “many European captives have embraced Solvency...
A.M. Best: Sanctions Removal to Attract Re/Insurers to Iranian Market
Aug 12 2015 // The lifting of trade restrictions placed on Iran may present significant opportunities for the Middle East and North African (MENA) re/insurance market, with European participants also expected to re-engage and seek a...
A.M. Best: Will 2015 Be the Year That Tests Florida Property Insurers?
Aug 3 2015 // The property insurance market in Florida has significantly shifted in market share as Citizens Property Insurance Corp. (Citizens)–the state-run property insurance company–continues to depopulate and move...
Investment Return Moves up Boardroom Agenda for Europe Insurers: A.M. Best
Jul 31 2015 // The pursuit of improved investment returns has become more important for European insurers after a lengthy period when their attention was more focused on non-investment sources of profit, according to a report published...
