Latest AM Best Headlines
All the headlines from our AM Best Topic Page, ordered by recency.
A.M. Best: State Farm Lloyds Ratings Unchanged After Texas Settlement
Mar 4 2015 // A.M. Best says the financial strength rating of B++ (Good) and the issuer credit ratings of “bbb” of State Farm Lloyds in Dallas are unchanged following the announcement that it has reached a settlement...
A.M. Best: New UAE Regulations Should Improve Risk Profile of Insurers
Feb 27 2015 // The Insurance Authority (IA) of the United Arab Emirates recently issued new financial regulations, which are well placed to improve the risk profile and policyholder security of UAE insurers, according to A.M. Best in a...
Ratings of Houston-Based Delta Lloyds Insurance Co. Downgraded
Feb 24 2015 // Ratings agency A.M. Best has downgraded the financial strength rating (FSR) to B+ (Good) from B++ (Good) and the issuer credit rating (ICR) to “bbb-” from “bbb+” of Delta Lloyds Insurance Co. of...
A.M. Best Downgrades Ratings of Philadelphia Contributionship Group
Feb 18 2015 // A.M. Best said Wednesday it has downgraded the financial strength rating to A (Excellent) from A+ (Superior) and the issuer credit ratings to “a+” from “aa-” of The Philadelphia Contributionship for...
A.M. Best: European (Re)Insurers Face Pressure Points; Ratings Are Stable
Feb 18 2015 // The recent unveiling by the European Central Bank (ECB) of its large-scale sovereign bond buying program is just one of the pressure points building in Europe that could affect insurers and reinsurers’ balance...
A.M. Best: Geopolitical Tensions Hit Insurers’ Prospective Growth in Russia
Feb 12 2015 // Heightened geopolitical tensions spilling over from the Russia-Ukraine crisis, high interest and inflation rates, and low commodity prices are placing pressure on Russia’s economy and its insurance industry’s...
A.M. Best: Outlook Stable for Oklahoma Farm Bureau Mutual
Feb 11 2015 // A.M. Best has revised the outlook to stable from negative and affirmed the financial strength rating of B- (Fair) and the issuer credit ratings of “bb-” of the members of Oklahoma Farm Bureau Group: Oklahoma...
A.M. Best: Drivers Behind London Market M&A Activity to Continue
Feb 10 2015 // The changing dynamics in the specialist property/casualty sector continue to encourage merger and acquisition activity in the London market. A new briefing from A.M. Best notes that the need for insurers to leverage...
A.M. Best: Outlook Stable for Louisiana’s Stonetrust Commercial Insurance
Feb 6 2015 // A.M. Besthas removed from under review with negative implications and affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of B++ (Good) and the issuer credit rating (ICR) of “bbb” of Stonetrust Commercial Insurance...
A.M. Best: Europe’s Largest Cedants Alter Reinsurance Purchasing Practices
Feb 6 2015 // Europe’s 20 largest cedants are benefiting from lower reinsurance rates and stronger bargaining power, resulting from a trend that saw increasing centralized reinsurance purchasing at a group level. A new report from...
A.M. Best: Reinsurers Need Underwriting Discipline in Competitive Market
Jan 14 2015 // Increasing competition and lower underwriting margins in the reinsurance market highlights the importance of disciplined underwriting, according to an A.M. Best briefing entitled “Global Reinsurers: Who Will Gain...
Proposed XL Acquisition of Catlin Gets Review From Rating Agencies
Jan 12 2015 // A.M. Best and Standard & Poor’s have weighed in with their comments about XL Group’s announced agreement to acquire Catlin Group Ltd. for $4.1 billion in cash and stock. A.M. Best placed the financial...
U.S. Insurers Still Funding Asbestos, Environmental Liabilities: A.M. Best
Jan 5 2015 // The current estimate of net asbestos losses for the U.S. property/casualty industry remains at $85 billion, with net environmental losses estimated at $42 billion, according to a new Best’s Special Report. According...
A.M. Best Reaffirms Chesapeake Employers’ Financial Strength Rating
Dec 24 2014 // Chesapeake Employers’ Insurance Company, the largest workers’ compensation insurance company in Maryland, announced that insurance ratings agency A.M. Best Co. has reaffirmed a financial strength rating of A-...
A.M. Best: Iowa’s Farmers Mutual Hail Insurance Under Review
Dec 23 2014 // A.M. Bestplaced under review with negative implications the financial strength rating of A (Excellent) and the issuer credit rating of “a” of Farmers Mutual Hail Insurance Company of Iowa (FMH) of West Des...
A.M. Best: Rated Middle Eastern Insurers Well-Capitalized; Reliant on Reinsurance
Dec 22 2014 // Insurers in the Middle East have strong levels of risk-adjusted capital, although they continue to rely heavily on reinsurance protection and carry elevated levels of investment risk. A new report from A.M. Best states...
A.M. Best: Ratings Stable for Western European (Re)Insurers
Dec 22 2014 // Insurers and reinsurers in western Europe posted solid performances in 2014 and retained their capital strength against a backdrop of economic calm, according to a new special report from A.M. Best. The report analyzes the...
A.M. Best Report: ‘Grey Swan’ Risks Can Affect Balance Sheets, Ratings
Dec 17 2014 // A new special report from A.M. Best discusses the need for non-life and life insurers to address threats called “grey swans,” the low-probability, high-severity events that have the potential to impair balance...
A.M. Best: Global Re Stocks Underperform as Catastrophe Prices Drop
Dec 15 2014 // Stocks for publicly traded reinsurance companies (including the four large European reinsurers) performed well below the overall market through the third quarter of 2014, driven in part by the increased volatility in the...
A.M. Best Comments on Results of EIOPA’s Insurance Stress Test
Dec 9 2014 // A.M. Best said it would be premature to draw negative conclusions from the most recent Solvency II stress tests conducted by the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) and does not anticipate any...
