Latest AM Best Headlines
All the headlines from our AM Best Topic Page, ordered by recency.
A.M. Best Downgrades Tower Group Again
Aug 29 2014 // Tower Group International must deal with more ratings downgrades from A.M. Best, spurred by its soaring net losses and uncertainty over whether it can carry its debts through an intended merger with ACP Re. A.M. Best said...
Ratings Recap: Continental, Nat’l. Guaranty, Westminster, Triangle, Ellington Mutual
Aug 22 2014 // A.M. Best has upgraded the financial strength rating to ‘A’ (Excellent) from ‘A-‘ (Excellent) and the issuer credit rating to “a” from “a-“of Chicago-based Continental...
Weakening Operating Fundamentals Tip Reinsurers’ Outlook to Negative: A.M. Best
Aug 20 2014 // A.M. Best announced that it has “revised its ratings outlook on the global reinsurance sector to negative from stable, citing the significant ongoing market challenges that will hinder the potential for positive...
A.M. Best: Outlook Stable for Wisconsin Mutual Insurance
Jul 31 2014 // A.M. Best has revised the outlook to stable from negative and affirmed the financial strength rating of A- (Excellent) and the issuer credit rating of “a-” of Wisconsin Mutual Insurance Co. (WMIC), based in...
New IFRS Standard to Significantly Change Insurers’ Financial Reports: A.M. Best
Jul 29 2014 // “The emerging international accounting standard for insurance contracts will change the data that form one part of the material used by A.M. Best in the insurance sector,” the rating agency said in a Special...
Best Takes Rating Actions on AXA Financial, Certain Subsidiaries
Jul 21 2014 // A.M. Best has revised the outlook of the issuer credit ratings (ICR) to stable from negative and affirmed the ICR of “a-” and debt ratings of New York-based AXA Financial, Inc., and has revised its outlook on...
Ellington Mutual Insurance Co. Ratings Downgraded, Withdrawn
Jul 17 2014 // A.M. Best has downgraded the financial strength rating to B- (Fair) from B (Fair) and the issuer credit rating to “bb-” from “bb” of Ellington Mutual Insurance Co. (EMIC) in Hortonville, Wis. The...
Best to Endorse Selected Ratings outside EU for Regulatory Use
Jun 16 2014 // A.M. Best Europe – Rating Services Limited (AMBERS) has confirmed that it has notified the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) that, effective immediately, “AMBERS intends to endorse selected...
Ratings Recap: Sunderland Marine, Heddington, Bosna Re
Jun 9 2014 // A.M. Best has removed from under review with developing implications and affirmed the financial strength rating of ‘A-‘ (Excellent) and issuer credit rating of “a-” of UK-based Sunderland Marine...
Best Affirms AmTrust Financial and Subs P&C Ratings; Outlook Stable
Jun 2 2014 // A.M. Best has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A’ (Excellent) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “a” of the property/casualty subsidiaries of AmTrust Financial Services, Inc. (AFSI),...
Ratings Recap: Frankenmuth, Sooner, Tokio Marine America, Kingstone, Canopius U.S., HDI-Gerling America
May 28 2014 // A.M. Best has revised the outlook to stable from negative and affirmed the issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “a+” of Frankenmuth Mutual Insurance Company and its affiliates, Ansur America Insurance Company,...
Ratings Recap: Dominion, Ardellis, NAGICO, JRG Re
May 27 2014 // A.M. Best has assigned a financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A’ (Excellent) and issuer credit rating (ICR) of “a” to The Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company, based in Toronto, Ontario,...
Brown & Brown Completes Acquisition of Wright Insurance Group
May 22 2014 // Brown & Brown Inc. said it has completed its acquisition of specialty and flood insurance company The Wright Insurance Group, LLC. In January, Florida-based national insurance broker Brown & Brown said it would...
Ratings Recap: HDI V.a.G/Talanx, TTB/TTI, Platinum Underwriters
May 21 2014 // A.M. Best has affirmed the financial strength rating of ‘A-‘ (Excellent) and the issuer credit ratings of “a-” of Through Transport Mutual Insurance Association Limited (TTB) (Bermuda) and its...
Best Revises Insurance Holding Company and Debt Ratings: Companies Affected
May 12 2014 // A.M. Best announced that it has made some revisions to the criteria it uses in constructing its ratings reports, which will “provide clarification on several issues related to the rating of an insurance...
Springfield Insurance Co. in California Downgraded by A.M. Best
Apr 25 2014 // A.M. Best has downgraded the financial strength rating of Calif.-based Springfield Insurance Co., a carrier focused on workers’ compensation. The financial strength downgrade was to B- (Fair) from B (Fair) and the...
Ratings Recap: Samsung Europe, Transmonde, MAPFRE PRAICO, Ocaso
Apr 15 2014 // A.M. Best has affirmed the financial strength rating of ‘A’ (Excellent) and the issuer credit rating of “a” of UK-based Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance Company of Europe, Limited (SFME), both...
Why Agencies Need to Pay More Attention to Insurer Insolvency
Apr 10 2014 // A myth is sneaking into the industry that insurer insolvency is not as important today. Belief in this myth is important to many entities. To put it more simply, a number of companies, agencies, and other firms benefit if...
A.M. Best Revises Hartford Financial, P/C Units’ Outlook to Positive
Apr 4 2014 // Rating agency A.M. Best changed the outlook associated with the “A” financial strength rating of the members of the Hartford Insurance Pool to positive from stable Thursday, citing a reduced risk from variable...
Ratings: Safety Group, Virginia Farm, New Mexico Casualty, Mennonite Mutual
Mar 27 2014 // A.M. Best has upgraded the issuer credit ratings (ICR) to “a+” from “a” and affirmed the financial strength rating of ‘A’ (Excellent) for the subsidiaries of Safety Insurance Group,...