Latest Moodys Headlines

All the headlines from our Moodys Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Moody’s: U.S. P/C Insurers’ Report Meaningful 2010 Reserve Releases

Jul 26 2011 // U.S. property/casualty insurers reported meaningful reserve redundancies in their 2010 earnings, Moody’s Investors Service said, marking the sixth straight year in which the industry has posted a benefit to...

Moody’s Affirms California Earthquake Authority Bonds

Jul 22 2011 // Moody’s Investors Service has affirmed the A3 rating on the California Earthquake Authority’s (“CEA”) 6.169% fixed rate Series 2006-B revenue bonds (mature July 20, 2016) and changed the rating...

EU Slams Rating Agencies after Portugal Downgrade

Jul 7 2011 // European politicians accused credit rating agencies on Wednesday of anti-European bias after Moody’s downgrade of Portugal’s debt to “junk” cast new doubt on EU efforts to rescue distressed euro...

Leadership Turnover, and Women Executives, Rule at Fireman’s Fund

Jul 7 2011 // On Tuesday, Lori Dickerson Fouché was named president and CEO of Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co., making her the company’s fourth CEO in recent years. Fouché succeeds Michael LaRocco, at the helm of one of the...

P/C Insurers Can Handle Muni Bond Stress: Moody’s

Jul 7 2011 // The U.S. property/casualty insurance industry, which has about 60 percent of its equity capital base or — $355 billion– in municipal bonds remains exposed to disruptions in this asset class, but the overall...

Liability Lawsuits Against U.S. Rating Agencies Dismissed

May 11 2011 // The three major U.S. credit rating agencies won the dismissal of lawsuits seeking to hold them liable as “underwriters” for helping banks structure securities transactions to achieve desired ratings. The 2nd...

Credit Raters Triggered Financial Crisis, Says Senate Report

Apr 14 2011 // Moody’s Corp. and Standard and Poor’s triggered the worst financial crisis in decades when they were forced to downgrade the inflated ratings they slapped on complex mortgage-backed securities, a U.S....

Moody’s Affirms Rating of Fireman’s Fund; Outlook Stable

Dec 17 2010 // Moody’s Investors Service affirmed its A2 insurance financial strength rating for Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co. Moody’s also announced that its outlook for the Novato, Calif.-based insurer remains stable,...

Moody’s: P/C Insurers’ Losses Under Municipal Bonds Manageable

Nov 22 2010 // U.S. property/casualty insurers are not likely to sustain substantial losses on municipal bonds, Moody’s Investors Service says in a new report. While muni bonds make up a high 27 percent of P/C insurers’...

Moody’s Rates P/C Personal Lines Industry Financially Sound, Highly Competitive

Nov 15 2010 // The U.S. property/casualty personal lines insurance industry remains financially sound despite the weak economy and prolonged soft, though improving, pricing environment, Moody’s Investors Service says in its new...

P/C Insurance Brokers Profitable Despite Tough Economy, Soft Pricing

Sep 6 2010 // It takes more than a bad economy and declining prices to weaken property/casualty insurance brokers. Moody’s Investors Service says in its new Industry Scorecard report that the insurance brokerage sector remains...

P/C Insurance Brokers Profitable Despite Tough Economy, Soft Pricing

Aug 25 2010 // It takes more than a bad economy and declining prices to weaken property/casualty insurance brokers. Moody’s Investors Service says in its new Industry Scorecard report that the insurance brokerage sector remains...

Moody’s Downgrades Ireland’s Sovereign Debt Ratings; Outlook Stable

Jul 19 2010 // Moody’s downgraded Ireland’s sovereign bond rating by one notch to Aa2 on Monday, citing weaker growth prospects and the high costs of rebuilding the country’s crisis-hit banking system. The rating...

BP Oil Spill Losses Hit Reinsurers; Premiums Jump

Jun 3 2010 // Reinsurers have bumped up prices for offshore energy-related insurance premiums by 50 percent following insurance industry losses of up to $3.5 billion from the BP plc oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, Moody’s...

Judge Rejects Fraud Charge, Says Rating Agencies Not Underwriters

Jun 1 2010 // A Manhattan federal judge said on Tuesday that it was unfair to hold Moody’s Investors Service and Standard & Poor’s liable as “underwriters” on securities offerings needing their ratings, as he...

Court Says CalPERS May Pursue Lawsuit Against Rating Agencies

May 5 2010 // The largest U.S. public pension fund has won a court ruling allowing it to proceed with its lawsuit accusing the three biggest credit rating agencies of assigning “wildly inaccurate and unreasonably high”...

P/C Insurers Can Handle Chinese Drywall Costs, Says Moody’s

Apr 5 2010 // Property/casualty insurers are expected to continue to handle costs for defective Chinese drywall claims in the normal course of business, according to a rating analyst with Moody’s Investors Service. Losses from...

P/C Insurers Can Handle Chinese Drywall Costs, Says Moody’s

Apr 5 2010 // Property/casualty insurers are expected to continue to handle costs for defective Chinese drywall claims in the normal course of business, according to a rating analyst with Moody’s Investors Service. Losses from...

P/C Insurers Can Handle Chinese Drywall Costs, Says Moody’s

Mar 26 2010 // Property/casualty insurers are expected to continue to handle costs for defective Chinese drywall claims in the normal course of business, according to a rating analyst with Moody’s Investors Service. Losses from...

Moody’s Changes Calif. Earthquake Authority’s Bond Rating to Negative

Mar 16 2010 // Moody’s Investors Service announced it has affirmed the A3 rating on the California Earthquake Authority’s 6.169 percent fixed rate Series 2006-B revenue bonds (mature July 20, 2016) and changed the rating...