Latest S&P Headlines
All the headlines from our S&P Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Ratings: WR Berkley (notes), Agri General, Horace Mann, Hingham/Danbury, Standard Casualty
Sep 21 2010 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has assigned its ‘BBB+’ senior unsecured debt rating to W.R. Berkley Corp.’s (WRB) proposed issue of $300 million of 5.375 percent senior unsecured notes,...
S&P Sees No Effect on Endurance Ratings from Glacier Re Acquisition
Sep 16 2010 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that its ratings on Bermuda-based Endurance Specialty Holdings Ltd. – currently ‘BBB+’ with a stable outlook – and its operating subsidiaries...
S&P Revises Selective’s Outlook to Stable; Affirms Ratings
Sep 15 2010 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has revised its outlook on Selective Insurance Group Inc. (SIGI) and its operating subsidiaries (collectively, Selective) to stable from negative. S&P also affirmed its...
S&P Examines Reinsurers Reconsideration of Domicile Decisions
Sep 9 2010 // Global reinsurance companies are reconsidering their choices of corporate domicile, according to a new report from Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services, titled “Choosing A Domicile Remains A Hot Topic For...
S&P Examines Effects Of Chilean Earthquake on Reinsurers
Sep 9 2010 // A study published by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services – entitled: “Reinsurers Foot The Bill For Chilean Earthquake Losses” – indicates that the global reinsurance industry has...
S&P Rates Aon’s Debt Issue ‘BBB+’
Sep 9 2010 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has assigned its ‘BBB+’ senior debt rating to Aon Corp.’s three tranches of recently priced senior debt issues. S&P said it expects that Aon will use the...
S&P Affirms Markel’s ‘BBB’ Ratings; Outlook Negative
Aug 26 2010 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has affirmed its ‘BBB’ unsolicited counterparty credit rating on Markel Corp. However, S&P said the “outlook on Markel remains negative.” Credit...
Ireland Stung by S&P Downgrade
Aug 25 2010 // Ireland’s financial headache worsened on Wednesday after Standard & Poor’s cut its credit rating in a move criticized by the country’s debt management agency. In a strongly worded statement, the...
S&P Raises Validus’ Rating to ‘BBB’; Assigns ‘A-‘ Rating to Validus Re
Aug 25 2010 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has raised its counterparty credit rating on Validus Holdings Ltd. to ‘BBB’ from ‘BBB-‘. S&P has also assigned its ‘A-‘ counterparty...
S&P: The Worst Not Over for U.S. Commercial Property Markets
Aug 23 2010 // The slump in the U.S. commercial property market didn’t quite plumb the depths of the downturn in residential real estate, but although there are signs that home prices are nearing the bottom, commercial real estate...
S&P Raises Arch Capital Group’s Ratings to ‘A-‘; Outlook Stable
Jul 29 2010 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has raised its counterparty credit rating on Arch Capital Group Ltd. to ‘A-‘ from ‘BBB+’. S&P also raised its counterparty credit and financial...
S&P’s Ratings on AIG Unchanged by New Board Chairman
Jul 23 2010 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services said today that its ratings on American International Group (AIG; A-/Negative/A-1) and AIG’s insurance subsidiaries (most of which are rated A+/Negative/–) are not...
S&P Comments on Dodd-Frank Act’s Implications for Insurers
Jul 23 2010 // A comment from Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services notes that the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act “seeks to expand regulation to address many aspects of the financial services...
S&P: CNA’s Ratings ‘Unaffected’ by Asbestos Deal with National Indemnity
Jul 16 2010 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services said that the ratings on CNA Financial Corp. (BBB-/Stable/–) and its core insurance operating companies (A-/Stable/–) are “unaffected by the company’s...
S&P Concludes Takaful, Retakaful Insurance to Continue Growth Trend
Jul 14 2010 // Standard & Poor’s has concluded that, following a “positive year” in 2009, the “takaful and retakaful (Islamic insurance and reinsurance) sector is likely to continue to grow in...
Ratings Roundup: Heddington, MS Frontier, Oman Insurance
Jul 13 2010 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating of ‘A’ (Excellent) and issuer credit rating of “a+” of Bermuda-based Heddington Insurance Limited, both with stable outlooks. The ratings...
Insurer Ace Replaces Millipore on S&P 500
Jul 9 2010 // Standard & Poor’s Thursday said it will add property and casualty insurer Ace Ltd to its flagship Standard & Poor’s 500 stock index after the close of trading on July 14. Ace will replace Millipore...
S&P ‘Cautiously Optimistic’ on UK’s P/C Sector; Sees Rising Prices
Jun 30 2010 // In a recently published report Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services said that it believes “underlying underwriting performance in the U.K. non-life insurance industry has come under increasing pressure from...
S&P Revises Outlook on Allied World to Positive; Affirms Current Ratings
Jun 25 2010 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has revised its outlook on Allied World Assurance Co. Holdings Ltd. (AWH) and its operating subsidiaries to positive from stable. S&P also affirmed all of its ratings on...
S&P Revises Marsh Mac Outlook to Negative; Ratings Affirmed
Jun 15 2010 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has revised its outlook on Marsh & McLennan Cos. (MMC) to negative from stable. S&P has also affirmed its ‘BBB-‘ long-term and ‘A-3’ short-term...
