Articles by Benjamin Robertson

Aviva in Talks to Sell Units in France, Poland and Italy, CEO Confirms

Aviva Plc Chief Executive Officer Amanda Blanc confirmed the company was in talks to sell units in France, Poland and Italy as part of her overhaul of the insurance giant. The company is still in the “early stages for considering …

UK Insurer Aviva Sells Stake in Italian Life Unit for $475 Million

Aviva Plc is selling its stake in its Italian life insurance joint venture for about 400 million euros ($475 million) as Chief Executive Officer Amanda Blanc continues her revamp of the firm. The insurer will sell its 80% holding in …

Bank of England Warns Private Insurers Need Government to Help Narrow Protection Gap

The Bank of England has encouraged the government to work with UK insurers in preparation for future major shocks, rather than leave swathes of the economy exposed to catastrophic losses. The danger of a “protection gap” is emerging as firms …

Major UK Ruling on Business Insurance for COVID-19 Claims Expected Tuesday

Insurers battered by coronavirus are about to find out how much worse the damage could get. A London court is set to rule Tuesday in a case involving about 370,000 policyholders, companies including Zurich Insurance Group AG and Hiscox Ltd. …

Insurer AXA, With H1 Net Income Down 40%, Warns of Future COVID-19 Shocks

AXA SA’s profit sank in the first half as it booked a 1.5 billion-euro ($1.8 billion) charge for claims related to COVID-19 and warned of further shocks from the pandemic. The French insurer saw net income fall 39% from the …

Update: COVID-19 Business Interruption Claims Take Center Stage in London Court Case

UK financial regulators took aim at insurers’ attempts to compare the coronavirus lockdown to government warnings on cigarettes and alcohol, telling a London court that businesses had no choice but to shut down during the pandemic. The clash took place …

Global Insurers Pulled into Epicenter of COVID-19 Crisis, Firmly in Uncharted Territory

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal locked in spell-binding battle. Paul McCartney sharing a stage with Kendrick Lamar and Taylor Swift. The long-awaited 32nd Olympic Games. The list of canned crowd-thrillers that were planned for the coming weeks isn’t just bad …

UK Insurers Urged by Treasury Committee to Pay Coronavirus Claims

Insurers need to pay out on more claims related to the coronavirus pandemic, according to the head of the UK parliamentary committee that oversees the financial industry. “We are concerned that the insurance sector goes the extra mile in meeting …

Insurance Unlikely to Cushion Coronavirus Losses – But There Are Exceptions

Don’t look for much relief from insurers to cushion losses from canceled events, travel disruptions and potential medical claims from the deadly Covid-19 virus that’s sweeping across the globe. The world’s largest insurers have learned lessons from previous health crises, …

After Aviva’s Reorganization, CEO Vows More Accountability

U.K. insurer Aviva Plc’s reorganization into five units will make it easier for investors to understand the company and foster a “culture of accountability,” according to Chief Executive Officer Maurice Tulloch. Tulloch, who took over the helm of the $20.4 …