Articles by Jessica Shankleman, Giulia Morpurgo and Lucca de Paoli

Thames Water Debt Insurer Taps Advisers as Crisis Deepens

A US insurance firm with at least $2 billion in exposure to Thames Water Utilities Finance Plc is working with bondholders and advisers to protect their interests ahead of potential debt talks, according to people familiar with the matter. Assured …

Loan Deadline Looms for China Life Canary Wharf Tower

China Life Insurance Co. is in crunch talks with lenders to an office tower in Canary Wharf to help stave off the locality’s third potential major default, as the eastern financial district of London grapples with some of the city’s …

Rugby World Cup Beset With Head Injuries, Creating Growing Existential Threat

The Rugby World Cup in France is set to be the most-watched iteration of the quadrennial competition ever, the pinnacle for a sport that has attracted hundreds of millions of dollars of sponsorship, broadcast revenue and even investment from big …

Credit Suisse’s Catastrophe Bonds Should Outlive the Bank: DBRS Morningstar

Bonds designed to insure Credit Suisse Group AG against disaster could outlive the bank. Credit Suisse’s Operational Re bonds, insurance-linked securities that cover the bank against perils such as falling victim to fraud and accounting errors, should remain unaffected by …

Cat Bond Investors Demand Higher Premiums as Weather Becomes More Extreme

Investors in the $35 billion catastrophe bond market are demanding the highest premiums in years to cover issuers against disasters, as weather events become more extreme while interest rates rise. Margins on new issuances of catastrophe bonds covering US wind …

Greensill Capital Still Has $9.3B to Pay on Its Notes After Its Collapse a Year Ago

Greensill Capital collapsed more than a year ago, but $9.3 billion of assets sold to investors as notes are yet to pay out. The lender, which collapsed in March 2021, sold short-term trade finance products to investors including funds run …

London Insurance Brokers Probed for Bribery and Corruption by UK Serious Fraud Office

A handful of London insurance firms are being investigated for bribery and corruption by the UK’s Serious Fraud Office, according to people familiar with the probe. The fraud cops are examining the way firms, including Marsh & McLennan Cos.’ Jardine …

UK Regulator Warns Firms to Protect Customers in Liability Management Schemes

The UK’s markets watchdog warned it will come down hard on struggling firms that leave customers out of pocket when they resort to legal procedures to manage their liabilities. The Financial Conduct Authority has seen an increase in the number …

Generali, Allianz Are Among Suitors for NN Group’s Asset Manager Arm: Sources

DWS Group and Assicurazioni Generali SpA are among suitors that submitted initial bids this week for the asset management arm of NN Group NV, people familiar with the matter said. The unit, known as NN Investment Partners, has separately attracted …

Greensill Capital Collapse Exposes Less-Than-Adequate Technological Capabilities

Lex Greensill promoted his business as the future of finance, talking up a technology superior to Wall Street rivals that allowed him to lend at super-low rates based on real-time information. But former staff at Greensill Capital, as well as …