Articles by Ben Berkowitz and Myles Neligan

Debate Begins: Will Japan Disaster Raise Insurance Rates?

Losses from the Japanese earthquake will reduce insurers’ capital reserves, insurance brokers said Tuesday, as sector shares continued their sharp declines on fears the disaster’s size could grow. Ace, a leading insurer and reinsurer, warned the Japanese earthquake would cause …

European Insurers Dogged by Fresh Capital Fears

A bumper equity issue from Aegon and a disappointing dividend from Allianz stirred fresh fears about European insurers’ capital strength on Thursday, weighing on their shares. The capital-boosting measures by Allianz and Aegon suggest the industry is worried Europe’s Solvency …

Lloyd’s Sees Record Claims, Continued Pricing Decline; Considers Russia Office

The Lloyd’s of London insurance market revealed that record claims from disasters including the Chilean earthquake and U.S. oil spill halved its profits, and said it saw no respite from a steady decline in prices. Lloyd’s, which traces its origins …

European Life Insurers Hope Accounting Change Will Woo Investors

British life insurers reporting half-year results this month plan to simplify their notoriously complex financial statements in a move that could lift their flagging shares. Standard Life, Britain’s fourth-biggest life insurer, two weeks ago became the latest to say it …

Gale Force Winds Needed to Re-Inflate Insurance Share Prices

Nobody wishes for a natural disaster, but there’s nothing like a big U.S. hurricane to revitalize shares in property and casualty insurers, currently weighed down by persistently weak insurance prices. Nine analysts polled by Reuters on average said the U.S. …

Apollo Bid for UK’s Brit Insurance Seen Viable at around $16.30 a Share

U.S. buyout firm Apollo will have to raise its offer for Brit Insurance by at least 10 percent to pull off its planned takeover of the Lloyd’s of London insurer, analysts said. Five analysts polled by Reuters said Brit would …

Weak Predators, Demanding Prey Stymie Lloyd’s M&A

A bid for Lloyd’s of London insurer Brit is unlikely to trigger acquisitions in the battered sector because targets feel they can hold out against lowball private equity bids and trade buyers remain strapped for cash. Shares across the Lloyd’s …

UK’s Prudential Confirms AIA Deal Still On

The UK’s Prudential on Thursday denied market talk that it had pulled its $35.5 billion bid for U.S. rival AIG’s Asian unit, after rumors the deal was off boosted Pru’s shares as well as the pound. “This speculation is unfounded,” …

Pru In Talks to Lower Price for AIG’s Asian Unit, AIA

Prudential has entered talks to cut its $35.5 billion offer for for AIG’s Asian life insurance arm, in a last-ditch bid to salvage a deal criticised by shareholders as too expensive. Prudential chief executive Tidjane Thiam’s future hinges on the …

Rivalry Haunts Prudential/AIA Integration

British insurer Prudential will try to reassure investors it can seamlessly absorb the Asian arm of AIG next week when it publishes the prospectus for a record $21 billion cash call to fund the takeover. With shareholders broadly backing the …