Articles by Noah Buhayar

Berkshire’s Commercial Insurer Hires AIG, Chubb Execs to Enter Canada Market

Berkshire Hathaway Inc.’s commercial insurance unit is expanding into Canada as it seeks to win over new clients by offering bigger coverage limits than competitors. The unit, Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance, said it hired Darryl DeSouza from American International Group …

AXIS to Merge with PartnerRe to Create $11 Billion Reinsurer

AXIS Capital Holdings Ltd. agreed to merge with PartnerRe Ltd., combining two Bermuda-based reinsurers with a total market value of almost $11 billion amid accelerating consolidation in the industry. PartnerRe shareholders will own 51.6 percent of the new company after …

Buffett’s Favoring Takeovers Over Stocks Paying Off

Warren Buffett said last year that Berkshire Hathaway Inc.’s future will be about buying big businesses and expanding them over time. As he celebrates his golden anniversary running the company, investors are rallying behind the idea. Shares of the Omaha, …

Fireman’s Fund Timeline: Through Earthquake, Amex and More

The sale of a Fireman’s Fund unit from Allianz SE to Ace Ltd. stands to further diminish an iconic U.S. insurance brand that dates to the 1800s. The buyer said Thursday that it will integrate the operation, which caters to …

Specialty Insurer James River Raises $231M in IPO

James River Group Holdings Ltd., the specialty insurer backed by hedge fund company D.E. Shaw & Co. and Goldman Sachs Group Inc., raised $231 million in an initial public offering, pricing its shares below the marketed range. Existing investors Shaw …

James River Not Afraid to Take on Uber, Riskier Assets

The insurer that ridesharing service Uber Technologies Inc. uses to protect drivers and passengers is going public, promoting how it’s more willing than competitors to invest in junk-rated loans. James River Group Holdings Ltd. outlined its strategy this way in …

Travelers CEO Fishman Discloses Neuromuscular Condition

Travelers Cos., the only property/casualty insurer in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, said Chief Executive Officer Jay Fishman has been diagnosed with a neuromuscular condition. “While fortunately it has so far been slow progressing, you may soon see me with …

P/C Insurers Rush to Meet Rising Demand for Cyber Insurance

Insurers flush with capital are rushing to grab part of an expanding cyber coverage market that’s been spurred on by high-profile hackings at JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Home Depot Inc. Sales are set to double this year from about …

Execs Hired by Berkshire Specialty Balked at AIG Philosophy: Benmosche

Robert Benmosche, who led American International Group Inc. for half a decade, said an emerging challenge from Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. hasn’t amounted to much so far. Buffett’s firm recruited AIG executives beginning last year to expand commercial coverage …

U.S. Economic Losses Due to Napa Quake, August Floods Top $4 Billion: Aon

As far as natural perils go, August was mostly about earthquakes, along with a few tropical storms and typhoons around the world to add to the trouble, according to Aon Benfield’s Impact Forecasting in its latest global catastrophe report. Earthquake …