2012 News

Best’s Report on Bermuda Re/Insurers Sees over 10% ROE for 2012

There are still several weeks until the end of the year, but forecasts are unlikely to change very much as far as Bermuda’s re/insurers are concerned. A new special report from A.M. Best indicates that “2012 is shaping up as …

Fewer Storms Forecast for 2012 Atlantic Hurricane Season

Fewer Storms Forecast for 2012 Atlantic Hurricane Season The 2012 Atlantic hurricane season is projected to be less active than in recent years with 11 tropical storms, six of which will intensify into hurricanes, U.S. private forecaster Weather Services International …

Quake Hits Central Chile; No Deaths or Serious Damage Reported

A magnitude-7.1 earthquake struck central Chile Sunday night, the strongest and longest that many people said they had felt since a huge quake devastated the area two years ago. Some people were injured by falling ceiling material, but there were …

Allianz Posts $3.73 Bn Net Income; Hit by Cat Claims, Sovereign Debt, Banks

Catastrophe claims and write downs on investments in sovereign bonds and banks were behind the profit fall revealed by Allianz, Europe’s biggest insurance group. On Thursday it reported net income of โ‚ฌ2.804 billion [$$3.777 billion], missing estimates by almost half …

IAG Finalizes $4.86 Billion Reinsurance Program for 2012

Insurance Australia Group Limited announced that it has finalized its catastrophe reinsurance program for the period commencing January 1, 2012 with up to A$4.7 billion [US$4.86 billion] in coverage, compared to A$4.1 billion [US$4.24 billion] in 2011. “Our reinsurance program …

Magnitude 7.0 Earthquake Strikes off Japan Coast

A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.0 struck under the sea several hundred miles (kilometers) south of Japan on Sunday, shaking buildings in the capital, but officials said there was no danger of a tsunami. The quake struck …

Insurers Worry 2012 Will Top 2011 for Record Weather Disasters

From floods that crippled countries, to mega cyclones, huge blizzards, killer tornadoes to famine-inducing droughts, 2011 has been another record-breaker for bad weather. While it is too early to predict what 2012 will be like, insurers and weather prediction agencies …