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European Insurers Estimate Katrina Losses: A disaster the scope of Hurricane Katrina hits everybody, not just U.S. carriers. The following are some of the preliminary estimates of anticipated losses from a number of European insurers: Amlin Plc, a leading Lloyd’s …

News Briefs

European Insurers Estimate Katrina Losses: A disaster the scope of Hurricane Katrina hits everybody, not just U.S. carriers. The following are some of the preliminary estimates of anticipated losses from a number of European insurers: Amlin Plc, a leading Lloyd’s …

AXA RE Estimates Impact of Hurricane Katrina Losses at $200 Million

AXA RE, the active reinsurer of France’s AXA Group, said the impact from Hurricane Katrina will probably result in total net losses of approximately $200 million before tax. “This estimate is net of reinsurance recoveries and reinstatement premiums and is …

William Gallagher Associates Taps Kearney to be Executive VP

William Gallagher Associates has elevated Michael Kearney to the position of executive vice president of the Boston-headquartered insurance brokerage, risk management and employee benefit services firm. Kearney specializes in providing insurance and risk management services to companies in the life …

Allianz Offers $7 Billion for Remaining RAS Shares; Plans Restructuring

Germany’s Allianz AG announced an offer to shareholders of Riunione Adriatica di Sicurtà (RAS) S.p.A for the approximately 45 percent of the shares it doesn’t already own. At 19 euros ($23.35) per share that makes the offer worth around 5.7 …

Willis, France’s Gras Savoye Create Willis Gras Savoye Re

Willis Group Holdings and Gras Savoye, a leading French insurance broker, announced that they have agreed to join their respective French and Belgian reinsurance businesses in a new Paris-based company, Willis Gras Savoye Re. “Gras Savoye has been an Associate …

Best Comments on Katrina’s Impact on the Global Reinsurance Industry

As the Reinsurance Rendezvous opens in Monte Carlo, A.M. Best Co. has issued a comment on the possible impact of Hurricane Katrina on the global insurance industry. Many of the biggest European companies – Munich Re ($493 million), Swiss Re …

AXA 1ST Half Group Net Income Up 31% to $2.8 Billion; No Significant Effect from Katrina

France’s AXA Group said in a “pre-release” statement that its net profits for the group rose by 31 percent for the period ended June 1, 2005 to 2.274 billion euros ($2.844 billion), compared to 1.733 billion euros ($2.167 billion) in …

August Plane Crashes Take Deadly Toll

No less than five airline accidents occurred in the month of August, the most in three years. Two of the crashes killed all those on board. On Aug. 14, a Boeing 737, operated by charter airline Helios Airways, crashed outside …

Extreme Weather Hits Europe: Devastating wild fires in Portugal; torrential rains in Switzerland, Austria, Germany and Romania; drought in much of France. There seems to be no end to the list of extreme weather conditions that have hit Europe in …