insurance investments News

EU Plans Tough ‘Value for Money’ Rules for Investment Products: Draft Proposals

Banks, insurers and asset managers in the European Union would only be allowed to sell funds and other products across the bloc if they could prove to regulators they offer value for money, draft proposals seen by Reuters showed. The …

Life Insurance Sector at Risk if Bond Yields Rise Sharply: IMF

The life insurance industry is at risk if there is a sharp rise in bond yields, with an extreme situation potentially causing insurers to liquidate investments reaching $1 trillion in the United States and Europe, the International Monetary Fund warned …

China Regulator Raises Cap on Equity Investments Made by Domestic Insurers to 45%

China’s banking and insurance regulator said it was raising the cap on how much the country’s insurers can invest in equity assets, an effort trying to bring more long-term funds into the capital market. The China Banking and Insurance Regulatory …

Insurers Shift Real Estate Investments from Offices to Warehouses

Global insurers want to increase investments in commercial warehouses as their stakes in office space become riskier because of employees working remotely during the novel coronavirus pandemic, Goldman Sachs Asset Management (GSAM) executives said. The pandemic is hastening a shift …

Zurich Insurance Plans to Double Allocation to Impact Investments, Earmarking $5B

Zurich Insurance Group AG plans to more than double its allocation to impact investments, earmarking $5 billion for a broader range of assets after devoting $2 billion to green bonds in recent years. While it didn’t specify a period, Zurich …

EU Wants Insurers to Plug Investment Gap, but Bank Partners Needed: Regulator

Efforts to get insurers to plug Europe’s investment gap by backing riskier assets could be undermined if banks are unwilling to share crucial credit data with them, a European Union insurance regulator said. EU insurance capital rules known as Solvency …

EU Insurers Have Raised Their Exposure to Riskier Investments: EU Regulator

Insurance companies, in their search for yield, have increased their exposure to bonds with lower credit ratings and to less liquid securities like non-listed equities and loans, according to a survey by Europe’s insurance watchdog published Thursday. The survey, looking …

Insurers Beat Other Industries on Shareholder Value – But Can It Last?

The insurance sector is beating other industries on delivering shareholder value but insurers may find this more difficult to do going forward unless they adjust their game plan. According to the global management consulting firm Boston Consulting Group (BCG), the …

Insurers Say Trans-Pacific Pact Important for Industry Growth, Jobs

U.S. property/casualty insurers are welcoming the news that the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) parties have reached an agreement. Although details of the pact are unknown, the U.S. insurers say they believe the agreement will level the playing field for them in …

China’s Fosun to Invest in European, Japanese Insurers

Fosun International Ltd., the investment arm of China’s biggest closely held conglomerate, is considering making more bets on insurers outside its home country, Chief Executive Officer Liang Xinjun said. “We prefer investing in insurance companies in Europe and Japan,” Liang …