investments News

UK’s Aviva Selling $1.3B in Tobacco Company Holdings

Aviva, Britain’s biggest life insurer, is selling about 1 billion pounds ($1.3 billion) worth of bonds and shares it holds in tobacco companies, joining a global campaign to divest from the industry. The move by insurance companies to sell holdings …

Companies May Soon Be Required to Disclose Financial Impact of Climate Risk

Companies’ disclosure of risks to their business from climate change could become mandatory in a few years as investor pressure gathers pace, climate finance experts said on Tuesday. Investors have urged companies, particularly those operating in the oil, gas and …

Allianz to Launch Subsidiary in China to Target Overseas Investments: Sources

German insurer Allianz is setting up a wholly-owned unit in Shanghai to launch hedge funds that invest abroad, three sources said, as some foreign managers prepare for China to ease curbs on overseas investments aimed at stemming capital outflows. The …

Insurers, Banks & Pension Funds ‘Must Address’ Climate Risk Exposures

The world’s insurers, banks and pension funds are “inherently susceptible” to threats from climate change and must make adjustments, from shifting investment toward environmentally friendly industries to revamping strategies to reduce risk, said the Global Risk Institute. “Climate change is …

European Insurers Look to Hoarding Cash After Brexit Vote

Investors will consider hoarding cash in vaults as government bond yields fall deeper into negative territory following the U.K.’s vote to leave the European Union, according to Talanx AG, Germany’s third-biggest insurer. “Storing physical cash as an alternative to paying …

PartnerRe Reshapes $16B Investment Portfolio Under Elkann/EXOR’s Leadership

PartnerRe exited junk bonds and shifted funds into property as the reinsurer reshaped a $16 billion investment portfolio after being acquired by John Elkann’s EXOR SpA. EXOR’s approach is to focus on holdings that “we know and understand very well,” …

AXA to Stop Investing in Tobacco, Divesting $2B of Assets in that Industry

AXA SA, France’s largest insurer, said it will stop investing in tobacco and divest all of its 1.8 billion euros ($2 billion) of assets in the industry. AXA will sell about 200 million euros of stock in tobacco companies and …

Paulson’s PaCRe Shuts Down After Investment Slump, Bermuda Tax Uncertainties

Billionaire John Paulson’s New York hedge fund firm has shut an operation in Bermuda that had been targeted by a Democratic lawmaker as a tax shelter. Paulson’s venture, a reinsurer named PaCRe Ltd., has stopped writing new coverage, and its …

Swiss Re Targets Nigerian Acquisition, Seeking to Tap African Growth Rates

Swiss Re AG, which has had an African presence for more than 60 years, said it’s in talks with Nigerian insurers to buy minority stakes and benefit from growth in the continent’s largest economy. “We’d like to have more investments …

AXA Plans to Sell Coal Assets, Citing Concerns About Climate Change

France’s largest insurer will scrap holdings in coal companies because of concerns about climate change, broadening support for the fossil-fuel divestment movement to a major mainstream investor. AXA SA Chief Executive Officer Henri de Castries said he’s working to sell …