Japan News

RenRe Estimates Australia Flood Losses $30 Mn; NZ Quake $190 Mn

Bermuda-based RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. announced its initial loss estimates for the 2011 Australian flooding as well as the February 2011 New Zealand earthquake. The Company said it currently expects the Australian flooding and the New Zealand earthquake will have a …

SCOR Gives Preliminary View on Japanese Natural Catastrophes

Montpelier Re Estimates $75 Mn NZ Quake Losses; $15 Mn Australian Floods

Bermuda-based Montpelier Re Holdings announced that its preliminary pretax net loss estimate from the February New Zealand earthquake will be around US$75 million, net of reinstatement premiums. The Company added that its figure “assumes a US$12 billion industry loss.” Montpelier …

Canada’s Manulife Says Japan Exposure ‘Less than $153 Million’

Manulife Financial said Monday the impact of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan should be less than C$150 million (US$152.93 million), after investors sold the shares off by 3.5 percent on concerns about the insurer’s exposure to the disaster. Manulife, …

Best Comments on Rating Impact of Japanese Earthquake/Tsunami

A.M. Best Co. has issued a bulletin indicating that it does not “expect an immediate rating impact on Japanese non-life insurers and reinsurers due to the March 11, 2011 earthquake in Japan. However, the capitalization level will decrease by a …

Debate Begins: Will Japan Disaster Raise Insurance Rates?

Losses from the Japanese earthquake will reduce insurers’ capital reserves, insurance brokers said Tuesday, as sector shares continued their sharp declines on fears the disaster’s size could grow. Ace, a leading insurer and reinsurer, warned the Japanese earthquake would cause …

Japan Scrambles to Pull Nuclear Plant Back from Brink of Disaster

Japan’s nuclear crisis appeared to be spinning out of control on Wednesday after workers withdrew briefly from a stricken power plant because of surging radiation levels, but desperate efforts to avert a catastrophic meltdown quickly resumed. Early in the day …

Fitch Ratings: Japan Quake/Tsunami Losses ‘Appear Manageable’

Fitch Ratings has issued a bulletin, indicating that it “believes that while the 11 March earthquake in Japan will be among the largest insured losses in history, such losses can be absorbed by the insurance and reinsurance industries without widespread …

Swiss Re Reaffirms Commitment to Japanese Market

Swiss Re issued a statement which stressed that it is “committed to the Japanese insurance market and to supporting the country’s recovery from the devastating earthquake and tsunami which claimed many lives last week.” Chief Executive Stefan Lippe added: “We …

Japan Recovery and Reconstruction Cost ‘at Least $180 Billion’

Quake-hit Japan faces a recovery and reconstruction bill of at least $180 billion, or 3 percent of its annual economic output and more than 50 percent higher than the total cost of 1995’s earthquake in Kobe. Even though some extreme …