Authorities are nowhere near to fully understanding “shadow banking” as the $75 trillion sector morphs and grows under the influence of new technology and regulation, a top markets supervisor said on Wednesday. Shadow banking refers to the supply of credit …
Europe’s insurers are preparing to boost dividends to the highest of any industry except utilities, making use of expanding surplus capital to offer investors an alternative to record low interest earnings from bonds. Companies including Allianz SE, Europe’s biggest insurer, …
The recent unveiling by the European Central Bank (ECB) of its large-scale sovereign bond buying program is just one of the pressure points building in Europe that could affect insurers and reinsurers’ balance sheets, said A.M. Best in a new …
Mapfre SA, the biggest insurer in Spain, is seeking to expand and may make acquisitions in Europe and the U.S., Chairman Antonio Huertas said. The company isn’t constrained by regulators’ efforts to stiffen capital requirements for the insurance industry, Huertas, …
One in four European insurers may struggle to meet promises to policyholders in a prolonged period of low interest rates, the European Union’s insurance watchdog said following a stress test of the industry. These insurers will need to raise capital …
Talanx AG, Germany’s third-biggest insurer, sold its stake in Swiss Life Holding AG to help mitigate the effect of low interest rates and to cover risk. Talanx will book 214 million euros ($267 million) profit from the sale of its …
Towers Watson says that overall global growth in the next three to five years will be moderate and divergent on a country basis, and risks to global growth are skewed to the downside in its report entitled “Secular Outlook 2014: …
Despite varying internal pressures, the German and French insurance markets have shown resilience in their respective ways, according to two separate reports issued by A.M. Best. While Germany’s economy is among the strongest in Europe, its insurance market will continue …
Talanx AG, Germany’s third-biggest insurer, plans to shift investment to countries outside the euro region as monetary policy measures erode returns on assets in the currency union. “Generally speaking, investing has become more complex and more risky as a result …
Lloyd’s Chairman John Nelson is pleased with the current state of the Lloyd’s market. Shortly after Nelson was interviewed at the Reinsurance Rendezvous in Monte Carlo, Lloyd’s announced a $1.67 billion [$2.72 billion] profit for the first half of 2014. …
