Last fall, after a trio of deadly hurricanes, ratings companies warned vulnerable coastal cities to get ready for climate change — or face higher borrowing costs on the $3.9 trillion municipal bond market. Climate advocates cheered, hoping the prospect of …
Credit ratings agency Moody’s is converting its Stockholm branch into a subsidiary as the sector faces regulatory pressure to have enough staff in the European Union post Brexit. Moody’s, one of the “Big Three” global agencies along with Standard & …
The current operating environment continues to prompt mergers & acquisitions (M&A) among insurers and reinsurers. However, the number of potential M&A candidates has declined and sellers’ expectations of high deal values could make future transactions more challenging, according to a …
Auto-theft rates in Mexico are rising at the fastest pace ever, and authorities are getting worse at tracking down the stolen cars. In March, the number of auto thefts rose 21 percent from the same month a year earlier, according …
Shadow banking activity in China has expanded further and now accounts for nearly a third of the total banking sector assets, raising financial risks in the world’s second-largest economy, rating agency Moody’s Investor Service said on Wednesday. Shadow banking assets …
Fitch Ratings this week warned that users of insurance ratings from four large credit rating agencies (CRAs) fail to understand differences in the rating scales – differences that separate A.M. Best from the rest of that pack. Specifically, Fitch said …
European insurers, whose profits are being eroded by Mario Draghi’s* quantitative easing program, face a stress test headache that risks requiring them to set aside more capital, further hurting their ability to make money. The timing of the regulator’s “stress …
Britain suffered further blows to its economic standing on Monday as two top ratings agencies downgraded its sovereign credit score, judging last week’s vote to leave the European Union would hurt its economy. Standard & Poor’s stripped Britain of its …
Market falls triggered by Britain’s vote to leave the European Union will hit British insurers’ capital, raising concerns over their ability to pay dividends or hand cash back to investors. New European capital Solvency II rules introduced in January require …
The Fort McMurray wildfires, which have been raging through northern Alberta, Canada since May 1, are likely to be the costliest natural disaster in Canadian history, according to recent reports issued by catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide, rating company DBRS …
