May 9, 2016
While the wildfires raging through northern Alberta and the city of Fort McMurray could bring one of the largest catastrophe losses in Canadian history, property insurers are resilient, according to A.M. Best and Moody’s in separate reports. The fire has …
April 6, 2016
If Britain votes to leave the European Union, the country’s shipping sector faces years of disruption as trade agreements get reworked and currency volatility leads to higher costs at a time when the industry is battling its worst global downturn. …
March 3, 2016
Traditionally conservative European insurers and pension funds are turning increasingly to risky property bets on everything from new homes in provincial Britain to car parks at Brussels airport, as they feel the pinch from rock-bottom interest rates. While much is …
November 25, 2015
Cyber attacks on the private sector are an increasingly important risk in corporate credit analysis, U.S. ratings agency Moody’s Investors Service said this week. The threat of computer hacking varies from sector to sector and remains hard to measure because …
February 27, 2015
The proposed acquisition of Brit plc by Fairfax Financial Holdings is “credit positive” for Fairfax, according to Moody’s, which noted that the deal will significantly boost Fairfax’s underwriting capacity at Lloyd’s in a recently published report. Also citing the benefits …
April 9, 2014
European insurers such as Allianz SE and Axa SA are shifting investments into the loan market, taking business from banks that are being forced to increase capital and meet tougher regulations, Moody’s Investors Service said. The insurance companies are moving …
November 13, 2013
Credit ratings organisations from five countries are launching a new global agency, touting it as an alternative to the Big Three agencies which they say no longer meet the needs of the new globalised world. In a statement on Tuesday, …
October 7, 2013
The new Shanghai free trade zone should benefit property/casualty insurers, particularly those in marine/cargo and liability insurance, according to Moody’s Credit Outlook. On Sept. 29, the date that Shanghai’s municipal government’s launched its free trade zone, the China Insurance Regulatory …
September 26, 2013
U.S. property and casualty (P/C) insurers continue to release reserves to support earnings, said Moody’s Investors Service in two recent reports. U.S. P/C insurers released $9.0 billion of reserves during the first six months of 2013, with a significant portion …
March 13, 2013
Moody’s Investor’s Service reported that the property/casualty insurance industry’s capital growth outpaced premium growth last year, and that earnings for the year jumped nearly 50 percent over 2011. “Capital adequacy remains solid,” the firm said in a report said, noting …