Munich Re News

Munich Re Q2 Profits Beat Expectations, Aid Claims and Restructuring Costs

Munich Re, the world’s second-biggest reinsurer, reported second-quarter profit that beat analysts’ expectations as gains from currencies and investments cushioned higher claims from natural disasters and restructuring charges at its Ergo primary-insurance unit. Net income declined to 974 million euros …

Internet of Things Is Industry Disruptor that Could Benefit Innovators: Efma Report

The steady advance of the internet of things (IoT) presents a huge number of opportunities for insurers – as well as threats, according to a digest published by Efma*. The rise in connected homes, connected cars and the use of …

Negative Interest Rates Described as ‘Dirt Sandwich’ for Insurers, Asset Managers

Central bankers globally need to realize the risks that extreme monetary policies will backfire, according to Voya Financial Inc.’s Karyn Cavanaugh. “Negative rates are turning out to be a dirt sandwich, especially for Japan,” Cavanaugh, who works as senior market …

Europe Insurers’ Stress Tests Could Lead to Higher Capital Requirements

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 …

Storms & Earthquakes Drive Up Insured Losses in 1H 2016: Munich Re

Economic losses caused by natural catastrophes in the first half of 2016 totaled US$70 billion, a significant increase from the $59 billion reported for the first half of last year, according to a loss review issued by Munich Re. While …

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 …

Persistent Soft Market Begins to Hit Reinsurer Stock Prices: A.M. Best

While global reinsurers are continuing to withstand challenging market conditions, their stock prices, on average, are starting to take a hit as a result of the persistent soft market and its negative effect on top line growth, according to a …

Pandemics and Climate Change Present Opportunity for Insurers

The shoe may eventually be placed on the other foot for the U.S. This nation has a long-standing tradition of innovating products and ideas – particularly insurance products – and then exporting them to other countries. Now the U.S. may …

Munich Re to Spend $1.1B by 2020 to Restructure Primary Insurance Unit

Munich Re, the world’s second-biggest reinsurer, plans to spend 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) by 2020 restructuring operations at its loss-making primary insurance unit in Germany. The plan for ERGO’s German operations includes cutting 1,835 jobs, or about 13 percent …

Rio Olympics Will Proceed – Despite Zika Epidemic: Munich Re Underwriter

Should the Olympics proceed in Rio de Janeiro in August as planned? With the lighting of the torch set to take place in less than three months, a handful of medical experts are calling for the games to be postponed …