P/C News

The Lowdown: The Silent Battle Between Agencies and Companies

P&C insurance companies are scared. Not all are scared, of course. Some are big enough, some are smart enough, and others are ignorant enough to not be scared about the future of insurance distribution. The ones that are scared are …

Price Declines Slow on June U.S. Reinsurance Renewals: Guy Carpenter

After two years of price decreases averaging 15 percent on U.S. property catastrophe placements, risk-adjusted pricing moderated at the most recent June renewals. Reinsurance broker Guy Carpenter & Co. reported that the price declines are averaging in the high single …

Best Reports Italy’s Non-Life Insurance Sector Faces Shifting Landscape

The Italian non-life insurance market faces changes as the sector is subject to new legislation and industry consolidation, while the country’s ongoing economic challenges constrain demand for coverage, according to a new report from A.M. Best Co. Best explained that …

French Non-Life Sector Resilient, Despite Economic Difficulties: Best Reports

A new report from A.M. Best notes that the “French insurance market has experienced significant volatility during the past few years, although the non-life sector continues to grow.” The report comments that while the life market contracted in 2011, gross …

Best Affirms XL Group’s P&C Subs, XLIT Ratings; Outlook Stable

A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A’ (Excellent) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “a” of the property/casualty subsidiaries of the holding company, XL Group plc, which is based in Ireland, and led by XL …

Low Interest Rates: an Ongoing Problem for the Re/insurance Industry

Swiss Re’s sigma report analyzing the effect on the insurance industry of the continuing low interest rates doesn’t paint a pretty picture. They have been at historic lows for several years. For instance the nominal yield on a 10-year U.S. …

Swiss Re Reports $83 Million Q2 Net Income; $717 Million in P&C

Swiss Re reported a net profit of $83 million for the second quarter of 2012, indicating that the figure was “impacted by the sale at a loss of $1.0 billion of the Admin Re® US business.” Property & Casualty reinsurance …

Swiss Re sigma Study Finds P&C Growth in Emerging Markets

Swiss Re’s latest sigma study concludes that “global overall premiums declined 0.8 percent in real terms in 2011. While non-life premiums expanded 1.9 percent on solid economic growth in emerging markets and selective rate increases in some advanced markets, global …

Gomez to Head Lockton Mexico P&C, Surety Operations

Lockton announced that Ana Luisa Gomez has joined the company as Managing Director and CEO of Lockton Mexico Agente de Seguros y Fianzas, for all property and casualty and surety business lines. Gomez has 20 years of experience in the …

Best Affirms, Upgrades SCOR’s No. American Subs Ratings; Outlook Stable

Following its rating actions on the parent company, France’s SCOR SE, A.M. Best has upgraded the issuer credit ratings (ICR) to “a+” from “a” and affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A’ (Excellent) of the group’s non-life North American …