Reinsurers News

Brazil Insurer Caixa Seguridade, Reinsurer IRB Plan IPOs to Raise $3.6 Billion

Brazilian insurer Caixa Seguridade Participações SA and reinsurer IRB Brasil RE SA on Tuesday filed plans for initial public offerings that their shareholders expect to raise a combined 13 billion reais ($3.6 billion) should an across-the-board market rout ease in …

Fitch: Downward Pricing Pressures in Reinsurance Market Begin to Slow

The reinsurance market showed signs of decelerating rate declines in its most recent June/July 2015 renewals, indicating that pricing could be approaching a new equilibrium, says Fitch Ratings in a new global sector report. Reinsurance pricing has experienced downward pressures …

A.M. Best: Sanctions Removal to Attract Re/Insurers to Iranian Market

The lifting of trade restrictions placed on Iran may present significant opportunities for the Middle East and North African (MENA) re/insurance market, with European participants also expected to re-engage and seek a foothold in the country, according to research published …

Munich Re Q2 Net Income Rises to $1.14 Billion on Lower Catastrophe Claims

Munich Re, the world’s biggest reinsurer, raised its full-year profit target after net income beat analyst estimates on lower catastrophe claims. The shares rose. Net income rose to 1.07 billion euros [$1.14 billion] in the second quarter from 758 million …

Foreign Insurers Take Cautious Look at Iran Business in Wake of Nuclear Deal

Western and Middle East insurance specialists see Iran as an appealing $8 billion market in the wake of its nuclear deal with world powers, though uncertainty over when sanctions on Tehran will be lifted means they are treating the country …

Re/insurance Market Conditions Will Lead to More M&A Activity: A.M. Best

Merger and takeover activity is likely to continue in the coming months as re/insurers increasingly seek ways to deploy capital and create scale against a backdrop of ongoing soft market conditions and weak investment returns, according to a special report …

Allianz: Hedge Funds Are Opportunity for Insurance Industry, Not Threat

Chris Fischer Hirs, the head of Allianz SE’s specialty insurance business, said he welcomes the growing participation of Wall Street in the insurance industry as an opportunity, not a threat. “Hedge funds bring capacity to the market,” Fischer Hirs said …

Munich Re’s ERGO May Cancel Purchase of Greek Insurer on Instability

Munich Re’s ERGO Insurance unit may cancel its planned 90.1 million euro ($100 million) acquisition of Greece’s ATE Insurance SA if the country doesn’t return to stability. “Depending upon how the political situation develops, it is possible that we will …

A.M. Best: Eurozone Insurers Remain Robust Despite Instability in Greece

The impact of Greece exiting the eurozone is likely to hit market confidence in the region, although (re)insurers operating in the economic bloc are well positioned to withstand a continued period of volatility, according to a briefing published by A.M. …

ILS Products Are Changing Reinsurance Industry Norms: ‘Acts of God’ Author

Second of two articles In the first article in this series, Paula Jarzabkowski, professor of Strategic Management at Cass Business School, City University London, discussed the findings of her book on the reinsurance industry, which show that the market is …