Research and Trends News

Risk Models Behind Insurance-Linked Securities Are Getting a Lot Harder to Crack

As the best hedge fund strategy of 2023 becomes a magnet for mainstream investors, the risk models it relies on are getting a lot tougher to crack. The strategy in question is tied to insurance-linked securities, which are dominated by …

Fitch: Homeowners Insurers’ Results to Improve In 2024

U.S. homeowners’ insurance is in position to improve in 2024, according Fitch Ratings. The rating agency said premium revenue growth, tied to recent substantial price increases and more diligent underwriting to manage risk concentrations and aggregations, points to improvement in …

Insurers’ LNG Support at Odds With Their Climate Ambition, Report Says

The underwriting of liquefied natural gas (LNG) capacity in the US by major global insurers is at odds with their climate ambition, according to a report from activist groups including Public Citizen and Rainforest Action Network. Chubb, American International Group …

P&I Clubs Raise Renewal Prices to Keep Up With Claims Inflation: AM Best

Protection and Indemnity (P&I) clubs sought further price improvements at the February 2024 renewals in order to keep up with claims inflation, despite a relatively benign year for P&I claims in 2023, according to a report from AM Best. The …

Flying Got Safer Last Year Almost Everywhere Except Russia

Flying further improved its safety record last year, extending a long-term trend that’s set to continue despite quality lapses at Boeing Co. and maintenance setbacks in Russia, where sanctions have put decades of progress at risk. There were 124 fatalities …

Remote Workers Often First to Get Laid Off Despite Legal Risk

Remote workers are more likely to be laid off or miss out on promotion opportunities than their peers who work in the office or in hybrid environments, potentially exposing employers to costly discrimination lawsuits. A January survey from Live Data …

Hamas-Linked Hackers Targeted Israeli Engineers Ahead of Oct. 7 Massacre: Research

A pro-Palestinian hacking group targeted Israeli software engineers as part of an attempt to dupe them into downloading malware weeks before the Oct. 7 massacre, according to findings from cybersecurity researchers at Alphabet Inc.’s Google. The attack, dubbed Blackatom, was …

Casualty Reinsurance Renewals See Modest Price Hikes Despite Social Inflation: AM Best

Reinsurers in general maintained adequate capacity for casualty programs, despite concerns about social inflation and some recent reserve strengthening actions, according to a report from AM Best. For reinsurers, a relatively stable economic environment in 2023, a long run of …

Continued Growth for Surplus Lines in 2023 as Premiums Up 14.6%

The excess and surplus lines market continued to grow in 2023, with premium reaching nearly $73 billion according to data from 15 state surplus lines office release by the Wholesale & Specialty Insurance Association (WSIA). 2023 premiums reflected a 14.6% …

Migratory Animals in Peril From Overhunting, Habitat Loss: UN Report

Every year, mammals, birds, fish and insects make epic migrations between habitats. The humpback whale, famously, can travel 5,000 miles in a trip. But because these animals cross national borders and frequently congregate at predictable way stops, they are uniquely …