S&P Global Ratings News

Texas’ Hochheim Mutual Insurers Removed From Credit Watch Negative

S&P Global Ratings has removed Texas-based Hochheim Prairie Farm Mutual Insurance Assn. (HPFMIA) and its subsidiary, Hochheim Prairie Casualty Insurance Co. (HPCIC, collectively Hochheim) from Credit Watch Negative, where the companies were initially placed on Nov. 28, 2017. S&P Global …

S&P Says Insurers and Reinsurers Can Absorb Losses from California Wildfires

S&P Global Ratings expects both the primary insurers and reinsurers to be able to absorb losses from the California wildfires, limiting them to an earnings event. However, the mounting bills from more frequents large wildfires in the state against a …

No-Deal Brexit Could Push UK into Lengthy Recession, Warns S&P

A no-deal Brexit would be likely to tip Britain into a recession as long as the downturn that followed the global financial crisis, and investors should no longer ignore this danger, credit ratings agency Standard & Poor’s said on Tuesday. …

UK Heading for ‘Acrimonious and Disruptive’ No-Deal Brexit: Fitch

Ratings agency Fitch said on Friday it no longer assumed that Britain would leave the European Union in a smooth transition and said a “no deal” Brexit could lead to a further downgrade of its sovereign credit rating. “In Fitch’s …

Japanese Typhoons Put Downward Pressure on Creditworthiness of Insurers: S&P

The recent run of large natural disasters to hit Japan likely has put downward pressure on the creditworthiness of the nation’s three largest non-life insurance groups, according to S&P Global Ratings in a market briefing. Following July’s heavy rains, Typhoon …

S&P Probes If Reinsurers Are Ready for Another Year of Active Natural Disasters

After global insured natural catastrophe losses hit record highs in 2017, will reinsurers be able to withstand another year of active natural catastrophes? S&P Global Ratings indicates that while reinsurers are entering this year’s hurricane season with robust earnings and …

S&P Places AXA on CreditWatch Negative over Its Plans to Buy XL Group for $15.3B

S&P Global Ratings placed France’s AXA on CreditWatch with negative implications over its planned $15.3 billion purchase of XL Group Ltd. The ratings agency said it is worried about what the mega-deal could do to AXA’s capital reserves. At issue …

January Renewals Saw Rate Hikes of Up to 5%, with More Expected: S&P

Global reinsurance pricing in aggregate was flat to up about 5 percent during the January 2018 renewals, and more price hikes can be expected in loss-affected areas during the year, according to S&P Global Ratings. After last year’s spate of …

The Hartford and Travelers Among Companies Offering Bonuses Due to New Tax Law

Hartford, Conn.-based The Hartford and New York City-headquartered Travelers confirmed they are among several companies giving their employees bonuses of $1,000 each if they earn $75,000 or less annually as a result of what U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin …

Texas’ Hochheim Prairie Farm Mutual Ratings on CreditWatch; Harvey Cited

S&P Global Ratings has placed its ‘B+’ financial strength ratings for Hochheim Prairie Farm Mutual Insurance Assoc. (HPFMIA) and its subsidiary, Hochheim Prairie Casualty Insurance Co. (HPCIC; collectively Hochheim) on CreditWatch with negative implications. Hochheim, headquartered in Yoakum, Texas, only …