Standard & Poor’s News

Insurers Face Earnings Growth Challenges in Varying Global Economy: S&P

When it comes to finding earnings growth in 2015, the challenge facing the global insurance industry will be uneven economic conditions in many parts of the world, according to a report released by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services. Entitled “Pursuing …

Proposed XL Acquisition of Catlin Gets Review From Rating Agencies

A.M. Best and Standard & Poor’s have weighed in with their comments about XL Group’s announced agreement to acquire Catlin Group Ltd. for $4.1 billion in cash and stock. A.M. Best placed the financial strength rating of XL Group and …

China Insurers Face Shadow Banking Default Risk: Ratings Agencies

A doubling in the trust holdings of China’s insurers has prompted ratings companies to warn the industry may be taking on too much shadow banking default-risk. Insurers held 281 billion yuan ($46 billion) of trust products on June 30, surging …

S&P Report Urges ‘Disaster Resilience’ with Governments for Reinsurers’ Growth

Standard & Poor’s Rating Services announced the publication of its “Global Reinsurance Highlights” to coincide with the 2014 Reinsurance Rendezvous in September. S&P described the report as providing “a detailed perspective on the market, focusing on the competitive pressures that …

S&P Report Finds Volume Increases as Prices Drop in the ILS Market

Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services will publish its annual “Global Reinsurance Highlights” publication to coincide with the 2014 Reinsurance Rendez-Vous in September. S&P said the report would “provide a detailed perspective on the market, focusing on the competitive pressures that …

S&P Green Lighting Climate Risk Mitigation

How a company manages its risk in the face of a changing global climate is slated to become an ever-greater factor in a company’s worth. Today’s business leaders, whether or not they believe in climate change, face having to take …

Climate Change Bottom-Line Talk Grows, S&P Director Says

Companies and governments worldwide are changing their behaviors and examining their risks in the face of climate change, a managing director for Standard & Poor’s said as he held up the insurance industry as a good example of how to …

P/C Insurers Must Manage Emerging Risks Including the Next Big One

Learning how to manage increasingly complex and evolving risks is essential if property/casualty insurers are to serve the needs of their customers in a changing world. According to analysts and industry executives at Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services’ Insurance 2014: …

S&P Report Finds Companies Are Starting To Assess Climate Risks

A report – “Dealing With Disaster: How Companies Are Starting To Assess Their Climate Event Risks” – from Standard & Poor’s London office points out that the “increasing frequency of extreme weather events such as flooding, intense storms, heat waves, …

S&P Reinsurance Report Warns of ‘Negative Rating Actions’

Standard & Poor’s latest report – “Past The Tipping Point: Competition And Soft Pricing Could Lead To Rating Pressure For Global Reinsurers” – on the state of the global reinsurance sector, notes that “reinsurers are experiencing increased competition and curtailed …