Standard & Poor’s News

Workers’ Compensation Turn a Profit? Fahgettaboudit!

Workers’ compensation carriers with visions of profits over the next few years are dreaming. It ain’t goin’ to happen, according to insurance analysts at Standard & Poors Ratings Services. “All signs are pointing to more unprofitable years ahead for the …

Terrorism Risk Still a Concern in Insurer Ratings: S&P

Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services said it continues to view terrorism risk as a critical component in its assessment of an insurer’s financial strength, more than 10 years after the events of Sept. 11, 2001. In a report titled, “Ten …

Rating Agencies Win Dismissal of Ohio Funds Lawsuit

The three major credit-rating agencies won the dismissal of a lawsuit alleging that five Ohio pension funds lost hundreds of millions of dollars on risky mortgage debt because they relied on flawed ratings that made the debt appear safe. U.S. …

S&P Sees Limited Impact on Insurers from Irene

Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services said it expects a somewhat limited impact from Hurricane Irene on U.S. property/casualty insurers and global reinsurers, based on preliminary insured loss estimates. “We do not believe that the magnitude of this event is such …

S&P Balks at SEC Proposal to Disclose Rating Errors

Standard & Poor’s, whose unprecedented downgrade of U.S. debt triggered a worldwide stocks sell-off, is pushing back against a U.S. government proposal that would require credit raters to disclose “significant errors” in how they calculate their ratings. S&P, which was …

S&P Threatens Downgrade of Insurers, Financial Firms Over Debt Ceiling

Standard & Poor’s Friday raised the pressure on debt negotiators in Washington, saying it could downgrade insurers, securities clearinghouses, mortgage agencies and a laundry list of other firms without a deal soon to lift the U.S. debt ceiling and cut …

S&P Could Downgrade Bond Insurers

Standard & Poor’s could downgrade bond insurers by a full category or more if new ratings standards for the sector are implemented and the companies do not raise more capital, the agency said Monday. Bond insurers’ shares fell sharply, as …