Investors warm to insurers
20 February 2012
Investors are viewing insurers with more optimism, although European underwriters remain on the nose, according to Moody’s…
International
Bipartisan call for urgent vote on US flood program
20 February 2012
US Senators from both sides of politics are calling for an urgent vote on the country’s flood insurance program, which is due to expire in May…
China opens third-party auto insurance market
20 February 2012
China is poised to allow foreign companies access to its huge compulsory third-party liability vehicle insurance market…
Catlin hit with $US1 billion claims bill
13 February 2012
Claims from natural disasters have wiped nearly $US1 billion ($925 million) from the full-year result of Bermuda-based insurer Catlin…
Axis posts loss for full year
13 February 2012
Axis Capital exceeded fourth-quarter expectations but still posted an operating loss for the year of $US154 million ($142.5 million) as a result of large claims in Thailand, Japan and New Zealand…
XL counts impact of Thai floods
13 February 2012
Flooding in Thailand and intangible losses on new acquisitions have eroded XL Group’s fourth-quarter results to a net loss of $US515.5 million ($479.2 million)…
Nat cats take a holiday in January
13 February 2012
January passed without any major natural disasters globally, according to Aon Benfield’s latest Global Catastrophe Recap report…
UK follows ‘twin peaks’ regulatory model
13 February 2012
Pilloried and applauded since it was first introduced, the “twin peaks” approach to prudential regulation is now to be practised by the UK’s Financial Services Authority…
Thai floods insurance cost could reach $20 billion
13 February 2012
Moody’s Investors Service has warned last year’s Thai flooding disaster could cost insurers between $US10 billion ($9.25 billion) and $US20 billion ($18.5 billion) in claims…
CII launches research project to mark centenary
13 February 2012
The UK’s Chartered Insurance Institute will mark its 100th anniversary as a chartered professional body by publishing a series of research reports examining global risk…
Arab Spring heightens political risk
13 February 2012
A wave of civil uprisings across the Middle East and Southeast Asia has raised the global level of political risk, according to the latest report from Aon Risk Solutions…
Insurers build understanding through modelling
13 February 2012
Personal lines insurers are committed to predictive modelling and now commercial lines issuers are using the statistical tool to improve their understanding of price and risk…
Royal Bank of Scotland Insurance rebrands ahead of sell-off
13 February 2012
Royal Bank of Scotland Insurance has adopted the moniker of its best-known brand, Direct Line, as its separation from its banking parent company continues…
US rates edge up
13 February 2012
US premium rates averaged a 1% increase in January 2012, with rates for workers’ compensation and commercial property the biggest movers, according to research from MarketScout…
US insurance industry still a year or two away from recovery
13 February 2012
The combined ratio for the US property and casualty industry is expected to climb to 107.5% for 2011 as natural catastrophes and poor investment returns wreak havoc on financial performance…
Natural disasters shake profit results
06 February 2012
The first round of global insurance financials have revealed an industry buffeted by claims but ultimately still profitable…
Munich Re posts profit despite cat claims
06 February 2012
Munich Re’s full-year profit plunged by €1.72 billion ($2.11 billion) as catastrophe claims and investment losses cut the German’s group’s annual result to its worst result since 2006…
Aon up in solid fourth quarter
06 February 2012
Global broker Aon has banked a full-year net income increase of 39% to $US979 million ($910 million), driven by the acquisition of human resources firm Hewitt…
Gallagher drives home strong quarter
06 February 2012
Global broker and risk management firm Arthur J Gallagher has booked a 27% rise in fourth-quarter profit to post year-end earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation of $US428.4 million…
US insurance executives believe market outlook is positive
06 February 2012
A survey of leading US insurance industry executives has revealed that the majority believe the industry is in the early stages of a hard market…