Reinsurance News

COVID-19 related market turmoil pushes Prudential to $271mn Q1 net loss

6th May 2020

Prudential Financial, Inc. has reported a net loss of $271 million for the first-quarter of 2020, driven by significant net realised investment losses, impairment related losses, and losses related to market experience updates. A net loss of $271 million compares with net income of $932 million reported for the same period ... Read the full article

COVID-19 risk sees Fitch turn negative on AIG Life and holding company

6th May 2020

Fitch Ratings has revised the rating outlook to negative from stable for AIG Life and the holding company, citing the economic fallout and financial market stress being caused by the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak. At the same time, global financial services ratings agency Fitch has maintained its stable outlook on AIG's P&C ... Read the full article

Crawford & Co. reports goodwill impairment hit, Q1 net loss

6th May 2020

Crawford & Company, an independent provider of claims management and outsourcing solutions to carriers, brokers and corporates, has reported a net loss of $11.4 million for the first-quarter of 2020, compared with income of $6.1 million in the prior year quarter. In Q1, the company incurred a non-cash pre-tax goodwill impairment ... Read the full article

Berkshire (BHSI) adds Jean-François Leandri to property team in France

6th May 2020

The insurance arm of Warren Buffett's global insurance and reinsurance company, Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Company (BHSI), has expanded its property team in France with the addition of Jean-François Leandri as Risk Control Consultant. Leandri has nearly 25 years of engineering experience and has spent the last 17 years as District ... Read the full article

TransRe takes $153mn Q1 hit from COVID-19

6th May 2020

Investment holding company Alleghany Corporation has seen the combined ratio of its reinsurance business TransRe increase 13.5 points in the first quarter to 107%, due to significant catastrophe losses primarily related to the coronavirus pandemic. TransRe’s net premiums written increased 9.3% in Q1 from the first quarter of 2019, primarily reflecting ... Read the full article

Hiscox reports 2% growth in Q1, expects COVID-19 to drive rate hardening

6th May 2020

Specialist insurer and reinsurer Hiscox has reported gross written premium (GWP) growth of 2% to $1.18 billion for the first-quarter of 2020, driven by solid growth in the firm's Retail and London Market units, somewhat offset by a planned decline in Hiscox Re & ILS. Broken down, and the re/insurer has ... Read the full article

Greenlight Re confirms $40mn Q1 loss amid investment “turmoil”

6th May 2020

Hedge fund-backed reinsurer Greenlight Re has confirmed that it saw a net loss of $40.3 million in the first quarter of 2020, due to what CEO Simon Burton described as “unprecedented turmoil and uncertainty in global financial markets.” The result compares with net income of $5.9 million posted by Greenlight Re ... Read the full article

RenRe appoints Cruttenden active underwriter of Lloyd’s Syndicate 1458

6th May 2020

Bermudian reinsurer RenaissanceRe has appointed Ed Cruttenden active underwriter of its Syndicate 1458 at Lloyd’s. Bryan Dalton, the previous active underwriter for Syndicate 1458, will assume responsibility for underwriting across the company’s European platform as Chief Underwriting Officer – Europe. In addition to managing business written at the Syndicate, Cruttenden will also ... Read the full article

RGA falls to $88mn Q1 loss, sees above-average mortality claim frequency

6th May 2020

Reinsurance Group of America (RGA), a global provider of life reinsurance, has reported a net loss of $88 million for the first-quarter of 2020, driven primarily by movements in embedded derivatives as a result of COVID-19-induced financial market volatility and adverse impacts on credit spreads. A net loss of $88 million ... Read the full article

AXA Q1 revenues up 4%, 2020 earnings to be “materially impacted” by COVID-19

6th May 2020

Global insurer AXA has posted solid revenue increases across the board for the first quarter, but warned that the coronavirus pandemic will have a material impact on the group’s earnings in 2020. Total revenues were up 4% with growth in all business lines, with Property & Casualty (+3%), driven by Commercial ... Read the full article

Two months of retro BI coverage could wipe half of insurers’ capital: AM Best

6th May 2020

New analysis by ratings agency AM Best suggests that industry capital backing re/insurers writing business interruption insurance could decline by as much as 50% if legislated policy changes force carriers to pay for two months of retroactive coverage on COVID-19-related claims. AM Best believes forcing insurers to pay for COVID-19-related business ... Read the full article

Hiscox confirms capital raise, cites reinsurance opportunities

6th May 2020

Hiscox has announced that it plans to raise around £375 million in a share issuance that the company says will enable it “to respond to future growth opportunities and rate improvement” in the US wholesale and reinsurance markets. The confirmation comes after speculation about the re/insurer's liabilities from the COVID-19 ... Read the full article

Rating agencies downgrade AXIS, company responds

6th May 2020

Global financial services ratings agencies have taken actions against AXIS Capital and its subsidiaries, citing the economic impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and a deteriorating operating performance. Specifically, Fitch Ratings has revised its outlook for AXIS from stable to negative, citing the economic impact of the pandemic. At the same time, ... Read the full article

Lloyd’s updates 2021 business plan process amid COVID-19

6th May 2020

Insurance and reinsurance marketplace Lloyd’s of London has laid out its process for agreeing 2021 business plans and capital requirements, which it says now reflect the challenges posed by COVID-19. The approval process for business plans will involve a three-tiered approach, following on from the pilot of Lloyd’s ‘Light Touch’ approach ... Read the full article

COVID-19 dents Hannover Re’s P&C result, Group net income still up 2.5%

6th May 2020

Reinsurance giant Hannover Re has reported an increase in net income to €300.9 million for the first-quarter of 2020, as an improved performance within Life and Health (L&H) more than offset the impacts of COVID-19 on the reinsurer's Property and Casualty (P&C) reinsurance unit. Group net income improved by 2.5% in ... Read the full article