Reinsurance News
Coronavirus news
Coronavirus news coverage of relevance to reinsurance and insurance markets.
All of our Covid-19 coronavirus news, analysis and insight related to insurance and reinsurance market impacts can be found below.
The coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic of 2019-20 resulted in significant disruption and threatened losses widely across the insurance and reinsurance markets.
COVID-19 impacts to dent insurance brokers’ organic growth: Analysts
6th April 2020
The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global economy is expected to mitigate organic growth for insurance brokers, but firms cost saving initiatives and a hardening commercial lines market could offset some of the negative pressures, according to analysts at Wells Fargo Securities. It's going to be some time before ... Read the full article
Allstate announces $600mn payback scheme for customers amid COVID-19
6th April 2020
U.S. insurer The Allstate Corporation (Allstate) has announced the establishment of a Shelter-in-Place Payback scheme designed to assist its personal auto insurance customers during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Customers that insure their vehicle with Allstate, Esurance, and Encompass will receive 15% of their monthly premium in April and May, which amounts ... Read the full article
AXA’s Buberl proposes pandemic risk pooling scheme
6th April 2020
Thomas Buberl, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of AXA, has said that the company is “ready to take the initiative” to work with governments to develop a risk pooling scheme for pandemics. Speaking in an interview with Le Journal du Dimanche, Buberl said that the industry needs to think about creating a ... Read the full article
Aqueous Underwriting moves to help restaurants hit by COVID-19
6th April 2020
Technology-focused MGA Aqueous Underwriting has launched a series of measures designed to help the food, hospitality and leisure sectors in the face of the unfolding coronavirus pandemic. These measures include free liability insurance add-ons for businesses now offering takeaway services, and three-month policies for businesses uncertain about their future. Aqueous will also ... Read the full article
Financial stability vital amid COVID-19 challenges, says GFIA
6th April 2020
The Global Federation of Insurance Associations (GFIA) has said that the continued financial stability of the re/insurance industry is vital as the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic progresses. Without stability, the GFIA argued that insurers may not be able to continue to respond to the crisis or to honour their obligations to customers ... Read the full article
Chubb says no layoffs during COVID-19, makes pandemic relief commitment
6th April 2020
Global insurer and reinsurer Chubb has announced that it will not layoff any of its employees during the ongoing COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. At the same time, the re/insurer has revealed a commitment of $10 million to pandemic relief efforts globally. As countries around the world continue efforts to stop the spread of ... Read the full article
A.M. Best maintains stable outlook for global reinsurance
6th April 2020
Positive rate momentum across a broad range of non-life classes of business, combined with a stable market landscape in the global life segment, has led A.M. Best to maintain its stable outlook for the global reinsurance sector. In a new report, the ratings agency notes that while the operating and competitive ... Read the full article
Berkshire’s COVID-19 exposure potentially greater but manageable: Analysts
3rd April 2020
Analysts at Morgan Stanley have said that although Berkshire Hathaway could be exposed to losses from the impacts of the global COVID-19 pandemic in a number of business lines, losses should be manageable for Warren Buffett's property and casualty (P&C) reinsurance operation. As events around the world continue to be either ... Read the full article
Coronavirus + broker M&A distribution disruption raises threat to carriers: Hyperion X
3rd April 2020
While the immediate impacts and losses from the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic are top of mind in threatening the businesses of insurance and reinsurance carriers right now, the fact it coincides with the biggest disruption to the distribution chain ever seen adds more pressure, Hyperion X said. Hyperion X, the data and ... Read the full article
EIOPA asks re/insurers to suspend dividends & buybacks on COVID-19 uncertainty
3rd April 2020
The European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA), part of the European System of Financial Supervision, has urged all re/insurers to temporarily suspend all discretionary dividend distributions and share buybacks in light of the spreading coronavirus outbreak. The EIOPA has stressed the importance of ensuring continued access to and continuity of ... Read the full article
Demotech affirms financial stability of title insurance industry
3rd April 2020
Financial analysis firm Demotech has concluded that US title underwriters are financially healthy and possess the means to address time gaps in coverage associated with the closing or limited hours of county recorder offices. Few businesses are operating at full capacity as a result of precautionary efforts to mitigate the spread ... Read the full article
Global reinsurers resilient in face of COVID-19: AM Best
3rd April 2020
Despite mounting uncertainties around the coronavirus pandemic, AM Best believes reinsurers globally are well capitalised and remain resilient thanks to a long history of innovative and prudent risk management. AM Best expects any covered losses to be manageable and believes relevant policy exclusions will hold up. Adverse impacts from the pandemic may ... Read the full article
Fitch puts Lloyd’s on Rating Watch Negative amid COVID-19 risks
2nd April 2020
Uncertainty and heightened risk to Lloyd's of London's earnings and underwriting performance as a result of COVID-19 claims, has pushed Fitch Ratings to place the marketplace and its operating entities on Rating Watch Negative (RWN). Fitch states that it has placed Lloyd's of London's, Lloyd's Insurance Company S.A. and Lloyd's Insurance ... Read the full article
Post-coronavirus re/insurers may fail to earn cost-of-capital: Hyperion X
2nd April 2020
Once the current Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic crisis is largely behind us and economies begin to recover, Hyperion X, the data and analytics specialist unit of the Hyperion Insurance Group, sees a risk that most re/insurers may fail to earn their cost-of-capital over an extended period. Looking at the potential recovery ... Read the full article
COVID-19 BI legislation an “existential threat” to insurers, warns Stonybrook
2nd April 2020
Proposed business interruption legislation designed to force P&C insurers to retroactively cover unfunded claims driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, poses an existential threat to the insurance industry, warns re/insurance-focused merchant banking group, Stonybrook Capital. First introduced in New Jersey, bills aimed at forcing insurance companies of certain businesses to cover business ... Read the full article