Reinsurance News
Fitch Ratings news
News featuring rating agency Fitch Ratings, including the latest reports, rating actions and analysis from the company, as well as news on Fitch’s analysis of the reinsurance sector.
Low cat losses & improved pricing boost European reinsurers’ H1 results: Fitch
2nd September 2019
The big four European reinsurers reported solid underwriting performance during the first half of 2019, with results boosted by limited natural catastrophe losses and an improved pricing environment, according to Fitch Ratings. The rating agency pointed to growing momentum for positive premium rate development at the June/July renewals, as well as ... Read the full article
Slight fall in earned premiums for life, health reinsurers in H1 2019: Fitch
29th August 2019
Analysts at Fitch Ratings say that, for life and health reinsurers overall, net premiums earned declined slightly in the first half of 2019, although five of the eight companies monitored by the firm reported higher net premiums earned. Meanwhile, pre-tax income for life and health reinsurance business decreased somewhat in 1H19 ... Read the full article
Court ruling on Prudential/Rothesay expected to disrupt de-risking plans: Fitch
28th August 2019
A recent UK High Court judgement to block Prudential's proposed £12 billion annuities transfer to Rothesay Life, is a sign that some insurers will likely have to retain business that they hoped to offload, warns Fitch Ratings. The proposed Part VII portfolio transfer from Prudential to Rothesay Life, which followed ... Read the full article
Lapse in reinsurance M&A as market conditions improve: Fitch
23rd August 2019
Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity in the reinsurance industry appears to be have been on hold through 2019 as improved market conditions have shifted the focus towards organic growth opportunities, according to Fitch Ratings. Analysts noted that 2018 and early 2019 were characterised by the completion of several substantial M&A deals, ... Read the full article
Asian reinsurers continue to grapple with intense competition: Fitch
22nd August 2019
Reinsurance companies in Asia continue to look at mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and access to alternative capital markets in order to offset intense competition, according to analysis by Fitch Ratings. In a new report, financial services rating agency Fitch notes challenges facing Asian reinsurers driven by high competition to negotiate improved ... Read the full article
Modest shift in asset allocation for US Life Insurers in 2018: Fitch
21st August 2019
US life insurers in 2018 continued to shift towards less liquid asset classes in search for yield, according to Fitch Ratings analysts. Insurers are believed to have increased allocation to commercial mortgage loans and collateralised loan obligations (CLO) over the year in order to mitigate the impact of a protracted low ... Read the full article
Inadequate pricing & market disruption to push rate increases into 2020: Fitch
20th August 2019
Reinsurance rate increases are expected to continue into the 2020 renewals due to ongoing disruption in the market and inadequate pricing levels, according to Fitch Ratings. Fitch noted that reinsurance pricing turned decidedly positive at the mid-year 2019 renewals, following disappointing flat and generally stable rates at January. Momentum has largely been ... Read the full article
Fitch calls on BMA to address ambiguities in Tier 3 capital treatment
16th August 2019
As Bermuda continues to adapt and evolve in order to maintain its status as a desirable re/insurance domicile, Fitch Ratings has said that although development of the market is broadly positive, recent regulatory activity related to the treatment of Tier 3 capital for re/insurers raises some questions. Fitch notes that over ... Read the full article
LatAm reinsurance market improves technical performance: Fitch
13th August 2019
With an absence of high catastrophe insured losses in 2018, Fitch analysts say its rated reinsurers in Latin America registered an overall improvement in technical profitability. Despite some claims from 2017 events still having been paid during 2018, the combined ratio for LatAm reinsurers was registered at 97.5% at YE 2018, ... Read the full article
U.S workers compensation set for fifth year of underwriting profit, says Fitch
18th July 2019
The US workers compensation market is on track for a fifth consecutive year of underwriting profits in 2019 despite a recent weakening in market fundamentals, according to Fitch Ratings. The rating agency noted that the industry’s statutory combined ratio fell to 86% in 2018, and has averaged 93% annually since 2015. "The ... Read the full article
Fitch says ReAssure ratings not affected by IPO suspension
15th July 2019
Fitch Ratings has said that its ratings for ReAssure have not been affected by Swiss Re’s decision to suspend the initial public offering (IPO) of its shares. Swiss Re chose to shelve the IPO of its UK closed life book consolidator business last week in response to adverse market conditions, ... Read the full article
Cyber insurance market growth slows in 2018, says Fitch
20th May 2019
Growth in the cyber insurance market slowed dramatically in 2018 when compared with the previous year. However, analysts at Fitch Ratings expect a desire for improved risk management and pricing will benefit the sector over the long-term. In total, the U.S. property and casualty (P&C) industry's total direct written cyber premiums ... Read the full article
Majority of U.S. non-life re/insurers’ ESG risk level unlikely to influence rating: Fitch
16th May 2019
Within Fitch's group of 24 Fitch-rated issuers, very few U.S. non-life insurers and reinsurers reach an Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) risk level that suggests an influence on the rating, reports the ratings agency. Fitch states that 96% of ESG scoring distributions have no impact for its universe of rated-issuers, with ... Read the full article
U.S P&C insurers’ financial leverage remains stable: Fitch
13th May 2019
U.S property and casualty (P&C) insurers’ financial leverage remained stable year-on-year, according to Fitch Ratings, who recorded the sector’s aggregate financial leverage ratio (FLR) at 'A-'. Fitch explained that the ratio implied debt rating guidelines at 22.6% for year-end 2018, which was down minimally from 22.9% at year-end 2017. "In the medium ... Read the full article
Carriers better able to estimate loss costs after AOB reform: Fitch
29th April 2019
Fitch Ratings believes that insurance carriers in Florida will be able to better estimate loss costs following the passage of a new bill designed to curtail unnecessary litigation and assignment of benefits (AOB) abuse in the state. The reforms will limit the ability of third-party service vendors to take advantage of ... Read the full article
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