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.
Generali Leben sale to signal rise in German run-off deals: Fitch Ratings
9th July 2018
Fitch Ratings has declared the recent €1 billion sale of Generali Leben - a company with traditional-business reserves of approximately €37 billion - to Viridium the largest run-off deal in Germany to date. Fitch says the deal reinforces its expectations that disposal of closed funds is to become a growing ... Read the full article
U.S P&C earnings volatile following equity accounting changes: Fitch
27th June 2018
Re/insurance companies that report under U.S Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) may be subject to earnings volatility over 2018 due to a change in accounting for equity securities, according to Fitch Ratings. In an effort to promote convergence with international accounting practices, from January 1, 2018, companies have had to recognise ... Read the full article
U.S P&C personal lines losses rise for fourth straight year: Fitch Ratings
25th June 2018
Underwriting losses in the U.S P&C personal lines segment grew for the fourth consecutive year in 2017, according to a new report by Fitch Ratings. The industry statutory personal lines combined ratio rose to 103.8% in 2017 despite continued favourable written premium growth and moderate improvement in the personal auto segment, ... Read the full article
Emerging technologies to continue driving personal insurance landscape: Fitch
19th June 2018
A new report by Fitch Ratings has outlined the ways in which emerging technologies are to continue shaping the personal insurance landscape. Fitch determined that auto Insurance is the segment most frequently manipulated and influenced by tech innovation with current improvements to safety - rear-facing cameras, sensors, parking assist, collision avoidance ... Read the full article
U.S P&C sector well prepared for 2018 hurricane season: Fitch
8th June 2018
U.S Property and Casualty (P&C) re/insurers are well prepared for the 2018 hurricane season, which is expected to return to normal levels following an extremely active 2017 season, according to Fitch Ratings. The rating agency concluded that U.S insurers are well positioned to withstand a future significant catastrophe event in 2018, ... Read the full article
Irma showed the robustness of Florida specialists’ reinsurance utilisation: Fitch
6th June 2018
After the impact of hurricane Irma, primary Floridian insurance companies reported fairly limited losses when compared with the volume assumed by the global reinsurance segment, with many primary players reporting that overall losses fell well within their respective reinsurance programmes, reports Fitch. The ratings agency reports that a notable lack of ... Read the full article
Blockchain could allow developing countries to ‘leapfrog’ current tech: Fitch
29th May 2018
Fitch Ratings has suggested that blockchain technology could allow insurers and reinsurers in developing nations to make a faster technological leap than those in more established markets, as they can circumvent current operational systems. In its report, "Blockchain and Insurance - The Trust Machine," Fitch observed that many emerging markets and ... Read the full article
U.S. commercial insurance expects modest underwriting profit for 2018
23rd May 2018
U.S commercial property & casualty (P/C) insurers should expect improved performance this year following a turbulent 2017, according to a new report by Fitch Ratings. Representing approximately 41% of U.S P/C industry net written premiums, commercial lines experienced significantly weaker underwriting performance in 2017, reporting a combined ratio of around 104% ... Read the full article
Fierce competition leads to buyers market for cyber re/insurers: Fitch
16th May 2018
Profitable results in the fast-growing cyber space have led to fierce competition and a buyers market, with renewal rates expected to suffer, according to Fitch Ratings. Fitch observed that cyber continues to represent a significant growth opportunity for U.S property & casualty (P&C) re/insurers, driven by increasingly high-profile cyber-attacks and regulatory requirements. In ... Read the full article
Bermuda reinsurers remain strong despite challenging 2017: Fitch Ratings
11th May 2018
Whilst profitability remains under pressure after a trying 2017, Bermudian reinsurers have proven resistant to losses thanks to strong capitalisation, positive pricing, low exposures, and conservative reserving practices, according to Fitch Ratings’ latest peer review of the sector. 2017 was a year of record-breaking catastrophe losses, with Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and ... Read the full article
Positive reinsurance pricing trends likely unsustainable, warns Fitch
11th May 2018
Fitch Ratings has predicted that the positive reinsurance pricing trends of the January and April renewals are unlikely to be sustainable in the long-term, with price increases expected to level out at upcoming mid-year renewals. Reinsurance pricing finally bottomed out and turned positive in response to the record-breaking catastrophe losses in ... Read the full article
U.S D&O liability underwriting results lowest in seven years: Fitch
4th May 2018
Fitch Ratings has reported that U.S Director and Officers (D&O) liability re/insurance underwriting results for 2017 fell to their worst level since 2011. D&O has historically been a more volatile product line than many other Property and Casualty (P&C) products, and claims risk in private and non-profit organisations has expanded in ... Read the full article
Viability of blockchain tech dependent on handful of industry leaders: Fitch
27th April 2018
Fitch Ratings has asserted that although the implementation of blockchain technology offers many benefits for re/insurers in terms of cost, security and efficiency, it does not address any immediate crisis and its viability will thus be dependent on adoption by a select group of industry leaders. Fitch claimed that, currently, most ... Read the full article
UK motor premiums fall ahead of whiplash & Ogden reforms: Fitch
20th April 2018
Fitch Ratings has reported that UK motor insurance premiums appear to be declining as re/insurers anticipate reforms to curb whiplash claims and revise the Ogden discount rate, which will reduce lump-sum payments for long-term care costs and lost earnings. UK motor premium prices have risen for the last three years, ... Read the full article
Reinsurance 2018 sector outlook negative: Fitch Ratings
19th April 2018
Fitch Ratings has determined that the 2018 outlook for the reinsurance sector is negative, citing high catastrophe losses, competitive premium rates, and low interest rates worldwide as major factors in its assessment. Fitch observed that market premiums were under negative pressure due to robust capital levels, partly attributable to widespread alternative ... Read the full article
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