Reinsurance News
Fitch
Public finance issuer ratings to remain stable following Ian: Fitch
4th October 2022
According to a new report from Fitch Ratings, the ratings of US public finance issuers affected by Hurricane Ian will largely remain stable, but the credit quality of some issuers with lesser resources and financial flexibility could weaken. While the full extent of property damage in Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas ... Read the full article
Security budget cuts may escalate cyber risk, warns Fitch
30th September 2022
Fitch Ratings has warned of a potential increase in cyber risk as corporate and infrastructure cybersecurity budgets across the US come under increasing pressure due to poor revenue outlooks. Analysts note that cybersecurity spending is often viewed as an added cost rather than an essential business expense, with ROI metrics difficult ... Read the full article
Global insurance sector outlooks at risk from high inflation & rising interest rates: Fitch
16th September 2022
In a new report, Fitch Ratings has warned that insurance sector outlooks in several markets across the world could move to deteriorating if both high inflation and rising interest rates continue to persist beyond the rating agency’s latest forecasts. Analysts have analysed the potential impact of a conservative economic scenario with ... Read the full article
Fitch analysts view Russia-Ukraine war as a “contained risk”
11th September 2022
The full extent of insurance and reinsurance losses stemming from the conflict between Russia and Ukraine remains a murky subject with many unknown factors, but analysts at Fitch Ratings are confident that the war will prove to be a “contained risk” for the market. Speaking during a recent Global Reinsurance Briefing ... Read the full article
Fitch highlights pandemic impact on reinsurance market throughout Asia
6th September 2022
According to analysts at Fitch, Thailand’s life industry has no exposure to lump-sum payout policies, and experienced stable operation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Analysts also noted that local life reinsurers remain profitable with a rise in COVID-19 related health claims partially offset by lower claims in other products. At the same time, ... Read the full article
Asian reinsurers to focus on discipline and price amid inflation & climate change: Fitch
5th September 2022
In Asia, persistent inflation is a threat to the profitability of the reinsurance market and is happening at a time of elevated weather-related losses for carriers, a trend Fitch warns could accelerate as a result of the changing climate. Analysts at ratings agency Fitch believe that prolonged high inflation could lift ... Read the full article
French re/insurers face unprecedented nat cat losses: Fitch
1st September 2022
French non-life insurers and reinsurers face natural catastrophe losses on an unprecedented scale this year, exacerbating the pressure on profitability from claims inflation and a worsening macro-economic environment, according to Fitch Ratings. Analysts assured that ratings are not at risk but said that the sector’s financial performance is expected to deteriorate ... Read the full article
Fitch highlights impact of inflation & nat cats on Asian reinsurance market
31st August 2022
Inflation and natural catastrophes are set to moderately increase pricing and squeeze underwriting margins in the Asian reinsurance market, says Fitch Ratings. According to Guy Carpenter, risk-weighted prices rose by 1%-5% in Japan for programmes covering the country’s 2021 windstorm, with the average price for typhoon risk reaching a 25-year high. ... Read the full article
Reinsurance rates to increase regardless of cat activity: Fitch
26th August 2022
Analysts at Fitch Ratings have argued that reinsurance rates will continue to harden during the January 2023 renewals, even in the absence of significant catastrophe losses throughout the second half of the year. In a new report, the rating agency notes that, at $34 billion, H1 worldwide insured natural catastrophe losses ... Read the full article
Korean Insurance Capital Standard to have limited impact: Fitch Ratings
26th August 2022
Fitch Ratings has said that the implementation of the Korean Insurance Capital Standard (K-ICS) starting 2023 is likely to have a limited impact on insurers’ ratings, although the new capital regime, together with IFRS 17, will squeeze their capital buffers. The K-ICS comes into force from the beginning of next year. ... Read the full article
US Niche Insurers’ business profiles drive ratings: Fitch
23rd August 2022
According to a recent Fitch Ratings peer review, the ratings of the Midsize Niche North American Life Insurers peer group are driven by their differentiated business profiles. Fitch views the Reinsurance Group of America’s (RGA) entrenched market position and long track record in the global reinsurance market favourably. RGA participates in the ... Read the full article
US mortgage results back at pre-pandemic levels: Fitch
18th August 2022
New analysis from Fitch Ratings shows that US mortgage insurance underwriting results in 1H22 were particularly strong as current-year loss activity is in line with pre-pandemic periods. However, the rating agency added that results were more than offset by highly favourable reserve development, leading to a calendar-year loss ratio of negative ... Read the full article
Fitch highlights strong capital position of mutual US life insurers
16th August 2022
Fitch Ratings has given the Large and Highly Rated Mutual US Life Insurers peer group an Insurer Financial Strength (IFS) score ranging from ‘AA+ to ‘AAA’. This is driven chiefly by the mutual insurers’ capital positions. Compared with stock companies, the mutual insurers generally have a longer-term focus on sustainable returns ... Read the full article
US life insurers’ commercial mortgages stable amid growing headwinds: Fitch
15th August 2022
A recent Fitch Ratings report has said U.S life insurers’ commercial mortgage fundamentals have largely recovered since the pandemic, with stable property outlooks for hotel, office retail, and multifamily sectors. The Federal Reserve’s monetary tightening and the current recession will pressure some sectors of commercial mortgages over the midterm, with high ... Read the full article
Fitch revises ARC Limited’s outlook to Positive
28th July 2022
Fitch has revised African Risk Capacity (ARC) Limited’s outlook to Positive from Stable and has also affirmed its IFS rating at BBB+. The credit rating agency says that this outlook revision reflects ARC Limited’s “strong progress in meeting its development objectives, which if sustained, could support a stronger ... Read the full article