Reinsurance News
Reinsurance renewals news
Reinsurance renewals are the key points in the year when the majority of reinsurance contract renewal negotiations occur and are completed.
The reinsurance renewal seasons provide insight into reinsurance pricing, contract terms, reinsurance market positioning and the direction of future trends in the market.
Key reinsurance renewals occur at: the 1st of January, which is the biggest renewal of the reinsurance year and has a broader global focus; April 1st when Japanese reinsurance renews; June 1st for Florida reinsurance renewals; and July 1st when more US reinsurance business gets renewed.
Our reinsurance renewals news covers all of these key points in the year and we also provide analysis and insight into what to expect at upcoming renewal seasons as well.
FEMA commences procurement of 2020 NFIP reinsurance renewal
19th November 2019
The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has started its procurement process for the renewal of a flood reinsurance programme, designed to protect against flood risks in the U.S. that are insured by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). FEMA has returned to the traditional market for its NFIP reinsurance program ... Read the full article
Property market still hardening, set to persist through 2020: WTW
18th November 2019
Pricing conditions in the property re/insurance market have continued to harden over and above baseline predictions, with rate increases set to persist through 2020, according to broker Willis Towers Watson (WTW). The current “micro-hard market” has produced pricing increases of between 50% and 100%, according to WTW’s numbers, with some challenged ... Read the full article
P&C pricing momentum unlikely to result in hard market, says Fitch
14th November 2019
While favourable pricing trends in the US property and casualty (P&C) market have been gaining some momentum this year, analysts at Fitch Ratings do not believe these increases are likely to cause a return to hard market conditions. Competitive forces and less favourable claims trends in some key segments make it ... Read the full article
Willis Towers Watson sees “biggest upward price shift in years”
13th November 2019
Global insurance and reinsurance brokerage, Willis Towers Watson (WTW) expects 19 lines of business to see price increases in 2020 in what the firm describes as the "biggest upward price shift in years." The broker has released its 2020 Insurance Marketplace Realities report, which concludes that North American commercial insurance buyers ... Read the full article
Reinsurance industry CEOs frustrated at pricing environment
11th November 2019
Insurance and reinsurance industry Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) have expressed frustration at the reinsurance pricing environment and have highlighted a reliance on primary rate increases. This is according to CEOs who spoke at the 2019 Bermuda Reinsurance Conference hosted by S&P Global Ratings last week. The event took place over November ... Read the full article
Opportunity at Jan renewals better than a year ago, says Lancashire CEO
8th November 2019
As positive rate momentum continues across virtually all lines of business, the Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Lancashire Holdings Limited, Alex Maloney, is confident that the opportunity at the upcoming January renewals is better than what it was a year ago. The underwriting environment is "transitioning to the harder stage ... Read the full article
Everest increasingly optimistic as market dislocation creates opportunity
6th November 2019
The global re/insurance industry would have hoped for a chance to regroup in 2019 following the volume of losses over the previous two years, but instead, further losses have driven additional market dislocation, which in turn creates opportunity, according to John Doucette, EVP, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ... Read the full article
Global reinsurance market survey results show positive price expectation
4th November 2019
For the second year running we’ve collaborated with our ILS focused sister-site Artemis to conduct a survey designed to take the temperature of the global reinsurance market. This year’s survey included responses from hundreds of identifiable market participants, including numerous company CEOs and senior decision makers. Overall, approximately 72% ... Read the full article
Heritage concerned about retro capacity at 2020 renewals: CEO Lucas
4th November 2019
The number one issue at the upcoming reinsurance renewals is likely to be a lack of capacity in the retrocessional market, according to Bruce Lucas, Chairman and CEO of property and casualty (P&C) insurance holding company, Heritage Insurance Holdings, Inc. Lucas’s comments came as part of Heritage’s third quarter earnings call, ... Read the full article
Hiscox grows premiums 7% YTD, sees more rate firming ahead
4th November 2019
Hiscox Group has grown its overall business by more than 7% in 2019 so far, as the insurance and reinsurance company takes advantage of higher rates and looks forward to what it believes will be a third year of firming prices in the London market. Hiscox has experienced growth across its ... Read the full article
More rate improvements ahead after market pain in 2019: AXIS CEO Benchimol
1st November 2019
AXIS Capital is anticipating ongoing insurance and reinsurance pricing increases into the 2019 renewals and beyond, according to its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Albert Benchimol. Speaking during the firm’s third quarter earnings call, Benchimol explained that rates remain inadequate in many lines, and should be spurred on by the further “pain” ... Read the full article
P&C market favourable for smaller, niche players: JP Morgan
25th October 2019
Smaller, niche carriers are particularly well positioned to take advantage of favourable conditions in the property and casualty (P&C) re/insurance market, according to analysts at JP Morgan. In a new report, the firm said it expects smaller players to accelerate their market share gains as larger market leaders retrench in an ... Read the full article
Improved reinsurance market conditions may fade, warns Fitch
25th October 2019
Analysts at Fitch Ratings have warned Bermudian reinsurers that improved reinsurance market conditions and the subsequent positive influence on underwriting results may not last. After a more meaningful shift in pricing at the latest renewals season following disappointing rate movements through 2018 and into early 2019, on the back of consecutive ... Read the full article
Typhoons to boost Japanese reinsurance rates, but not market-wide: Barclays
17th October 2019
The substantial industry losses stemming from Japanese typhoons in 2019 will provide a boost to affected regional lines, but are unlikely to trigger a sharp recovery in wider property and casualty (P&C) reinsurance prices, according to analysts at Barclays. With insured losses from Typhoons Faxai and Hagibis now pegged at between ... Read the full article
Rate divergence continues for upstream & downstream energy: Marsh JLT Specialty
17th October 2019
A new report from Marsh JLT Specialty has highlighted the ongoing divergence in rates between upstream and downstream energy markets, as the upstream market continues to struggle to achieve meaningful increases. In contrast, downstream energy rates are gaining more traction, driven by withdrawals and cutbacks in capacity. Other specialty lines – including ... Read the full article
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