Reinsurance
Am Best affirms Swiss Re rating
Swiss Re's A+ financial strength rating and issuer credit ratings of ‘aa‘ have been affirmed by AM Best.
Swiss Re splits agriculture and aviation divisions
Swiss Re is to separate its agriculture and aviation divisions as part of a reorganisation of its special lines.
Swiss Re reorganises special lines
Swiss Re is to separate its agriculture and aviation divisions as part of a reorganisation of its special lines.
Bahrain sees 9% jump in premiums in Q3 2012
The Central Bank of Bahrain has announced that the local insurance market posted growth during the third quarter of 2012, with gross premiums increasing by 9% over the same period of 2011 to register BD184.11m (£307.85m) by the end of September 2012.
Aon launches weather reinsurance product
Aon Benfield has launched a weather reinsurance product that offers protection against adverse weather losses in the UK.
Singapore edges closer to contract certainty
The Contract Certainty Working Group met this week to discuss guidelines for the Singapore Reinsurance Market Contract Certainty initiative.
XL appoints new UK general manager
XL Group has appointed Marcus Gonzales as general manager of the UK branch and head of international casualty in London.
Insurers must back renewable energy, says Swiss Re
The insurance industry can provide key support to the development of renewable energy solutions and the mitigation of climate change, according to Swiss Re.
Weathering the growing subsidence risk
Subsidence is increasingly frequent and research shows that, with climates getting hotter, this is only going to continue. Edmund Tirbutt looks at how the market covers subsidence and whether it will continue to do so.
Cooper Gay partner Marnix to target Japanese reinsurers
Cooper Gay has signed a deal with Marnix Corporation, the broking unit of Japanese conglomerate Marubeni, to target clients in Japan's treaty reinsurance market.
Cooper Gay completes Lightyear deal
Cooper Gay Swett & Crawford has confirmed that its investment agreement with Lightyear Capital has completed.
Insurance "integral" to improving global food security
Agricultural insurance is "indispensable" for managing agricultural risks, and key to increasing agricultural production, according to Swiss Re.
Allianz GCS gets local reinsurer approval for Brazil
Allianz Global Corporate and Specialty has received approval from the Brazilian regulator to start operating as a local reinsurer in the country.
Aspen promotes Meyer to Bermuda CUO
Aspen has promoted its London-based marine and terrorism reinsurance head to the role of chief underwriting officer at the firm's Bermuda subsidiary.
Sandy loss "comfortably" within budget, says Hannover Re
Losses arising from Superstorm Sandy are within Hannover Re's major loss budget for 2012 after the firm estimated a €261m net burden of loss from last October's storm.
Solar storms could generate trillions in economic losses, warns Aon Benfield
Solar and geomagnetic activity will reach a peak in 2013, according to reinsurance broker Aon Benfield, putting power distribution, telecommunications and satellite navigation at risk.
Middle East Blog: Inverted modus ponens
Most social science theories, including in economics, business and finance, are 'deductive theories' based on the modus ponens mechanism.
Asia reinsurer launches with $550m of capital
Hong Kong-based reinsurer Peak Re is trying to remedy what it describes as an "appalling" amount of underinsurance across the Asia Pacific region.
Polish law firm OKW joins global legal network Insuralex
Olczak-Klimek van der Kroft Węgiełek has been elected as a Polish member of independent global insurance law network Insuralex.
Argo launches first sidecar
Argo Group International has set up its first sidecar in the form of Harambee Re for the 2013 accident year.
Guy Carpenter takes on two GC Securities MDs from Aon Benfield
Guy Carpenter & Company has made a double recruitment swoop on Aon Benfield with the appointment of Andrew Beecroft and Paul Rayner as managing directors of GC Securities.
Reinsurers back Zurich quake bond
Munich Re and Swiss Re have acted as joint lead structuring agents in a $270m (£166m) catastrophe bond transaction that transfers North American earthquake risk to the capital markets, on behalf of Zurich Insurance Group.
Munich Re invests in French onshore wind farms
Munich Re has invested in 32 French wind farms via its asset manager MEAG.
Prices mostly stable at January reinsurance renewals
January 2013 reinsurance renewals took place against a stable backdrop, with only loss-affected lines and select regions experiencing price volatility, according to Guy Carpenter.