Reinsurance
The GCC insurance market: Crème brûlée or Heath Bar?
The term crème brûlée was first used to refer to insurance in perhaps 2002 in an Insurance and Reinsurance Conference in Bermuda, and then used again during the following Monte Carlo Rendezvous and Baden Baden meetings of the same year.
Catlin posts Q1 GWP of $1.6bn
Catlin Group reported a 12% increase in gross written premiums to $1.6bn in the first quarter.
Allianz hunts P&C acquisition targets
German insurer Allianz is considering property and casualty acquisitions, having a better grasp of future capital requirements for the business under Solvency II, according to reports.
IRDA will pave way for Lloyd's to enter India
India's government is planning to push through the insurance reforms bill that is set to retain the foreign direct investment cap in the sector at 26%, but will allow "modifications" to enable Lloyd's of London to enter the Indian market.
July reinsurance rate increases likely to be muted
Price increases in the July reinsurance renewal period are likely to be restricted to loss-affected sectors unless there is a further significant insured loss for the industry, according to Fitch.
Munich Re returns to first-quarter profit
Munich Re achieved a consolidated profit of €782m in the first quarter of 2012, compared with a loss of €948m in the same period a year ago.
Mapfre reports rise of 11.5% in Q1 revenues
Mapfre reported revenues of €6,835m in the first quarter of 2011, citing "sustained growth of the international business" for the 11.5% rise.
'Significant' loss will harden rates outside cat exposed regions in July renewals
Price increases in the July reinsurance renewal period could be restricted to loss-affected sectors unless there is a further significant insured loss for the industry, Fitch Ratings has said.
Top 10 news stories
The top 10 most popular articles published on insuranceinsight.com over the past seven days.
Swiss Re secures nat-cat buffer of $400m via bond market
Swiss Re has obtained an extra $400m in natural-catastrophe protection via a catastrophe bond through newly formed issuer Mythen Ltd.
Swiss Re issues $400m flexible cat bonds
Swiss Re has established a $400m cat bond vehicle that will enable it to issue multiple bonds over an extended period to cover European and US wind storms.
Reinsurance key to mutual survival, says Willis Re president
Reinsurance can be crucial to ensure mutual insurers survive difficult periods, according to Willis Re president Paddy Jago.
Iran sanctions may force India and Greece to find alternative oil suppliers
The repercussions from US and EU sanctions on Iranian crude oil are being felt far beyond the Islamic Republic, according to a report by Exclusive Analysis.
'Benign catastrophe experience' helps Swiss Re to $1.1bn profit
Swiss Re reported first-quarter net income of $1.1bn for 2012, compared with a $665m loss in the prior year period.
Swiss Re nearly halves Q1 COR to 85%
Swiss Re has reported "strong underwriting, good investment performance and lower than-expected major natural catastrophe claims" for a "very strong first-quarter" net income of $1.1bn compared to a loss of $665m for Q1 2011.
Lancashire profits soar despite $34m Costa Concordia claims costs
Lancashire Holdings has reported Q1 gross written premiums up 36% to $234m (2011: $172m), and said that pre-tax profit was up more than fivefold to $46.5m (2011: $8.4m), despite Costa Concordia claims totalling $34.1m.
Adverse April conditions wreak havoc across the globe
Severe weather conditions across central and southern sections of the US last month have caused upwards of $1bn (£620m) in insured losses, according to Aon Benfield's Global Catastrophe Recap report.
Diversification key to favourable ratings for mutuals
The unique characteristics of mutual insurers mean that some are being encouraged towards diversification by regulators and rating agencies, according to a report by Willis Re.
Fitch affirms Coface's 'AA-' IFS rating
Credit insurer Coface's major group insurance entities have had their 'AA-' IFS rating and 'A+' IDR ratings affirmed by Fitch.
Argo recruits space risks specialist from AGCS
Argo International has appointed Antoine Bavandi as space risks underwriter for Argo Assurances, the group's Paris-based underwriting platform for speciality products including aviation and space.
Miller hires North Asia reinsurance specialist
Miller has enhanced its North Asia reinsurance broking capabilities by appointing Gao Zu Biao who will be based in its Hong Kong office.
Canopius makes play for Omega in bid to grow PE-backed Lloyd’s insurer
Canopius chairman Michael Watson has acted on ambitions to grow his private equity-backed Lloyd's insurer, with a £164m takeover of struggling Omega in a deal that sees a slice of the business sold to US insurer Tower Group.
AAOIFI plans reform of takaful standards
Khaled Al Fakih, the new secretary-general of the Bahrain-based Accounting and Auditing Organisation for Islamic Financial Institutions, outlined plans for a sweeping review of its guidelines in an interview with Reuters.
Novae posts 6% jump in GWP
Novae has reported a gross written premium of £231.1m in its Q1 results representing a 5.7% increase on last year (2010: £219.7m).