Insurer
PowerGuard to provide insurance for Chinese solar firm
PowerGuard Specialty Insurance Services will provide a range of long-term insurance and warranty-related cover for ReneSola, a Chinese manufacturer of solar wafers and modules.
Merlin makes 200 redundancies
Merlin Claims is to make 200 people redundant after going into administration this week.
HSBC reviewing stake in Bao Viet Holdings
HSBC is "reviewing its strategic options" with respect to the firm's Vietnamese insurance business.
SRA to introduce rating disclosure change
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has agreed to a 'minor change' to the Qualifying Insurer's Agreement whereby insurers will have to disclose their credit ratings.
Indian PMI insurer Apollo Munich Health aims for profit in 2013
Indian health insurer Apollo Munich Health Insurance has recorded gross written premiums of Rs 475.9 crore and aims to turn a profit next year.
Ecclesiastical calls off wedding insurance
Ecclesiastical Insurance has promised soon-to-be married couples to honour all wedding insurance policies sold before 31 August, following plans to withdraw from the wedding insurance market thereafter.
Lloyd's and technology: London stalling?
Will the wider use of tablet and smartphone technology in Lloyd's and the London market help retain its place as a major global insurance hub? Mark Kirpalani finds out.
FSA enforcement appointment wins backing of legal expert
CMS Cameron McKenna boss Simon Morris has praised the appointment of Tracey McDermott as FSA director of enforcement, describing her as "clear, tough and determined".
Hannover Re profit soars despite €61m quake loss
Hannover Re has reported a 15.1% improvement in gross written premium for non-life reinsurance to €4.1bn (H1 2011: €3.5bn) compared with the same period last year.
Commercial expansion underway at Autonet following product launch
Autonet Insurance has expanded its commercial business product line following the introduction of shops and commercial let insurance.
ECIC rating affirmed by AM Best Europe
The Electrical Contractors' Insurance Company has had its A- rating affirmed with a stable outlook.
Middle East Blog: Rated or not rated? What is the question?
On a recent visit back home to Malta I was kindly invited to the Malta Insurance Institute's annual general meeting where I had to sing for my supper.
Cyber poll result
Why are European insurance companies failing to provide tailored cyber products?
Guest Blog: A flexible future
Every European insurance market is at varying stages of adopting web-based platforms, but there are dramatically changing requirements across the board for multichannel retail distribution.
View from the Top: Beyond the bottom line
When the MDS team first heard about Swiss Re's planned involvement in a new food security initiative a few months ago, we were struck by the sense of responsibility and stewardship that the company's move represented.
XL group posts $397.8m interim profit
XL Group recorded profit of $397.8m for the first six months of 2012, after a $1.6m loss in the first half of 2011.
Cyber Risk Insurance Forum sets focus in inaugural meeting
The Cyber Risk Insurance Forum, established to develop a security framework for companies taking out cyber insurance, has held its inaugural meeting, expanding its membership and developing two lines of focus for its on-going campaign.
Società Reale Mutua di Assicurazioni's outlook negative due to weaknesses
Italian insurer Società Reale Mutua di Assicurazioni and its Spanish subsidiary Reale Seguros Generales have been issued with insurer financial strength ratings at 'BBB+' with negative outlooks.
Swiss Re's Q2 results hit by sale of Admin Re at a loss
Swiss Re has reported net profit of $83m for the second quarter of 2012 as the result of the sale of the Admin Re US business at a loss of $1bn.
Munich Re posts €1.6bn profit for H1
Munich Re posted consolidated profit of €1.6bn for the first six months of 2012, €812m of which derived from the second quarter.
Japanese insurance groups vulnerable to catastrophe and stock losses
Japanese non-life insurers are likely to come under rating pressure if insured catastrophe losses rise unexpectedly, or the domestic stock market falls sharply before they are able to restore their capitalisation, according to Fitch Ratings.
Philippine Stock Exchange closes as country sees 11 days of monsoonal rains
The Philippines has seen 11 consecutive days of monsoonal rains, exacerbated by passing tropical cyclones, which has led to flooding in the capital of Manila and surrounding provinces of the island of Luzon.
Markel International returns to underwriting profitability and COR of 84%
Markel Corporation has reported gross written premiums of $514m for the six months ended 30 June 2012, compared with $483m for the first half of 2011, and a combined ratio of 93% for the six months compared with 107% for the same period in 2011.
Brit lead underwriter heads to Dual with speciality liability team
Departing lead underwriter John Murphy has thanked his former employers at Brit Global Specialty after revealing his decision to join Dual, taking his entire underwriting team with him.