Allstate lifts cat reinsurance to $6.6bn. Agg cover lowered on event deductibles
US primary insurance giant Allstate has renewed its main excess catastrophe reinsurance towers for 2022 into 2023 and the company has raised the top of its per-occurrence reinsurance coverage to $6.6 billion, but on the aggregate side the tower has shrunk with coverage attaching lower-down now thanks to the use of event deductibles. For the […]
Cat bond funds lead private ILS, as returns demonstrate decorrelation
Insurance-linked securities (ILS) fund strategies delivered a second month in a row of muted performance in March 2022, as some catastrophe exposure and continued price pressure in catastrophe bonds, dented returns for some strategies, but overall the sector remains positive for Q1, further underscoring the decorrelation potential for investors. On average, insurance-linked securities (ILS) funds […]
USAA’s new Residential Re cat bond upsized again to $430m
USAA has further upsized its latest catastrophe bond issuance to $430 million in size, demonstrating that investor appetite remained strong for the higher layers of its new Residential Reinsurance 2022 Limited (Series 2022-1) issuance. USAA returned to the catastrophe bond market earlier in April, seeking $375 million or more of collateralized multi-peril reinsurance from a five […]
Aspen Capital Markets AuM reaches $918m, fee income hits $61.4m
Aspen Insurance Holdings Limited, the Bermuda headquartered insurance and reinsurance company, has increased its third-party and insurance-linked securities (ILS) assets under management to almost $918 million, while earning $61.4 million in fees from these activities in 2021. The capital utilised in Aspen Capital Markets’ activities at the company rose by some 35% over the course […]
The role of insurance in meeting the financial need to preserve biodiversity
Biodiversity loss will be an increasingly important source of risk and opportunity for the insurance sector. The significant degradation of ecosystems has the potential to materially impact global finance, economies, and societies alike. Understanding the physical and transition risks associated with biodiversity loss and working to mitigate the damage to biodiversity will be a key […]
ILS capital fell slightly to $96bn in second-half of 2021: Aon
Alternative reinsurance capital levels, largely in insurance-linked securities (ILS) formats, declined very slightly in the second-half of 2021, with broking giant Aon estimating it fell to $96 billion by the end of the year. This decline occurred after alternative reinsurance or ILS capital had rebounded to equal its previous high of $97 billion at the […]
New earthquake assessments strengthen preparedness in Europe
European scientists with the participation of the Swiss Seismological Service at ETH Zurich have published an updated earthquake hazard map and, for the first time, an earthquake risk map for Europe. Switzerland will follow suit next year with a higher resolution national risk map. FULL PUBLICATION HERE
USAA to upsize new cat bond to $415m as coupons all rise
The target issuance size for the latest catastrophe bond from U.S. primary mutual insurer USAA has been lifted to $415 million, while at the same time the pricing for all four of the remaining tranches of the Residential Reinsurance 2022 Limited (Series 2022-1) deal now look likely to settle at the top of raised guidance. USAA […]
ILS offers reliable & consistent diversification potential: PIMCO
The steady, positive returns delivered by insurance-linked securities (ILS) during times of broader financial market downturns, shows that the asset class offers reliable and consistent diversification potential for investors, according to PIMCO. In a recent report, PIMCO (Pacific Investment Management Company LLC), which is owned by insurance giant Allianz, explores the case for a dedicated […]
Access to third-party capital & ILS positive for London market: AM Best
Rating agency AM Best has maintained its outlook for the London insurance and reinsurance market at Stable, with improving access to third-party capital one of the key drivers. AM Best believes that access to third-party reinsurance capital and the ability to more readily utilise insurance-linked securities (ILS) are positives for the London market, which should […]