ILS provides crucial portfolio diversification ahead of Super El Niño: VP Bank’s Allgäuer
Whilst it appears that a super El Niño could be on the horizon, a new commentary from VP Bank AG authored by Senior Investment Strategist Bernhard Allgäuer indicates that insurance-linked securities (ILS) can provide portfolio diversification as their returns are driven by natural disasters, rather than financial market turmoil, making them largely uncorrelated with traditional […]
David Maslo appointed CEO of African Risk Capacity Ltd
African Risk Capacity Limited (ARC Ltd.) the financial affiliate and parametric insurance underwriting entity of the African Risk Capacity (ARC) Group, has appointed David Maslo as its permanent CEO, following his successful tenure as interim leader during a period of significant transformation for the company. In June 2025, the Board of ARC Ltd. appointed Maslo as […]
Reinsurance sidecars remain key in 2026, as third-party capital deployment holds stable: Aon Securities
Reinsurance sidecars remain a key theme in 2026, with third-party capital deployment holding broadly stable despite a rapidly evolving landscape of perils and structures, according to Aon Securities, the broker-dealer and investment banking arm of the broking firm. Writing in the broker’s latest reinsurance market report, Aon Securities observed that increased investor appetite is helping […]
Ledger Investing reports continued demand for casualty ILS amid softening property cat market
Against the softening property catastrophe market, casualty remains the most focal alternative within the insurance-linked securities (ILS) space, but also the hardest to successfully close, according to Ledger Investing, who reports that while capital is actively seeking diversification, casualty rate adequacy remains intact, and the market is working deliberately to standardise. The insurtech and casualty […]
Nordic allocators increasingly see cat bonds as fixed income / alternatives complement: Markets Group
A new commentary by Markets Group, a company that specialises in forums for institutional allocators, has highlighted how Nordic allocators are increasingly looking at insurance-linked securities (ILS) and catastrophe bonds in particular as a complement to institutional fixed income and alternatives allocations. The commentary, authored by Kevin Gordon, a Research Manager at the firm, observes […]
China looks to accelerate the development of the Shanghai International Reinsurance Center
The State Financial Regulatory Commission and the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government have issued a joint notice for the re/insurance industry outlining measures to accelerate the development of the Shanghai International Reinsurance Center. The Shanghai International Reinsurance Center officially launched in October 2024, building on the establishment of the international board for reinsurance trading, and the […]
Insurance capacity constraints for data centres to drive ILS use: S&P
With capacity constraints likely to limit the insurance industry’s ability to fully insure hyperscale data centre projects, given their scale and complexity, a new report from S&P notes that this will drive greater use of self-insurance through captive insurers, and potentially, alternative capital such as insurance-linked securities (ILS). The rating agency’s latest report suggests that […]
Diversity of reinsurance, cat bond, ILS, aggregate options a strength for insurers: KBRA
In the current softening market environment where reinsurance capital is abundantly available, primary carriers are benefiting from a greater diversity of protection options, across traditional reinsurance, insurance-linked securities and a growing availability of aggregate covers, rating agency KBRA has explained. KBRA sees this wider range of risk transfer options as “a strength” for primary insurance […]
Swisscanto launches debut UCITS catastrophe bond fund strategy with $25m AUM
Swisscanto Asset Management International S.A. has launched its first UCITS catastrophe bond fund under Luxembourg Law, the Swisscanto (LU) Bond Fund Cat Bonds, debuting with just over US $25 million in assets under management (AUM). According to the announcement, the fund will invest exclusively in standardised, tradable cat bonds to provide qualified investors with focused, […]
Australia’s APRA makes access to alternative reinsurance (cat bonds and ILS) simpler
The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority has now updated its regulatory framework to make access to alternative reinsurance solutions simpler and easier for insurers in the country, with targeted changes that will support access to catastrophe bonds and other insurance-linked securities (ILS) for potential sponsors there. We reported back in November 2024 that the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority […]