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 […]
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 […]
Singapore’s MAS launches consultation for PCC and collateralised reinsurance structure
An awaited consultation process on the regulatory framework for a Protected Cell Company (PCC) structure that can be used for collateralised reinsurance arrangements, including sidecars, and efficient insurance-linked securities (ILS) issuance has now been launched by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) published the consultation documents today, asking market […]
Catastrophe bond market records that were broken in H1 2026
The first-half of 2026 saw another record period of issuance in the catastrophe bond market, as the use of cat bonds to source reinsurance protection continues to increase and the investor base appetite for new cat bond investment opportunities grows. Beyond the new issuance high-bar that was set, numerous other records fell in H1. Having […]
Next stage of ILS growth requires international and peril diversification: Howden Re
The insurance-linked securities (ILS) market remains in a strong position, but expanding into international markets and less conventional perils will be critical for the market’s next stage of growth, according to executives at reinsurance broker Howden Re, who note that this expansion is vital both to unlock diversification benefits and to help close global protection […]
Casualty sidecars claim 10% of market capacity as long-tail assets boost investor yields: S&P
A new report from S&P Global Ratings highlights a structural shift in the sidecar market, as casualty reinsurance sidecars have grown to account for approximately 10% of total sidecar capacity. Driven by a wave of recent high-profile launches these vehicles are attracting alternative capital by offering returns largely uncorrelated with broader financial markets. Unlike traditional […]
Swiss Re sets top Matterhorn Re 2026-3 retro cat bond target of $345m as pricing falls twice
Swiss Re is now aiming to secure as much as an upsized $345 million of broad North American peak peril retrocessional protection through its new Matterhorn Re Ltd. (Series 2026-3) catastrophe bond offering, while the price guidance for the notes has now been lowered twice, Artemis can report. The global reinsurance giant returned to the catastrophe bond market […]
Non-life insurance-linked securities capital hit record $142bn after Q1: Gallagher Securities
The amount of non-life alternative reinsurance capital from catastrophe bonds and insurance-linked securities (ILS) grew by more than 5% just in the first-quarter of the year, with Gallagher Securities estimating $7 billion of incremental capital was added, to take non-life ILS capital outstanding to $142 billion at the end of Q1 2026. It sets a […]
Alternative / ILS capital rises to $141bn, drives reinsurance market growth in early 2026: Aon
Reinsurance capital reached a record high of $790 billion by the end of Q1 2026, but it was alternative or third-party reinsurance capital, so that deployed through insurance-linked securities and related collateralized structures, which was the sole driver of growth as it reached $141 billion, rising 4% from the end of the year, according to […]