Hurricane Andrew – the storm that prompted a new way of underwriting
Thirty years ago today, a storm formed which would have massive ramifications for the way the (re)insurance market operates today.
R&Q: (some) shareholders strike again…
Ever since legacy acquisition company R&Q listed on London’s junior stock market AIM in 2007, founders Ken Randall and Alan Quilter would have faced questions about succession.
Pricing party over for US D&O writers
The general consensus is that average US public D&O pricing was down in the second quarter for the first time since 2017, amid greater competition and improved results, begging the question of whether carriers did enough to steer this line to profitability.
Beazley vs Lancs on the Russia aviation loss threat
Despite a sizable line on the leading London aviation war MGA Hive, Beazley reassures investors on zero net loss to leased Russian aircraft. But with writs flying and assets seized, can any (re)insurer be 100 percent certain?
Aon and WTW: From courting to the courtroom
Aon’s recent move to sue WTW over its lift out of a team of Massachusetts-based construction specialists is perhaps a sign that the rivalry has fully returned to normal between two broking giants that just a year ago were presenting a united front.
Creating the standard that could unlock a low-carbon future for insurers
Perhaps the greatest challenge for insurers when assessing their carbon footprint is determining how to calculate the emissions resulting from their underwriting activities.
Lloyd’s culture: Is WFH distorting the booze and bullying stats?
This week Lloyd’s is set to formally unveil the results of its 2022 Culture Survey in which it records a marked reduction in the number of cases of inappropriate behaviour in the market.
The Florida blame game
Two months into the hurricane season, there are powerful forces gathering in the Sunshine State and talk about millions of Floridians being impacted.
Sunny outlook despite gathering storm clouds
With mounting recessionary fears amid surging inflation and rising interest rates; geopolitical uncertainty from the Russia-Ukraine conflict and government instability elsewhere; and a growing frequency of extreme weather events, storm clouds are gathering over the global outlook.
EC3 lost a political ally last week…
Amidst the political fireworks that engulfed the UK last week, few paid particular attention to the resignation of City minister John Glen.
Reality bites for insurtechs as layoffs mount
It appears the divide is growing in the insurtech world between the haves and the have-nots, with an increasing number resorting to slashing their workforces in response to economic and industry trends while a select few are still managing to raise hefty sums at lofty valuations.
Lloyd’s puts faith in Project Rio bringing sunshine to Lime Street
Project Rio. A phrase that conjures a cornucopia of competing images, from azure skies and Copacabana to dancing on the sand and Sugarloaf Mountain.
Reinsurance brokers put to test as property market gets tough
In echoes of the change in tone from retail brokers at RIMS 2019 acknowledging the shift to a sellers’ market and signalling the turning point in the US commercial insurance pricing cycle, the message from reinsurance brokers last week was of challenging conditions for cedants that could get tougher before ...
R&Q will be hoping for a damp squib AGM rather than Bastille Day fireworks
14 July is Bastille Day, a national holiday in France commemorating the storming of the infamous prison and lighting of the revolutionary fuse which ultimately brought down the ancien regime.
Goldman Sachs repeats bet on UK broking with Clear Group deal
Goldman Sachs Asset Management – the private equity arm of the investment bank – yesterday unveiled its latest foray into the insurance intermediary space with an investment in UK consolidator Clear Group.
1 July cat renewals and the Florida overhang
With the dust not yet settled on one of the most challenging 1.6 Florida renewals in memory, property cat reinsurance will again be in focus this week with 1.7 deal negotiations scheduled to come to a close.
Unleashing the potential of pet insurance
Interest in pet insurance M&A, as well as some recent new entrants, suggest confidence in the growth opportunity of the market while sellers of businesses are looking to capitalise on soaring valuations and in some cases structuring transactions to maintain an interest in the potential upside.
Postcard from TMPAA Mid-Year
Members of the program administrators and MGA ecosystem gathered in Boston, Massachusetts last month for the second in-person conference hosted by the Target Markets Program Administrators Association (TMPAA) since the start of the pandemic.
Closing the reputation protection gap…
As industry sage Warren Buffett famously warned, it can take 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it.
Howden RE and Elliot Richardson: A rare example of actions matching words
2020 will forever be remembered as the year of Covid lockdowns but it was also one of seismic uncertainty in reinsurance broking circles. The previous year saw Guy Carpenter hoover up the industry’s fourth largest broker JLT Re as part of Marsh McLennan’s £4.3bn purchase of its UK parent.
The success of Howden Tiger will ultimately be measured by its treaty inroads with global clients
Florida and the survival of the least unfit
Crunch time for Florida…
Runway for growth
The strange case of R&Q and the withdrawn £482mn takeover offer…
BoE assessment brings comfort around climate assessment but need for engagement on capital remains critical…
The settlement complex
Biba display of ESG credentials highlights rise up agenda
If Evercore is correct, Ascot’s owners may be mad to sell now…
£500mn+ Tysers sale is also a vote for London…
The great migration
Early feedback on Q1 rates shows deceleration but leaders remain upbeat
ESG scrutiny intensifies as multiple stakeholders monitor industry progress
A tale of two regulators…
RIMS 2022: The haves and the have nots
S&P’s $16bn+ bearishness on Ukraine points to a heavy Lloyd’s blow
ESG: more important now than it’s ever been
Capacity crunch
Atrium discovers the high price of reputation
Russia-Ukraine: a setback to net zero, or a catalyst for transition?
Atrium fine highlights Lloyd’s zero-tolerance approach
Japan and Florida – from order to chaos
UK gov aviation U-turn highlights need for sanction consistency
Argo: a thawing in the resistance to a sale?
Keeping loss picks realistic as exposures rise…
New frontiers
Lloyd’s ESG Survey: Moving from talk to action…
Allianz opts for a “string of pearls” M&A strategy
PE thirst for M&A fuels renewed Tyser interest
Argo: Testing the patience of Voce’s Plants (again)
Adani: The price of silence and the road to absurdity
Meta share price collapse vs P&C sector valuations
Catalina reshuffle opens the Lloyd’s door but is it too late?
Cats and combined ratios
The structural shift
Is $64bn captive market London’s next big opportunity?
Parametric solutions open door to more resilient future
Setting the climate agenda for 2022
The promised land of Lloyd’s digitalisation is still achievable but time is running out
Lloyd’s: Use it or lose it…
Where aggregated risk meets a multi-platform carrier
CCR Re and Scor 2022 sidecars highlight ILS support is still available – at a price
Can the 1.1 cat resolve last?
Expecting the unexpected: 2021 cats highlight vital role of exposure management
Santa misses the point by taking aim at Catlin
As 2021 cats again exceed budgets, it is time to reassess what represents ‘normal’
Covéa to finally succeed in determined pursuit for reinsurance unit
Another surprise in a year of surprises
Deadly tornadoes will add to 1.1 reinsurer resolve
Time to take a stand against social inflation