April 2007/2

As capital pressures continue to ease for reinsurers, rates in the US are likely to drop by up to 20 percent at 1/6 and 1/7 renewals in certain lines, according to a report by broker Aon Re.

Ark starts trading; Leinster misses 1/4 deadline on capital shortfall

In 2003, when Rolf Tolle joined Lloyd's as its first Franchise Performance director, the market was still in remission following the devastation of the World Trade Center losses and the enervating casualty losses of the late nineties.

In a year where it would be nearly impossible to make an underwriting loss, Lloyd's revealed that insurers on its platform posted a "record" profit in 2006 of almost £3.7bn.

Sciemus Ltd, which last year entered the satellite insurance market with the $250mn LibSat consortium, is looking to replicate the model on a larger scale in power, The Insurance Insider can reveal.

The prospect of another controversial defection among leading faculatative reinsurance brokers emerged this month with news – first revealed by The Insurance Insider – that Integro Ltd has poached a trio of senior Guy Carpenter executives...

Replacing the well-respected Franchise Performance director will be a tough act, but Lloyd's must begin search

As the exodus of Lloyd's insurers to Bermuda has gathered pace, anecdotal evidence continues to suggest interest from Bermudians in making the opposite journey across the Atlantic.

Windstorm forecasters have continued to warn the industry that an over-active Atlantic hurricane season is on the way.

An opening ceremony, hosted by the Lloyd's chairman Lord Levene, will be held in Shanghai on 16 April to launch the Society's new Chinese onshore reinsurance operation.

Lloyd's-based insurers joined their peers in Europe and across the Atlantic in giving additional capital back to their shareholders - a strategy that may be seen as a demonstration of commitment to underwriting discipline as the cycle turns.

Following Fitch Ratings' move to upgrade its insurance financial rating on Lloyd's to A+ as the first phase of the Equitas deal closed, industry-watchers will be waiting to see if rival Standard & Poor’s (S&P) follows suit.