April 2013/3

Analysts at Macquarie have downgraded several US-listed reinsurance stocks, citing their prospects for 2013 ahead of a "difficult" US wind renewal that is coming under increasing pressure from excess supply of both traditional and non-traditional capacity.

The extent of Berkshire Hathaway's exposure to Italian medical-malpractice is far higher than previously understood given that it wrote an 80 percent quota-share reinsurance of AmTrust's vast book of business for two years before entering the primary market itself.

Weekly share price movements and key data on The Insurance Insider's universe of P&C (re)insurers and brokers

Unrated Latvian insurer Balva, a major player in the UK solicitors' professional indemnity (PI) market, has been barred from writing new UK policies by its local regulator, the Latvian Financial and Capital Market Commission.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's latest state budget has confirmed proposals to cover the rising liabilities of members of failed workers' compensation trusts by facilitating the issuance of bonds.

Workers' compensation rates are on a solid upward path, which should help maintain P&C pricing momentum throughout the rest of 2013, global broker Willis predicted in its "Marketplace Realities" spring 2013 update.

Ark Insurance Holdings, the group holding company that owns the integrated Lloyd's (re)insurer, has reported a 2012 pre-tax profit of $46mn.

The London & International Insurance Brokers' Association (LIIBA) will not be contributing executive input at the first stage of work for Central Services Refresh (CSR), the rebranded Project Darwin modernisation process.

Following the departure of interim active underwriter Phil Hancock in the final quarter of 2012, ProSight Syndicate 1110 has now stopped writing the business that was on the books when the erstwhile TSM syndicate was acquired on 1 January 2012, with the exception of a number of niche energy accounts.

Allied World's Lloyd's platform is building a book of business that looks to be the living embodiment of the Corporation's Vision 2025 plan to target emerging markets growth.

The near-legendary QBE Syndicate 386 was one of the few Lloyd's carriers to report a year-on-year drop in profit for 2012 as its underwriting performance deteriorated.

HSBC Insurance (Asia) has agreed to sell its Macau-based general insurance business to QBE Insurance (International), subject to regulatory approval.