August 2005/3

Allmerica double profits : Benign loss history bolsters Allstate in Q2 : PL reserve improvement aids Chubb : Net income up 38% at HCC : Markel profits up despite falling premiums : Investment gains for STA : Strong Q2 for WR Berkley :

ACE reigns in on back of softening rates : Arch earnings rise on investments : Aspen Re continues growth : Axis powers ahead : Endurance shows staying power : Everest Re operating earnings plateau : IPC Re optimistic on cat conditions, et al...

Aon set to follow MMC in announcing widespread cost-cutting measures to adapt to post-Spitzer world

Long-time Fairfax bear John Gwynn, analyst with Morgan Keegan, has given Canadian holding company Fairfax Holdings another mauling as he criticised the firm's accounting standards, booked loss experience and continued use of finite reinsurance...

The legal team of former AIG CEO Maurice "Hank" Greenberg has published a "white paper" critiquing the company's restatement of its 2004 results.

Lloyd's has warned its franchisees to expect the Central Fund levy to double next year from a current 0.5 percent of capacity to 1 percent as the Society looks to bolster its financial strength.

When Standard & Poor's (S&P) raised France-based reinsurer SCOR's rating from "BBB+" to "A-" this month it was yet another positive sign that the firm has returned to a position of profitability and stability.

In our regular monthly International News Digest, we round up key stories from the last month, presenting them to you in easily digestable snippets.

Speculation continues to mount as The Insurance Insider goes to press over the identity of possible suitors for Room Solutions, a leading Lloyd's IT provider.

Swiss reinsurer Converium came out ahead of expectations on 9 August to post a second quarter net profit of $70.8mn, as against a net loss of US$ 660.0mn in the same period of 2004.

But benign start to the year boosts earnings as sector starts to cycle manage...

Global brokers are facing the squeeze, but Aon's resilience encourages investors