August 2014/1

P&C (re)insurers aren't the only ones being stung by competitive pricing conditions as the listed brokers all experience top-line pressures

BMS Capital Advisory has received its broker-dealer license from US authorities and is now able to advise on cat bond issuances and M&A transactions

CCLA Investment Management, a specialist fund manager for UK charities, local authorities and the Church of England, has invested £20.58mn in the London-listed Catco Reinsurance Opportunities Fund

New investors injected capital into Mt Logan Re at 1 July, according to Everest Re's chief underwriting officer John Doucette

RenaissanceRe bought a new $180mn retro cover for its Florida book in the second quarter to protect against frequency and lower-level cat events within the state

Aspen is now trading at a mere $39.50 after rejecting John Charman's overtures. Both companies have to provide a compelling story for investors as independent businesses in a tough market

John Neal succeeded Frank O'Halloran two years ago, but another profits warning shows the scale of the challenge he inherited...

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

A benign first half for major catastrophes had led to high expectations from investors going into the Q2 earnings season, despite increasing awareness of the pressures facing the P&C sector

Downbeat second quarter results continued to dent investor sentiment in the P&C (re)insurance sector as The Insider 30 index fell a further 3.23 percent for the week ending 1 August, with Lloyd's carriers and short-tail specialists hit the hardest.

After nine years of legal wrangling, former American International Group (AIG) CEO Maurice "Hank" Greenberg will face a New York court in January 2015 over the infamous $500mn finite reinsurance transactions between the insurer and Berkshire Hathaway's General Re.

With the P&C reinsurance market challenged and cat pricing in free fall, Scor CEO Denis Kessler has argued that his company's business model leaves the reinsurer well placed to ride out the gathering storm

A Missouri court has extended an injunction blocking US wholesale broker Swett & Crawford from recruiting brokers and other staff from rival firm Westrope, which is now owned by Ryan Specialty Group (RSG).

Brian Duperreault's Hamilton Insurance Group made a bid for Ariel Re, the Lloyd's business sold to Brazilian bank BTG Pactual last month, as it continues to be frustrated in its M&A ambitions, The Insurance Insider can reveal

Diversifying legacy business Enstar has carried out a loss portfolio transfer (LPT) where $300mn of reserves from live insurance subsidiary Torus has been transferred to one of its run-off vehicles, The Insurance Insider understands.

American International Group (AIG) has agreed a $960mn settlement for a 2008 securities class action suit, in one of the biggest payouts of its kind.

The Australian arm of boutique reinsurance broker Beach & Associates has been sold in a management buy-out and will now trade in a strategic partnership with the Australian insurance group Steadfast Insurance Brokers

Quebec's financial regulatory authority is investigating Fairfax Financial Holdings, its CEO Prem Watsa and its president Paul Rivett over allegations of insider trading.

The debate on the major review into UK mesothelioma claims intensified at the beginning of the month, after a committee of politicians published a damning report on how the government was handling the process.

PartnerRe has hired Andrew Stapleton from niche marine broker Alston Gayler as its new head of marine and offshore energy, The Insurance Insider can reveal

Interest from traditional carriers in launching hedge fund reinsurers is waning in the face of a fast-softening market that is challenging the model's viability, according to Goldman Sachs Asset Management (GSAM).

After absorbing losses of more than $1.9bn over the last two-and-a half years, (re)insurers are again on-risk with the Costa Concordia after a new $500mn policy was purchased to cover the ill-fated vessel, The Insurance Insider can reveal

Acquisitive US retailers Arthur J Gallagher (AJG) and Brown & Brown reported lower overall organic growth in the second quarter of 2014, despite maintaining solid growth throughout the year to date.

Beach MBO; AIG beats; Argo profits up; China quake; Bertha blows out; Buffett feasts; HIIG completes; New chair...

Operating returns for short-tail carriers were squeezed in the second quarter of 2014 as higher attritional losses and shrinking premium income impacted the bottom line.

The Insurance Insider's Data Room analyses how the sector's specialist cat reinsurers have fared in the second quarter...

Just as teachers tell their students ahead of exams, you have to be sure to answer the right question

Our four-page analysis highlights the tough trading conditions for cat (re)insurers in 2014...

A clutch of (re)insurers have submitted indicative bids to buy Cuna Mutual's crop insurance arm Producers Agriculture Insurance Company (ProAg), The Insurance Insider can reveal

P&C stocks ended July in a sea of red as investors look to be losing appetite for a sector that has delivered disappointing Q2 results and is being buffeted by headwinds on all sides