December 2014/4

XL's surprise bid for Catlin has served as a reminder both that none of the London-listed carriers are too big to be taken out and that the sector has many attractions for those on the acquisition trail.

A wide canvass of banking sources suggests that if Catlin does decide to pursue a sale in 2015 then its acquirer will probably have to be XL.

The Insurance Insider looks at the rationale for the surprise £2.5bn deal funded predominantly by XL's large cash reserves....

Former QBE underwriter Ash Bathia is in the early stages of raising capital for an insurance start-up, The Insurance Insider can reveal.

In the days before power showers, the UK's preferred method of daily ablution was the humble bath. Getting into the tub might involve a sharp intake of breath, but once accustomed to the temperature the bather could lean back and luxuriate in its pleasantly perfumed warmth.

Lloyd's stamp capacity is set to contract for the first time in six years under the weight of mounting soft market pressure, putting an end to a long run of compound growth witnessed in prior years.