February 2006/2

XL Capital unveiled its largest ever full-year trading loss at $1.29bn following 2005’s devastating hurricane losses and the adverse Winterthur arbitration decision which cost the Bermudian giant a further $808.9mn.

Chicago-based broker Aon reported a 35 percent rise in net income of $737mn or $2.17 per share, for 2005. In the fourth quarter net income trebled from $81mn, or $0.24 per share, in 2004 to $224mn or $0.65 per share last year...

US insurer HCC Insurance Holdings has reported record results for 2005 shrugging off $57.5mn hurricane reverse to record $195.9mn net earnings for the year. Net earnings were up 20 percent for the year and 18 percent up for the final quarter of 2005...

Bermudian (re)insurer Max Re reported an $11.4mn or 20 cents a share, fourth quarter net loss and a full-year net profit of $6.7mn, or 13 cents a share for 2005, primarily as a result of a $129.7mn loss development on a prior-year contract.

Broker Willis reported profits of $300mn for 2005, down 30 percent from $427mn the previous year on higher costs and the loss of so-called Placement Service Agreements, or contingent commissions.

Ewen Gilmour, the chief executive of quoted Lloyd’s insurer Chaucer plc, is set to become the next deputy chairman of Lloyd’s when the Society’s ruling body, the Lloyd’s Council, meet later this week.

London-based broking proposition Oxygen Holdings plc has lured a senior duo from Aon to join former Marsh executives in creating a specialist broking team. Craig Kingaby, the former head of international property, energy and casualty at Aon...

French reinsurers SCOR and AXA Re – the reinsurance arm of insurance giant AXA – were linked last week following an article in Les Echos. The potential acquisition of AXA Re would give SCOR further scale while...