ILS

Asset management giant BlackRock has appointed Patrick Liedtke as head of its financial institutions group for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

RenaissanceRe CEO Neil Currie has urged new capital market players entering the reinsurance sector to partner with experienced reinsurers instead of going it alone in order to get a better grip on risk.

Speaking at a London press conference ahead of the Monte Carlo Rendez-Vous, Fitch Ratings warned that stagnating pricing in the traditional cat reinsurance markets would sap ILS appetite in 2013

German insurer Talanx has confirmed it is set to break the IPO deadlock in 2012, with the company intending to pursue a listing on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange this autumn, if conditions remain stable

Hannover Re's groundbreaking Fac Pool Re securitisation is facing the prospect of major losses as a legal dispute begins over some of the business ceded into the pool.

Insurance-linked securities (ILS) investors kept a close watch on the Pelican Re cat bond as Hurricane Isaac hit Louisiana, while parts of the state continue to struggle with flooding a week after the storm.

Despite reviving bleak memories for the residents of New Orleans, Hurricane Isaac ultimately appears to have turned into a damp squib for (re)insurers, at least according to the cat modelling agencies.

The greatest advantage of capitalism is its ability to adapt to the changing economic environment. Given time and a free run, Adam Smith's invisible hand invariably nudges collective action in the direction that causes the most favourable outcome for the greatest number of people.

There is unlikely to be any payout from the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF) due to the damage caused by Hurricane Isaac, the organisation has said.

As the industry prepares to converge on Monte Carlo for the annual ritual of the Rendez-Vous, it is clear that the alternative reinsurance market - from cat bonds and sidecars to collateralised reinsurers - has never been stronger. IQ asks what it means for traditional reinsurers

The growth of the alternative market has been a mixed blessing for traditional reinsurers, according to Fitch Ratings.

US thunderstorm losses have led ratings agency Moody's to downgrade a $50mn tranche of the Combine Re cat bond by a notch from Ba3 down to B1.