January 2018/5

The resolution of Aspen's board to keep the company independent is likely to be severely tested in the coming weeks and months, after the firm's credibility was hit hard by a fresh profits warning.

Are markets stupid?

AIG president and CEO Brian Duperreault and general insurance CEO Peter Zaffino will transform the carrier's fortunes after a decade of decline, according to Validus Holdings chairman and CEO Ed Noonan.

Aspen is back in the M&A spotlight after issuing a second consecutive Q4 profits warning amid difficulties at its struggling primary book.

Catalina’s new backing from RenaissanceRe opens the door to a number of new capabilities and potential business opportunities for the legacy carrier.

The number of M&A transactions in the US and Bermudian insurance industry edged up in the second half of last year, but more deals are stuck in the pipeline and could surface in 2018, according to a PwC partner.

Despite recognising that positive pricing conditions will be in play for 2018, rating agency S&P Global Ratings said any upwards correction of rates is not likely to be enough to ease pressures on carriers.

Specialty reinsurance rates benefited from increased reinsurer resolve at 1 January, with third quarter catastrophe losses underscoring the marine and energy sector's exposure to natural catastrophe risks, according to JLT Re.

A continuing reinsurance capital surplus mitigated rate rises at 1 January, with loss-hit US property cat, global direct and facultative (D&F) and property retrocession the only major classes posting increases comfortably into the double digits, according to JLT Re.

JLT Re's renewals commentary underlines how stubbornly high levels of capital are continuing to keep meaningful rate rises out of the grasp of reinsurers in most lines.

Richard Trubshaw of Managing Agency Partners has been voted the top US property catastrophe underwriter, according to The Insurance Insider's US property cat rankings for 2018.

As the Q4 2017 earnings season begins, early signs suggest insured damage caused by last year's Californian wildfires is on the rise.