July 2016/4

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

Shares in Allied World increased by almost 17 percent over the week after the Bermudian carrier surprised analysts and investors alike with a sterling set of second quarter results

Florida mutual Sawgrass has accused its part-owner Endurance of trying to destroy its business after the John Charman-led firm threatened to sell the renewal rights of 40,000 homeowner policies to a competitor.

Insurers are lagging behind other institutional investors in protecting their portfolios against climate risk, according to climate change investment transparency body the Asset Owners Disclosure Project (AODP).

Analysts have advised investors to look beyond consensus estimates to underlying results as the sector heads for a second quarter earnings season hit by cat losses above what was modelled.

Allied World shares surged last week amid a flurry of favourable analyst notes after the company smashed second quarter earnings forecasts.

Reported nat cat losses for the second quarter have exceeded $2.33bn, with the bulk of carriers yet to reveal their potential exposure.

There appears to be no end in sight to rate softening in the US property cat insurance market, according to the early reporting brokers and carriers on second quarter earnings calls last week.

The two most highly valued Lloyd's insurers, Beazley and Hiscox, opened the results season with better-than-expected earnings for the first half of 2016.

Tightening spreads on the cat bond market should lead to a pick-up in activity later in the year after a subdued second quarter, Aon Securities CEO Paul Schultz said in the company's latest insurance-linked securities (ILS) review.

Markel Catco said Canadian wildfire claims will lower the net asset value (NAV) of its Catco Reinsurance Opportunities Fund by 1 percent or about $3.5mn.

Nephila Capital's fronting partner Allianz Risk Transfer more than doubled its target size for its second cat bond of the year, sister publication Trading Risk reported last week.

Programme transformer start-up Clear Blue has added $140mn of projected annual premium from a series of deals signed since it launched at the end of last year.

Underwriters in the beleaguered aviation market began to push back against rate reductions at the July renewals as the segment demonstrated resistance to further cuts.

US insurance giant Travelers has chosen to cut back its Canadian reinsurance treaty despite reporting a second quarter hit from the Fort McMurray wildfires

A deal between American Financial Group (AFG) and National Interstate finally appears on the cards after a special committee at the commercial trucking specialist recommended a takeover bid from the New York-listed insurer.

XL Catlin completes domicile move; AmTrust acquires MGA; Beazley commits to Singapore; CIRC: Insurers are not ATMs; Dima makes appointments; JLT Re buys in Peru; Brit signs SA deal; Berkshire Hathaway departure; South to head Marsh US; Atkin to Amwins; Admin Re partial sale; BHSI enters Australian cyber; Euclid partners with AGCS and Swiss Re; H1 nat cats highest since 2011; Horace Mann set for P&C loss; FCA starts tender process; Suncorp hires

Expansive carrier Qatar Re is to open a branch office in Singapore in the next few weeks, The Insurance Insider has learned.

The shock departure of Atrium from Lloyd's Singapore may make those considering an entry to the market think twice about taking the plunge.

Chinese conglomerate Fosun will continue as Ironshore's majority owner after the business is floated on the New York Stock Exchange.

The formal sales process for Singapore's largest reinsurer Asia Capital Re (ACR) is in its final stages with the acquirer likely to be announced within weeks, The Insurance Insider understands.

Enstar is pushing on with its total return reinsurance start-up Aligned Re, confounding rumours in the market that it may follow XL Catlin's Alloy Re in being pulled.

Pembroke, Apollo and Navigators will lead a newly-minted Lloyd's market specie consortium as carriers look to reclaim control of the streamlining of distribution from brokers.

Remember being a child on the first day of the summer holidays? The possibilities were limitless

Mid-market private equity house Inflexion and Cantor Fitzgerald affiliate BGC Partners are two of the parties in the later stages of the sale that will determine ownership of independent Lloyd's broker Besso, The Insurance Insider can reveal.