June 2008/5

Swiss Re has obtained $150mn protection against North Atlantic hurricane, European windstorm, Californian earthquake, Japanese earthquake and Japanese typhoon through collateralised risk obligation (CRO) Vega Capital Ltd, as predicted by...

The risk of flooding in the UK will continue to escalate unless the government improves the resilience of flood-prone areas, according to an independent review of last summer's UK floods.

New York governor David Paterson has dropped the biggest hint yet that it could relax regulatory barriers against foreign (re)insurers, according to reports last week.

Net income for the US property & casualty (P&C) insurance industry has almost halved in the first quarter of 2008 after heavy losses in underwriting results, according to the US P&C associations.

Deven Sharma, president of credit rating agency Standard & Poor's (S&P), has called for a co-ordinated approach by credit agencies to ensure there is greater global rating consistency.

As predicted by The Insurance Insider last week, Capita Group plc and Marsh UK finalised their 10-year outsourcing deal, worth £187mn, that will see around 600 staff transfer to the outsourcing firm.

Despite a "good year for the insurance industry" in 2007, the non-life sector faces considerable challenges, according to Swiss Re.

Acquisitive run-off specialist Enstar Group Ltd has announced plans to raise around $105mn with a new public share issue.

Ratings agency Moody's Investor Services has cut its outlook on XL Capital to negative due to the company's exposure to the sub-prime crisis through its bond insurer affiliate Security Capital Assurance (SCA).

Lloyd's insurer Hiscox Ltd has revealed plans to create a new Lloyd's Syndicate backed 100 percent by its own capital.

A US judge has dismissed several of the claims made by American International Group (AIG) in its attempt to wrest control of a block of its shares from its former CEO and chairman.

AXIS Capital Holdings Limited has poached Michael Steel, Benfield Group's global head of capital markets and appointed him in the newly created role of chief risk officer, the Bermudian company has announced.