June 2008/5

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.

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.

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

Amlin plc remains one of the best property and casualty insurers, according to Keefe, Bruyette & Woods analyst Chris Hitchings, after the listed-Lloyd's insurer reassured investors that its catastrophe risk account remains in good shape.

Specialist UK broker THB Group plc has seen profits fall by an much as 40 percent in the 12 months to April, compared to the prior year despite more an earnings boost in the first half of that period.

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

Aon Risk Services has launched a mergers & acquisitions (M&A) service for private equity, sovereign funds, business-to-business, real estate and infrastructure funds based in its Dubai office.

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.

Hawaiian governor Linda Lingle has signed a new law making the transfer of insurance-linked securities to the capital markets more efficient for captives.

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).

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

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.