May 2008/2

The continuing saga of QBE Insurance's merger approaches to Insurance Australia Group (IAG) is beginning to take on the appearance of an Australian soap opera as twists and plot developments play out through the Australian Stock Exchange.

Italian financial services firm Generali Group’s interest in purchasing the UK’s second largest non-life insurer, RBS Insurance (RBSI), would be a “very significant financial stretch”, warned a leading insurance analyst.

The US Senate has rejected moves to add wind coverage to the federal programme that provides flood insurance.

Trading risk platform Insurance Futures Exchange Services (IFEX) is to facilitate margin trading during the North Atlantic wind season - in a move that may encourage greater activity on the derivative exchange.

Signs of recovery in the hard-pressed airline market are continuing with a 16 percent increase in April's hull and liability premium, according to Aon Aviation's latest report into the sector.

Bermuda-headquartered Lloyd's insurer Hiscox Ltd has dropped its premium income by 10 percent this year as it sticks to its guns about underwriting discipline in the soft market.

Munich Re's first quarter profits dipped 19 percent as it took a EUR578mn hit in its reinsurance division from the spate of major losses hitting the market in the period.

Despite a slower than expected start to insurance linked securities (ILS) issuance in 2008, the pipeline of cat bond deals is again filling up, with a renewal of a Japanese quake bond expected to close shortly.

The European Commission (EC) has finally given public backing to the industry's response to concerns surrounding co-insurance, or subscription, market practices.

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is to begin distributing over $800mn to American International Group (AIG) shareholders as part of the giant's settlement with regulators.

The UK Treasury is under renewed pressure to create a more favourable tax regime for businesses or face an exodus of corporations to overseas domiciles.

Allied World Assurance Company Holdings Ltd (AWAC) said underwriting discipline helped net income grow by $17mn in the first quarter of 2008, compared to the prior-year period.