November 2005/3

Shares have been suspended in Swiss Re this morning (18 November) ahead of an 11am GMT press conference where it is expected the reinsurance giant will announce its intention to buy the (re)insurance operations of US conglomerate General Electric (GE).

As predicted by The Insurance Insider this morning, US conglomerate General Electric (GE) has reached an agreement to sell the majority of its (re)insurance operations to Swiss Re in a deal worth $8.5bn in securities, cash and the assumption of debt.

US conglomerate General Electric is close to finalising a deal to cut loose its (re)insurance operations, according to sources. Although the company declined to comment, The Insurance Insider understands GE is preparing an imminent announcement of...

As revealed in Insider Week this Monday (14 November), Bermudian start-up Flagstone Re will be headed up by former Centre Re CEO David Brown, who will be chief executive of the new operation.

US politicians offered some succour to the (re)insurance industry yesterday (15 November) with the news that an agreement had been reached on a bill to extend the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA) for a further two years – albeit under less favourable..

Greenlight Re will become the twelfth new reinsurance start-up since Hurricane Katrina after being announced by Greenlight Capital boss, David Einhorn, at a New York conference on Tuesday (15 November). The new company has already received a license...

The burden from this year's US storms will push quoted Lloyd's insurer Wellington Underwriting plc into a underwriting loss for the year, the company revealed this morning.

Dublin-headquartered Cologne Reinsurance Ltd had its financial strength rating downgraded to A- from A++ by AM Best on 7 November. The ratings agency also downgraded the reinsurers credit rating to a- from aa+ and the firm remains under review with...

Lloyd’s and Willis both received the go-ahead last week to extend their business interests in China. On 9 November Lloyd’s was granted a licence for onshore reinsurance. Chinese President Hu Jinta made the announcement while on last week’s state...

Run-off vehicle Equitas could face a worst-case scenario where it was under-capitalised by £500mn warned rating agency Standard & Poor’s (S&P). And the fear of that possibility remains one of the biggest threats to Lloyd’s A rating, which is...

The advisors to a controversial scheme of arrangement have withdrawn their appeal leaving an untidy High Court decision apparently at odds with legal developments. When the proposed British Aviation Insurance Company (BAIC) scheme of arrangement...

Profits for the first nine months of 2005 were up to £378mn at Royal & Sun Alliance (R&SA), a rise of £370mn from the same period last year. The figures included a boost of £126mn from changes to a UK pension scheme and were backed up by an...