November 2007/1

Ratings agency Standard & Poor's (S&P) has warned that if rates in most classes continue at their present level beyond mid-2008, then it may downgrade the outlook for a number of industry sectors.

Private equity firm General Atlantic is to sell another 15.23 million shares, or 7 percent of the issued share capital, in London market back office service provider Xchanging plc.

London market reinsurers led by Allianz have had their appeal dismissed against the striking out of significant parts of their defence in the controversial EUR44.3mn dispute with the North Korean national insurer.

Guy Carpenter has appointed Nick Frankland as its new head of Europe following the departure of the long-serving Geoff Bromley earlier this year.

Swiss Re, which reports its third quarter figures tomorrow (6 November) is expected to generate net attributable earnings of SFr1.01bn and pre-tax profits of SFr1.35bn - down from SFr1.55bn and SFr2.07bn respectively in the prior-year period...

The management of German giant Munich Re is confident that the firm will return record profits for 2007 after posting "excellent results" so far this year.

Shares in US insurance giant, American International Group Inc (AIG), continued its rollercoaster ride on the New York Stock Exchange last week, twice plumbing the depths of new 52-week lows as investor unease mounted over the group's sub-prime...

Goldman Sachs' entry to Lloyd's with a syndicate for the 2008 year – exclusively revealed by The Insurance Insider today (5 November) - occurs against the backdrop of the capital markets' increasing appetite to assume (re)insurance risk.

FTSE 100 companies are reporting risk above and beyond what the UK's regulatory regime requires, according to research undertaken by broking giant Marsh Ltd.

Marine, energy and P&I insurer Lingard Limited (Gard) has appointed former JLT Re partner Graham Everard as managing director of its Bermudian operations.

Run-off insurer Highlands Insurance Company (UK) Ltd became the first UK insurance firm to become insolvent in three years after it went into insolvent administration at the High Court on 1 November.

Investors reacted positively to Aon's news last week that it is to impose a fresh restructuring that will lead to the loss of 2,700 jobs, the equivalent of 6 percent of its global workforce.