October 2012/3

Valuations for (re)insurers in The Insurance Insider's P&C universe

2012 transaction tracker

2012 broker M&A transaction tracker

Recent disclosures on estimated US crop losses have assuaged fears that it could be a major industry event, with $540mn of loss estimates unveiled so far.

A long-running dispute between a former director of US Risk (UK) and the firm's founder Randall Goss is progressing towards trial in the UK High Court.

UK Financial Services Authority (FSA) chairman Lord Adair Turner last week gave high praise to the Lloyd's market for playing no part in the financial crisis, while lambasting the banking sector for having been a "failed system" that wreaked havoc on the economy.

The European Parliament's key plenary vote on Omnibus II, originally due in November, has been pushed back past March 2013 after weeks of speculation, a European Commission spokesperson confirmed last week.

For reinsurance buyers, one of the advantages of capital markets' enthusiasm for securitised catastrophe risk is that bonds are being priced lower as investors scramble for allocations

The capital markets' continued enthusiasm for non-correlated reinsurance cat risk has expanded assets under management (AuM) at the insurance-linked securities (ILS) sector's two largest fund managers to almost $11bn.

US and Bermudian carriers' third quarter results are shaping up to be strong, primarily because of the industry's modest catastrophe loss record in 2012 and, in particular, a relatively benign hurricane season.

Shares in the Spanish (re)insurer Mapfre are expected to open down sharply on 16 October, after S&P downgraded the firm below the crucial A- territory

There will be much attention on Travelers' third quarter results this week as it is expected to update on the progress made in pushing through rate rises on renewal business.