October 2017/5

Asia Capital Re (ACR)'s board will not reopen the sales process that led to its $1bn abortive deal with Shenzhen Qianhai Financial Holdings and Shenzhen Investment Holdings, The Insurance Insider understands.

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI) is preparing to enter the Dubai insurance market, The Insurance Insider understands.

Third quarter results revealed widespread shrinking in reserve releases, with the majority of carriers that have reported so far posting a decline in favourable prior-year development relative to their respective premium bases.

P&C (re)insurers in our coverage group that have reported third quarter results so far have revealed strong top-line increases, with around half of their gross written premiums (GWP) growth rates well up into double-digit territory.

(Re)insurers within The Insurance Insider's coverage universe have overwhelmingly exceeded expectations in third quarter disclosures to date.

As growing loss ratios continued to pressure underwriting margins, third quarter results so far have revealed that (re)insurers turned to expense management to improve their results, while reduced variable compensation also came to the rescue.

P&C (re)insurers reported yet another quarter of deteriorating underlying margins, as third quarter accident-year ex-cat loss ratios rose by 1.3 percentage points year-on-year on a simple average basis at the companies under our coverage that have reported so far.

Contrary to the popular mythology that journalists are fuelled by an almost exclusive diet of hard liquor, we scribes actually function on a steady stream of tea and coffee.

French state-owned reinsurer CCR Re is looking for strategic industry partners and would consider exchanging equity stakes with supporters following its operational carve-out early this year from parent CCR

Lloyd's is aiming to secure regulatory approval for Brussels-based Lloyd's Insurance Company early next year and believes it has widespread market backing for the structure of its post-Brexit subsidiary.

The third quarter could still go down as the costliest in the (re)insurance industry's history, with almost all the companies to report so far dragged to a loss and a significant portion of the sector's excess capital wiped out.

Independent wholesaler Keating has expanded its senior executive team with two high-level hires and restructured its platform to drive further growth, The Insurance Insider can reveal.