September 2003/2

A US Federal Jury has at long last issued an ultimatum to the parties that controversially purchased the assets of Executive Life, the Californian insurer that collapsed in 1991.

Premiums increases for professional indemnity for solicitors and law firms are beginning to level out over the past year, according to Aon Professional Risks (APR).

While 2002 promises to be a bumper year for Lloyd’s, the legacy of US casualty exposures continues to drag down the 2001 forecasts, according to the latest set of Syndicate Quarterly Returns published by Lloyd’s last week.

Giant German reinsurer Munich Re has rallied against rating agency Standard & Poor’s (S&P) after being downgraded from AA- to A+ with a stable outlook. In a statement, the world’s largest reinsurer by premium described the move as “unjustified” and founde

There was increased speculation over the weekend that the UK’s second largest domestic non-life insurer, Royal & Sun Alliance (R&SA), will launch a rights issue later this week.

HLF Group is continuing to attract senior new executives and expand overseas despite the recent uncertainties caused by take-over talks with Marsh.

Like its slightly larger German rival Munich Re, Swiss Re has been recently downgraded by S&P. But at least the reinsurer has reported improved half-year results, returning earnings of SFr691mn up from SFr118mn for the first six months of 2002.

French reinsurer SCOR has booked 18 percent less in gross written premiums in the first half of 2003 compared to the comparable period last year.

Germany’s Hannover Re announced a largely unchanged set of interim results for the first half of 2003.

Lloyd’s insurer Wellington Underwriting restored its dividend to shareholders last week following a sharp rise in interim profits.

Illium Insurance Group Ltd, the UK liability start-up headed by former Limit underwriter Denis Burniston and Russell Benzies, the former chief executive of Euler Trade Indemnity plc, is set to begin trading via a new Lloyd’s Syndicate 4040 next year.

City stockbrokers Collins Stewart has threatened legal action against the Financial Times after the newspaper printed allegations of unsavoury business practices.