September 2006/1

In contrast to many of its Lloyd's competitors, the Bermuda-headquartered Catlin Group received a currency boost from the weak dollar which contributed to record net income of $147.3mn for the first half of 2006.

In a strategic volte-face, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group plc (JLT) has sold its US property casualty and employee benefits operations to Alliant Insurance Services Inc for $100mn (£53.3mn) little more than three years after deciding to build a US retail pl

"Class of 2005"reinsurer Flagstone Reinsurance Holdings announced today (7 September) that it has entered the aviation reinsurance market.

It was a tale of two markets for reinsurance specialist Benfield Group with disappointing news on its new corporate risks division being more than matched by impressive earnings growth in its US division on the back of the capacity crunch for catastrophe

Brit Insurance Holdings plc became the latest London market insurer to report a drop in profits due to the weak US dollar, as it revealed today (5 September) its interim results.

Lloyd's managing agency Spectrum Syndicate Management Ltd appointed Mark Everest as legal counsel on 1 September.

Bear Stearns has agreed to buy Groupama's UK run-off insurance company, Minster Insurance Co.

Analysts gave a mute assessment of SCOR's interim results despite a 42 percent rise in net profits at the French (re)insurer, sending the share price of the company down 6 percent.

Lloyd's insurer Wellington Underwriting plc revealed that further expansion is key to its strategic development when it announced its interim results on the 31 August.

American International Group (AIG) has confirmed its sidecar Concord Re Ltd will have an initial capital of $730mn with equity funding provided by the US investor Chris Flower's firm JC Flowers & Co LLC.

UK motor insurer Highway Insurance Holdings Plc announced the return of Andrew Gibson as its chief executive on 29 August.

Two months after Jardine Lloyd Thompson's (JLT) proposed takeover of rival Heath Lambert fell through, analysts have turned their attention to the quoted UK broker's prospects as an independent entity.