Moody's Investors Service
Groupama and Brit hit snags as they try to shortlist potential buyers
Industry big-hitters linked to Direct Line Group chairman role
Direct Line welcomes new credit ratings
Direct Line Group finance director John Reizenstein, has welcomed UK Insurance’s A credit rating from Standard & Poor’s and A2 from Moody’s.
Moody's gives UKI an A2 rating
Rating agency Moody's has assigned a first-time A2 insurance financial strength rating to UK Insurance, the main (UK) operating subsidiary of Direct Line Insurance Group, which underwrites around 90% of DLG's business.
Insurance Insight – top 10 stories
The top 10 stories from www.insuranceinsight.eu over the past seven days.
Moody’s takes action against insurance groups exposed to Italy and Spain
Moody's has taken action on several European insurance groups and related entities to reflect the increased financial risks stemming from their operating and investment exposure to weakened European sovereigns and banks, and the ratings agency's…
French P&C sector can weather 'economic headwinds'
Moody's has changed its outlook for the French property and casualty sector from negative to stable, saying it expects better 2011 underwriting results for the sector than the previous two years.
Moody’s ups outlook for French insurers
Moody's has changed the outlook for the French property and casualty sector to stable from negative, but left the French life insurance sector on negative.
Reinsurance - January renewals: Toughen up
Despite the catastrophes of 2011, the predicted — and much needed — January renewal rate hardening has failed to materialise.
Moody's completes £50m Barrie & Hibbert buyout
Moody’s Corporation today announced the capture of Edinburgh-based risk management modeling firm Barrie & Hibbert in a deal worth £50m.
UK insurers wait on developments following PM Cameron EU Treaty veto
Standard and Poor’s downgrade warning on 15 insurers should have been “no surprise” but the market is still in the same position it was a week ago given the lack of “concrete activity” at the weekend, according to an industry analyst.
Swedish Lansforsakringar's ratings on negative watch
Moody's has put Swedish health insurer Lansforsakringar's 'A2' IFSR and 'A3' issuer rating on negative watch.
Exporting to the US: pitfalls and potential
Exporting to the US could be a solution to Europe’s economic problems but as Pat Drinan explains brokers looking to help out firms venturing into this market need to watch their own back as well as their clients.
Trade credit insurers rated as stable
Moody's has given a thumbs up to the recovering trade credit insurers that had been hit by the recession - Euler Hermes and Coface.
Global reinsurance outlook no longer negative
Moody's Investors Service has changed the outlook on the global reinsurance sector from negative to stable reflecting the momentum for a hardening in reinsurance rates, a refocusing on the value of reinsurance, and the good risk management and discipline…
Moody's changes global reinsurance outlook to stable from negative
Moody's Investors Service has changed the outlook on the global reinsurance sector to stable from negative reflecting the momentum for a hardening in reinsurance rates, a refocusing on the value of reinsurance, and the good risk management and discipline…
Referral fees a 'red herring' claims CSC
The Claims Standards Council has warned the insurance market that abolishing referral fees is a "red herring" that will only send motor insurance premiums "through the roof", due to the loss of their ancillary income stream.
Moody's: Insurers to follow Axa lead on referral fees
Axa UK’s announcement that it will no longer accept referral fees from personal injury lawyers is likely to put pressure on the insurer’s general insurance rivals to follow suit.
Reinsurer cat budgets exhausted after Q1
Reinsurers' annual budgets have been exhausted after the major natural catastrophe losses in the first quarter were followed by 150 tornadoes hitting 13 south-eastern US states last month. According to Dominic Simpson, vice president, senior credit…
Moody's comments on Solvency II QIS5 capital adequacy results
Moody's Investors Service said that the results of the fifth Quantitative Impact Study suggest that most European insurers will be able to transition to the new Solvency II regime without the need to raise capital, as capital levels exceed the solvency…
Moody's keeps Dutch outlook at negative
The outlook for the Dutch insurance industry remains negative as a result of a continuous decline in insurers’ revenues, according to rating agency Moody’s.
Moody’s: Lloyd’s motor deterioration “alarming”
Moody’s has said the performance of the Lloyd’s market in 2010 - a £2.2bn profit before tax – “compares favourably” with its peers in the reinsurance and commercial markets, but warns of the “alarming” deterioration in its motor book.
Reinsurance sector braced for huge losses in Japan
The global reinsurance industry is positioned to absorb the impact of the Japanese earthquake — even if the insured losses reach $35bn (£21.7bn).
BI presents "wildcard" among Japanese quake losses
Major insurance and reinsurance losses both in Japan and globally following last Friday's huge earthquake in Japan will cause negative credit implications for the two sectors, according to Moodys.
European credit insurance has to adapt to a new era
Moody’s ratings for European credit insurers is a continuously challenging economic environment as well as common trends in the sector of progressive relaxing in underwriting discipline.