Archive

  • German life insurers face losses if interest rates remain low

    24 October 2013

    Mismatched assets and liabilities and high guarantees leave sector vulnerable, says Moody's

  • Axa places €350m cat bond

    16 October 2013

    The windstorm catastrophe bond is the largest euro-denominated issuance to date

  • Aegon leads, Aviva lags in reducing leverage

    19 September 2013

    Insurers to continue using excess cash to pay off debt, says Moody's

  • Nine global systemically important insurers named

    19 July 2013

    The Financial Stability Board's designation of systemically risky insurers has brought howls of protest from the industry, but the impact on the nine firms is not easy to gauge. Christopher Cundy reports

  • New capital muscles into the reinsurance business

    12 July 2013

    Hedge funds, pension funds and wealth managers are among the newer investors reshaping the way that reinsurance operates and prices risk. These non-traditional investors like the returns available and the lack of correlation with other capital markets. But do they fully appreciate the risks? Sarfraz Thind reports

  • Infrastructure investment in vogue following Axa's €10bn plan

    19 June 2013

    Concerns about treatment under Solvency II partially recede, says Fitch

  • European insurers missing opportunity to diversify investments

    05 June 2013

    Just 2-3% of portfolios invested in alternative asset classes

  • Eiopa calls for stakeholder group members

    14 May 2013

    Applicants for re/insurance and pensions groups wanted by 23 June

  • Generating return in a cold climate

    03 May 2013

    Low interest rates are prompting insurers to look to further afield in their hunt for yield. For those with resources and dedication, two major areas of focus right now are corporate loans and infrastructure lending. But are these the assets of the future that many say they are? Sarfraz Thind reports

  • On the road to common standards for group capital

    24 April 2013

    A recent Geneva Association report revealed some surprises in the capital management of global insurance groups - and a reluctance to rush towards global standards. Co-author Kathrin Hoppe explains to Christopher Cundy