Natural catastrophes (Nat Cats)
News analysis: H1 reinsurer results slump
Bermudan reinsurers recorded huge drops in profits following heavy claims from the catastrophes experienced in the first half of the year, though elsewhere some reinsurers fared better, writes Katherine Blackler.
Aon Benfield ILS benchmarker
Aon Benfield Securities has launched an insurance-linked securities (ILS) benchmarking tool, Aon Benfield ILS Indices, which provides a quantitative view of ILS returns since December 2000.
Q2 cat bond issuance surge
Guy Carpenter has announced the completion of eight catastrophe bond transactions, totaling $2.05bn of risk capital as investor appetite remains strong.
Widespread flood losses hit Asia
Aon Benfield's monthly catastrophe recap report, which provides an analysis of worldwide catastrophic events, highlighted that July witnessed some of the worst flood events in history, with Asia being particularly badly affected.
US financial markets - Enter the enforcer
Two years on from the onset of the financial crisis, what lessons has reinsurance learnt? Tim Evershed investigates.
Karl wreaks havoc in east of Mexico
Hurricane Karl made landfall around 11:30am on 17 September local time, just to the north of the port city of Veracruz on the east Mexican coast.
Cat pool pays out to Anguilla
The Anguilla government has been paid $4.23m by the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility following the passage of Tropical Cyclone Earl, which passed close to the island on 30 August.
BIS Countdown - finance raising: Back on the menu
With only a week to go before the inaugural British Insurance Summit, Seb Kafetz explains how the appetite for financing insurance ventures is alive and well despite continued economic turbulence.
GC launches global P&C report
Despite spiralling losses, global reinsurance rates generally declined through the 2010 reinsurance renewals, according to Guy Carpenter.
AIR updates European cyclone model
Catastrophe risk modelling firm AIR Worldwide has released an update to its extra tropical cyclone model for Europe.
EQECAT: insurers hit by £1.65bn insured losses in New Zealand
Catastrophe management software firm EQECAT has provided an updated loss estimation for the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that occurred near Christchurch, New Zealand.
One dies in California gas explosion
A gas pipe explosion in California has killed one person and injured dozens more.
Quake impact on ratings "limited"
The damage costs resulting from the earthquake which struck the New Zealand city of Christchurch on 4 September will have "limited negative implications" for insurers and banks in New Zealand.
Fitch: reinsurance rates set to rise for Australian firms
Fitch Ratings has commented today on the Australian non-life majors' adequacy of catastrophe reinsurance protection, following the Christchurch earthquake.
Reinsurance price war predicted
The credit outlook on the reinsurance industry remains negative, according to Moody’s.
Canopius announces promotions
Canopius has announced two promotions in its treaty reinsurance division.
New Zealand losses estimated to top £1.3bn
Insured losses from the New Zealand earthquake are estimated between NZD 2700m (£1268m) and NZD 6000m (£2814m).
Reinsurance will absorb quake losses, says IAG
Insurance Australia Group has said it is "too early" to determine the extent of damage in Christchurch following the earthquake at the weekend.
Ecclesiastical blames Chilean earthquake for pre-tax loss
Ecclesiastical has revealed that exposure to the Chilean earthquake was predominantly responsible for its £9.9m pre-tax loss for the first half of 2010.
Rendevous - Talking heads 2010
Reinsurance talks to some of the industry heads ahead of the Monte-Carlo Rendevous.
Climate change: Change on the horizon
Climate change is happening. Peter Höppe writes that the industry must act to limit global warming and also to provide adequate risk management and natural catastrophe cover, particularly in the developing world.
Catastrophe: Put a (stronger) lid on it
Natural catastrophe models have been transformed through scientific research, growth in global and localised observation systems and modeling technology enhancements. But despite this, uncertainty remains, say Claire Souch and Michael Kistler.
Omega confirms six-month loss
Omega has reported a pre-tax loss of $34.2m (H1 2009: $22.9m profit) for the first six months of 2010 following a series of catastrophic events.
Climate change - renewable energy: Learning from mistakes
With the discovery of problems with the foundations of some offshore wind farms, Fraser McLachlan explains what the insurance industry can do to avoid repeating past mistakes.