Best of Artemis, week ending 3rd March 2013

The market is on its way to New York this week for the annual SIFMA ILS conference, at which Artemis will be in attendance. With the latest cat bond, Caelus Re 2013 Ltd., having upsized and dropped in price it looks like there will be much to discuss. As always, you can read every market news story and article on the Artemis news blog, subscribe to our weekly email newsletter updates and for your convenience here are the ten most popular news articles from the last seven days on Artemis.

Top ten most viewed articles on Artemis.bm, week ending 3rd March 2013:

1. Goldman Sachs sells 75% of Ariel Re reinsurance business to investors, say reports
   According to a report in the Financial Times, Goldman Sachs has completed the sale of 75% of its reinsurance operations, Ariel Re, to investors through a private placement.
2. China insurance regulator allows re/insurers to operate as investment managers
   There’s been an interesting development in the Chinese insurance and reinsurance market which could open the doors to third-party capital management, issuance of securities including insurance-linked securities (ILS) or catastrophe bonds, hedge fund type business models and re/insurers operating as investment managers.
3. Banks look to contingent capital as form of catastrophe insurance
   Contingent capital has been back on our radar recently thanks to the market rumours suggesting that reinsurer Swiss Re has been arranging a marketing roadshow for a contingent convertible bond issuance recently.
4. Caelus Re 2013 cat bond to upsize, drop in price on investor demand
   Reflecting investors high demand for insurance-linked securities, catastrophe bonds and reinsurance-linked investments, the first natural peril catastrophe bond to be broadly marketed this year looks set to increase in size and reduce in pricing as a response.
5. Kalista launches multi-peril crop industry loss warranty (ILW) products
   Kalista Global has announced the launch of a range of multi-peril crop industry loss warranty (ILW) products.
6. Strong appetite for insurance-linked investments continuing into 2013: LGT
   While primary issuance of catastrophe bond and insurance-linked securities has not been so strong at the start of 2013 compared to a year earlier, it appears that a strong appetite for insurance-linked investments looks set to be a feature of the market in 2013.
7. Hiscox: Third Point cat fund investment helps it adapt with the market
   Hiscox says that engaging with third-party reinsurance capital through its stake and partnership with the Third Point Re catastrophe fund helps the insurer adapt with the market.
8. Consolidation and pricing pressure possible as reinsurance convergence continues
   A new report on the U.S. and global insurance and reinsurance market published yesterday by Conning & Company suggests that as the convergence of reinsurance and capital markets continues to play out the trend will bring its own challenges for the industry to deal with.
9. Lancashire’s $20 billion trigger ILW may offset Sandy losses
   Where the final industry loss estimate for hurricane Sandy ends up means more to some companies than others. In particular firms which have reinsurance contracts, industry loss warrants (ILWs) or insurance swaps with a trigger set at the $20 billion level are particularly interested in the next update from Property Claims Services.
10. Capital flow in the reinsurance market has changed: PartnerRe CFO
    At the recent Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2013 Insurance Conference held earlier this month William Babcock, the Chief Financial Office and an Executive Vice President at Bermudian reinsurer PartnerRe, made some interesting comments about the increasing flow of third-party capital into the reinsurance space.

This is by no means all of our articles from the last week, just the most popular among our readers. To ensure you always stay up to date with Artemis subscribe to our weekly email newsletter update.

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