Best of Artemis, week ending 27th October 2013

Here are the top ten articles as viewed by our readers week ending 27th October 2013. As always, you can read every market news story and article here 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 27th October 2013:

1. Catastrophe bond and ILS multiples drop to historically low level
   With the recent well documented decline in pricing of insurance-linked securities and catastrophe bonds having accelerated into the third-quarter the average multiple at market of catastrophe bonds has dropped to historically low levels, according to data from Lane Financial LLC.
2. Reinsurance market could lose certain perils to ILS: KBW analyst
   The reinsurance industry could lose certain catastrophe risk markets to the insurance-linked securities (ILS) sector for good if, as is expected, the ILS sector continues to be able to assume risk at lower required returns due to its inherent efficiencies and lower cost of capital.
3. In Baden-Baden reinsurance industry focuses on putting capital to work
   The reinsurance industry is meeting this week in the German town of Baden-Baden. Each year reinsurers, brokers, alternative capital providers and the insurance-linked securities sector meets to discuss prospects for the forthcoming January reinsurance renewals.
4. Some alternative capital will get badly burned: W.R. Berkley CEO
   As alternative capital suppliers seek out new opportunities outside of the well-modelled pieces of the reinsurance business, some it will get badly burned, according to the CEO of commercial lines property casualty insurer W.R. Berkley Corporation.
5. SPI’s drive Bermuda re/insurer registrations up 60% year-on-year in 2013
   Registrations of new insurance and reinsurance entities in Bermuda reached 53 by the end of September, which is 60% up on the first nine months of 2012. Special Purpose Insurers (SPI) continue to drive much of this growth, with 29 new SPI’s registered in the first three-quarters of 2013.
6. Schroders launches GAIA Cat Bond Fund on UCITS platform
   Investment management group Schroders has announced the launch of its second insurance-linked securities (ILS) fund this morning.  The new fund launched on its UCITS hedge fund platform, the Schroder GAIA Cat Bond fund, will invest predominantly in catastrophe bonds.
7. Catlin’s Galileo Re cat bond grows again to $300m at final pricing
   Global specialty property and casualty insurance and reinsurance firm Catlin’s latest catastrophe bond transaction, Galileo Re Ltd. (Series 2013-1), has grown in size again as the deal reached final pricing. The cat bond is now $300m in size after investor demand helped it upsize by 71% while marketing.
8. European reinsurance rates expected down in January: Willis Re
   Reinsurance rates in Europe, at the key forthcoming January reinsurance industry renewals, are expected to be down 5% to 10% on loss-free lines of business, according to reinsurance broker Willis Re. Conversely, loss hit lines may see some rate increases according to reinsurer Munich Re.
9. September sees best insurance-linked securities fund returns this year
   September saw insurance-linked securities (ILS) funds return their strongest single month performance of the year so far, thanks to the very quiet Atlantic hurricane season and continued seasonal spread tightening, according to the Eurekahedge ILS Advisers Index.
10. Willis announces launch of Global 360 capacity facility to specialty clients
    Insurance and reinsurance broker Willis has formally announced the launch of its long-awaited Willis Global 360 capacity facility to its specialty insurance clients this morning.

This is by no means every article published on Artemis during 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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