Best of Artemis, week ending 9th February 2014

Here are the ten most popular news articles, week ending 9th February 2014, on catastrophe bonds, reinsurance capital and related risk transfer topics, from the last seven days on Artemis. To ensure you never miss a thing  subscribe to the weekly Artemis email newsletter updates.

Top ten most viewed articles on Artemis.bm, week ending 9th February 2014:

1. U.S. winter storm losses build. What about catastrophe bonds?
   Winter storms are a covered peril in a number of outstanding catastrophe bond transactions currently. With the U.S. having suffered from a number of severe spells of winter weather in recent weeks, losses are mounting and some bonds may begin to look exposed.
2. Munich Re adjusts renewal portfolio to avoid competition, price pressure
   The world’s largest reinsurance firm Munich Re has responded to the increased competition, high levels of capital and reduced rates in the reinsurance market by adjusting its portfolio at the key January reinsurance renewals.
3. ILS funds return 7.56% on average in 2013, best year since 2010
   Insurance-linked securities (ILS) funds saw an average return of 7.56% for the full-year of 2013, according to the latest data from the Eurekahedge ILS Advisers Index, the best annual return since 2010.
4. For reinsurers growth via alternative capital may be most attractive
   In future some well-capitalised reinsurance firms may find it more attractive to grow their business through increasing intakes of capital from third-party ILS investors rather than by growing their equity investor base, says a report from Credit Suisse analysts.
5. Validus’ AlphaCat grows assets under management to $1.6 billion
   Bermuda domiciled insurance, reinsurance and alternative capital management group Validus Holdings has seen reinsurance-linked assets under management at its AlphaCat third-party capital management and ILS unit increase to $1.6 billion by the end of 2013.
6. ACE prepared to shed more reinsurance business to maintain profit
   Evan Greenberg, CEO of ACE Limited, one of the world’s largest multiline property casualty insurance and reinsurance groups, said the firm was prepared to shed business in order to maintain profit in the softening market.
7. As Nephila hits $10 billion, its contribution to KKR grows
   Nephila Capital, the insurance-linked securities and reinsurance-linked investment markets largest asset manager, passed $10 billion of assets under management at the end of 2013, according to KKR & Co. L.P. (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) executives.
8. Hedge fund style reinsurer Swan Re launches on Multi-Strat platform
   Swan Re Ltd. has launched in Bermuda as the latest reinsurance firm backed by an asset manager following a hedge fund reinsurer strategy of using its capital to underwrite while generating additional profits investing the premium or float within its investment strategies.
9. Blue Capital Re explains 2014 reinsurance portfolio diversification
   Blue Capital Reinsurance Holdings Ltd. (BCRH), the exchange listed collateralized reinsurance subsidiary of Bermuda reinsurer Montpelier Re, has given some more details on its deployment of capital within its 2014 underwriting portfolio.
10. ILS market transformed into a driver of reinsurance rates in 2013
    The insurance-linked securities (ILS) and catastrophe bond market transformed from an alternative source of reinsurance capacity into a driver of rates in 2013, according to the insurance and pension solutions team at Deutsche Bank.

This is by no means every article published on Artemis during the last week, just the most popular, some of which were published more than a week ago. There were 19 new articles published in the last week. To ensure you always stay up to date with Artemis and never miss a story subscribe to our weekly email newsletter which is delivered every Wednesday.

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