Best of Artemis, week ending 28th February 2016

Here are the ten most popular news articles, week ending 28th February 2016, covering catastrophe bonds, ILS, reinsurance capital and related risk transfer topics. 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 28th February 2016:

1. ILS and catastrophe bonds are not sub-prime mortgages
   The transparency of the insurance-linked securities (ILS) market alongside comprehensive third-party models, and sector sophistication underlines its differences from sub-prime mortgages, according to Aon Securities Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Paul Schultz.

2. Markel CATCo fund shareholders benefit from 18.1% 2015 total-return
   Shareholders in the retrocessional reinsurance linked investment focused CATCo Reinsurance Opportunities Fund Ltd. benefited from an 18.1% total-return over the course of 2015, as dividends boosted the 11.58% net return.

3. Exchange Re, Malta RSPV for collateralised reinsurance, launched by USA Risk
   Malta now has its first reinsurance special purpose vehicle (RSPV) as Exchange Re, a platform for collateralised reinsurance transactions, has been launched by captive management specialist USA Risk.

4. XL Catlin hires Brookman to alternative reinsurance capital team
   Insurance and reinsurance group XL Catlin has announced a new hire to support and help drive the expansion of its alternative reinsurance capital and insurance-linked investments activities, appointing Daniel Brookman as Senior Vice President, Alternative Capital.

5. Mt. Logan returns up to 20.2% to insurance-linked investors in 2015
   Insurance-linked investors in Everest Re’s Bermudian insurer and reinsurer Everest Re’s collateralized reinsurance sidecar Mt. Logan Re Ltd. are set to receive returns as high as 20.2% from their 2015 allocations to the vehicle, according to data sourced by Artemis.

6. ILS is efficient risk transfer, capital market innovation: SIFMA
   Insurance, reinsurance and risk-linked securities (ILS or IRLS) are an “example of an innovative solution which allows the capital markets to provide an efficient and growing means to transfer risk,” according to SIFMA EVP Randy Snook.

7. Utilise ILS to support growing the overall reinsurance pie: Execs
   The wealth of alternative capital in the global reinsurance market could be utilised to increase demand and grow the overall reinsurance pie, creating opportunities for insurance-linked securities (ILS) to meaningfully enter new regions and perils, according to industry experts.

8. Hybrid balance-sheet, the future of reinsurance
   Reinsurance firms operating with a hybrid balance-sheet approach to capital sources, management and funding, are the future of the industry, according to speakers at the SIFMA IRLS 2016 conference in New York.

9. Insurance-linked strategies, the lowest volatility hedge fund segment
   The insurance-linked securities (ILS) asset class, of funds featuring catastrophe bonds, collateralised reinsurance contracts, quota share and sidecar investments, industry loss warranties (ILW’s) and other private ILS, displays the lowest volatility of any hedge fund strategy.

10. Why pricing transparency is important for ILS investors
    The increased maturity of the insurance-linked securities (ILS) sector has been reflected in the transition of its investors, from pure capital providers to sophisticated players with a greater willingness to understand their exposures, underlining the importance of pricing transparency in the sector.

This is by no means every article published on Artemis during the last week, just the most popular, some of which were published over a week ago. There were 27 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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Artemis’ Q4 2015 Catastrophe Bond & ILS Market Report – Outright market growth continues

We’ve now published our Q4 2015 catastrophe bond & ILS market report.

This report reviews the catastrophe bond and insurance-linked securities (ILS) market at the end of the fourth-quarter of 2015, looking at the $1.525 billion of new risk capital issued and the composition of the cat bond & ILS transactions completed during Q4 2015. The report also includes a review of the full year 2015 issuance and commentary from co-editor GC Securities.

Download your copy here.