Reinsurance renewals news

As per reinsurance broker Howden Re, capacity within the retrocession market was more than sufficient to meet demand at the January renewals, largely due to a combination of retained earnings for insurance-linked securities (ILS) and rated carriers, as well as ILS inflows, and new entrants.

Analysts at Fitch Ratings highlighted how record amounts of reinsurance capital supply from both traditional and alternative sources exceeded the slight demand increase from buyers during the January 1, 2026 renewals, driving a softening market but one they feel can still deliver profits.

The retrocession renewals for January 1st 2026 were finalised much later than usual. But, with ample capacity available from traditional and ILS markets, buyers achieved price reductions and also re-introduced more frequency protection to their coverage, according to Gallagher Re.

At the January renewals, property catastrophe reinsurance and retrocession markets both saw rate declines in the mid-teens. Most still agree that rate adequacy remains, while attachments stay at their current higher levels, but KBW’s analysts highlight how this may only drive compounding price competition over-time.

American Coastal Insurance Company (AmCoastal) has successfully renewed two excess-of-loss catastrophe reinsurance arrangements at the January 2026 renewals, growing its all other perils cover slightly and also refreshing its catastrophe aggregate coverage at the same size as last year.

Despite an ease on pricing, reinsurance programme structures are expected to remain largely unchanged, with reinsurers holding firm on elevated attachment points following the post-2023 reset, leaving primary P&C insurers to continue retaining a greater share of secondary-peril losses and associated earnings volatility, according to Moody’s Ratings.

QBE Re, the international reinsurance arm of the global insurance group, has sponsored its first casualty reinsurance sidecar vehicle, securing over $550 million in fully collateralised quota share reinsurance through George Street Re, with the transaction backed by institutional investors Culpeper Capital Partners and Calidris Investment Partners.

As per reinsurance broker Howden Re, industry loss warranties (ILWs) are expected to return to more normalised growth in 2026, as the January 1st reinsurance renewals showed rates falling by 10% to 20%.

As per broker Guy Carpenter’s 1/1 reinsurance renewals report, there was a notable rise in demand for property retrocession lines during the January renewals, with the company noting that ongoing growth in supply contributed to some price reductions and broader coverage.

Australian primary insurance group IAG has renewed its main catastrophe reinsurance tower for 2026 at the same size as the prior year providing occurrence protection for two events of up to $10 billion, while also expanding its quota share reinsurance to now cover 25% of its consolidated business including the recently acquired RACQ Insurance.