Best of Artemis, week ending 15th September 2013

Here are the top ten articles as viewed by our readers week ending 15th September 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 15th September 2013:

1. As reinsurers react in Monte Carlo ILS managers keep cool and carry on
   The major global reinsurance firms have made clear their opinions on, and reactions to, the recent flow of capital into the reinsurance market from third-party investors, with sometimes defensive statements that can leave listeners wondering whether the nervousness runs deeper than reinsurers are making out.
2. Alternative capital may squeeze out equity capital in reinsurance: Willis Re
   As alternative capital, sourced from institutional and other third-party investors, continues to flow into the reinsurance market at pace thoughts at the Monte Carlo Rendezvous event turn to how this will change the structural landscape for reinsurers. One possible end result could be a displacement of traditional equity reinsurance capital, according to broker Willis Re.
3. Insurance-linked securities market calling for innovators: PwC
   The insurance-linked securities market is calling for innovators and ‘fast followers’ to drive the sector’s growth forwards, according to a new report from PwC. Innovators will seek out new opportunities for ILS in order to grow the market and the alternative reinsurance capacity it provides.
4. PCS working with CSX to develop catastrophe derivatives exchange
   In what could prove to be one of the most important developments in the catastrophe reinsurance market in some time, Property Claim Services (PCS) has announced that it is working with the Cayman Islands Stock Exchange (CSX) on an initiative to launch exchange traded catastrophe derivatives on the CSX.
5. Alternative capital growth driven by collateralised reinsurance: Swiss Re
   Global reinsurer Swiss Re said at a media and investors briefing today that it believes the recent growth in alternative capital in the reinsurance market has largely been driven by collateralized reinsurance, above inflows into other instruments such as catastrophe bonds, insurance-linked securities and industry loss warranties.
6. Catastrophe bond market may hit $23 billion by end of 2016: GC Securities
   The catastrophe bond market, currently providing somewhere between $16 billion and $18 billion+ of protection dependent on who you ask, could see rapid growth over the next three years. GC Securities, the ILS and capital markets arm of broker Guy Carpenter, projects that it could reach as much as $23 billion by the end of 2016.
7. Are reinsurers facing consolidation or changing business models?
   With alternative capital one of the hottest topics at the Monte Carlo reinsurance Rendezvous over the last few days the subject of consolidation, mergers and acquisitions has been raised in many discussions and briefings.
8. Lloyd’s Nelson: Alternative capital can help insurance grow to $2tn by 2025
   Lloyd’s chairman John Nelson had the chance to expand on his thoughts on alternative capital in reinsurance at the Monte Carlo reinsurance Rendezvous this morning when he spoke at PwC’s breakfast briefing. Nelson said that new forms of capital can help the commercial insurance market grow from $600bn to $2tn by 2025.
9. Alternative capital as significant to reinsurance as emergence of Bermuda: S&P
   Competition from third-party and alternative capital in reinsurance is of similar significance to the sector as the emergence of Bermuda as a reinsurance hub and the entrance of its companies over the past two decades, according to Standard & Poor’s in a paper on the global reinsurance sector.
10. AQR Re hires ex-Markel retro reinsurance head Martin Vezina
    AQR Re Ltd, the Bermuda based reinsurance firm which operates as an affiliate of global investment-management firm AQR Capital Management, has hired a senior retrocessional reinsurance specialist, Martin Vezina, who will take on the role of Chief Underwriting Officer.

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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