Best of Artemis, week ending 18th March 2012

The catastrophe bond market has continued its record start to the year in the last week, with three more deals coming to market bringing the current total for Q1 2012 to twelve transactions and over $1.8 billion. Unsurprisingly our news on the launch of each new cat bond features in the most read stories of the week below. Other news which was popular included the clarification of the future for the Clariden Leu insurance-linked securities team, we wish them the best of luck in the new venture. Here are the ten articles which received the most views of the last seven days on Artemis.

Top ten most viewed articles on Artemis.bm, week ending 18th March 2012:

1. Clariden Leu insurance-linked investment business and ILS funds sold to LGT Group
   The ILS investment funds of Clariden Leu and the team who manage them are all moving over to LGT Group after the firm bought the ILS operations. The change should take effect during Q2, but the team say there will be no change to the service investors receive.
2. Louisiana Citizens to sponsor first catastrophe bond, Pelican Re Ltd.
   The state run, residual market insurer of last resort and windpool in Louisiana becomes the latest of these types of entities to look to cat bonds to diversify their reinsurance coverage. Pelican Re will provide at least $100m of hurricane cover to the state insurer.
3. Catastrophe bond market could double in size to $30 billion by 2016
   Some bullish quotes suggesting that the catastrophe bond market could double in size over the next four years.
4. ADB climate migration report recommends catastrophe bonds, weather derivatives and index-insurance
   Another report is published which discusses the important role that cat bonds, weather derivatives and other alternative risk transfer and insurance instruments will play in Asia Pacific in future years.
5. Outstanding ILS and cat bond prices tighten dramatically in February
   Further tightening of outstanding cat bond prices was evident in February with the biggest slide in price returns this year.
6. Akibare II Ltd., Japan typhoon catastrophe bond comes to market
   A second Akibare cat bond transaction see’s Mitsui Sumitomo seeking Japan typhoon cover from the capital markets. Akibare II will issue $90m (or more) notes on behalf of Mitsui Sumitomo.
7. Blue Danube Ltd. catastrophe bond to be sponsored by Allianz
   Allianz, a regular sponsor of cat bonds, returns to the market with their latest deal. Blue Danube Ltd. is a $200m multi-peril cat bond.
8. Catastrophe bond price returns slow their decline, total returns grow
   More discussion of the slow down in price returns in the secondary market which have continued to fall, although more slowly, in early March.
9. Deutsche Börse and Club Vita seek to facilitate index-based longevity swaps
   A new set of indices are launched which could help smaller pension schemes access longevity swaps for capital and risk transfer.
10. Andrea Bellone joins Willis Capital Markets & Advisory as MD of European team
    Willis add’s a new MD to their European capital markets team.