Best of Artemis, week ending 29th December 2013

You can read all our market news stories and articles here on the Artemis news blog. Subscribe to the 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 29th December 2013:

1. €40m Windmill I Re Ltd. private cat bond sponsored by Achmea Reinsurance Company N.V.
   Dutch group reinsurer Achmea Reinsurance Company, part of the Dutch Achmea Group, has sponsored its first catastrophe bond, in a privately transacted Dutch windstorm deal, through Bermuda SPI Windmill I Re Ltd.
2. SCOR expands natural catastrophe contingent capital facility
   French reinsurance firm SCOR has renewed its innovative contingent capital facility, which takes the form of a guaranteed equity line with UBS, and has expanded the cover it provides the reinsurer to €200m, covering both natural catastrophe and extreme life events.
3. Tradewynd catastrophe bond benefitted from modelling disclosure
   RMS, one of the world’s leading catastrophe modellers, states that it has pioneered a new approach to modeling indemnity catastrophe bonds, through its work with AIG and Swiss Re on the recently completed Tradewynd Re Ltd. (Series 2013-2) deal.
4. 2013 cat bond issuance passes $7 billion, market hits $20 billion for first time
   2013 catastrophe bond issuance has passed the $7 billion milestone for the first time this year with the completion of the latest catastrophe bond from insurer AIG, Tradewynd Re Ltd. (Series 2013-2), which takes the size of the cat bond market over $20 billion.
5. QBE’s VenTerra Re Ltd. cat bond grows to $250m, prices down
   The first catastrophe bond transaction sponsored by Australian insurer QBE Insurance Group, VenTerra Re Ltd. (Series 2013-1), has will further lift the 2013 catastrophe bond issuance total as it has grown by $50m to now offer $250m of notes to investors.
6. Shareholders approve Blue Capital fund investment policy changes
   Shareholders in Blue Capital Global Reinsurance Fund Ltd., the listed reinsurance-linked investment fund operated by Blue Capital Management, have voted in favour of proposed amendments to the fund’s investment policy.
7. Investor demand for catastrophe bonds to remain strong in 2014: Fitch
   After a bumper 2013 of issuance in the catastrophe bond market, with the volume issued reaching the second highest level ever recorded, investor demand for cat bonds is expected to remain strong in 2014, according to Fitch Ratings.
8. SAC Re acquisition completes, renamed to Hamilton Re
   The acquisition of SAC Re, the hedge fund style reinsurer which was launched by hedge fund manager Steven A. Cohen and his firm SAC Capital, has completed in time for the January renewals with a group of investors led by industry veteran Brian Duperreault no taking control.
9. Argo’s Loma Re cat bond grows again to $172m, prices at low-end
   Argo Group’s latest catastrophe bond transaction, Loma Reinsurance (Bermuda) Ltd. (Series 2013-1), has grown in size again before closing we understand, with one tranche increasing by $7m taking the total cat bond size to $172m for Argo.
10. S&P updates its catastrophe bonds rating criteria
    Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s has published an update to one of its rating criteria articles related to natural peril catastrophe bonds and insurance-linked securities (ILS).

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 11 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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