Best of Artemis, week ending 3rd May 2015

Here are the ten most popular news articles, week ending 3rd May 2015, 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 3rd May 2015:

1. New capital & risk modelling technology = new opportunities: Hemant Shah, RMS
   The combination of new sources of risk and reinsurance capital, from alternative providers such as the capital markets, alongside innovations in risk modelling technology will equal new opportunities for all in insurance, reinsurance and ILS, according to RMS CEO Hemant Shah.

2. Climate change to challenge re/insurers risk management: S&P
   Catastrophe risk management efforts utilised by global re/insurers could be put to the test should scientific predictions for more severe and frequent climatic events take fold, according to Standard & Poor’s (S&P) Rating Service.

3. Discipline improves cat bond yields, market continues growth: John Seo
   Catastrophe bond yields have improved for the first time since 2012 as a more efficient supply/demand balance takes form in the space, according to the Co-Founder and Managing Principal of Fermat Capital Management, Dr. John Seo.

4. Reinsurer pull-back on property catastrophe re/insurance continues
   The first-quarter 2015 results season began this week and there are already signs that the general pull-back on property catastrophe reinsurance underwriting continues, as companies reduce their exposures to the most under-pressure rates.

5. No let-up on reinsurance capacity, new inflows expected: Flandro, JLT Re
   David Flandro, Executive Vice President at reinsurance broker JLT Re, said he expects to see continued growth of overall reinsurance capacity at the upcoming June 1 renewals, resulting in more price declines, and that further inflows from capital markets investors are to be expected.

6. As competition intensifies ILS fund managers differentiate: WCMA
   Competition between specialist insurance-linked securities (ILS) and reinsurance linked investment fund managers is intensifying, resulting in a need to differentiate the product offering both for investors and cedents, according to WCMA.

7. Pessimistic re/insurers struggle on low investment returns: Goldman Sachs
   Insurance and reinsurance companies are at their most pessimistic on the prospects for the industry, according to the results of a survey undertaken by Goldman Sachs Asset Management, as low investment returns take their toll.

8. Mt. Logan Re reinsurance sidecar doubles premiums written
   Mt. Logan Re, the collateralized reinsurance sidecar vehicle of global reinsurer Everest Re, has doubled the amount of premiums it underwrote in the first quarter, compared to the prior year, which on top of an improved combined ratio will deliver attractive returns to its investors.

9. Centralised reinsurance model creates opportunities for ILS: Allianz Re CEO
   Global insurer and reinsurer Allianz has spent the last few years transforming its reinsurance business to a centralised model, and next, according to Allianz Re CEO Amer Ahmed, it’s really about actively managing the portfolio.

10. No reason ILS can’t expand to energy all-risk property coverage: Willis
    As capital market investors increasingly looks to insurance risks as an asset class, there is no reason that ILS structures couldn’t be expanded to provide energy all-risk property coverage, according to insurance and reinsurance broker Willis Group.

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 30 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.

Get listed in our MarketView directory of professionals.

View the current breakdown of the market in our range of charts, allowing you to analyse the cat bond market.

Artemis’ Q1 2015 Catastrophe Bond & ILS Market Report – The biggest first quarter ever

We’ve now published our Q1 2015 catastrophe bond & ILS market report.

This report reviews the catastrophe bond and insurance-linked securities (ILS) market at the end of the first-quarter of 2015, looking at the new risk capital issued and the composition of the cat bond & ILS transactions completed during Q1 2015.

Download your copy here.