Archive for March, 2012

The catastrophe bond and insurance-linked securities (ILS) market looks like it could be on for a bumper year in 2012, according to the positive sentiment from speakers at the recent SIFMA ILS conference in New York. We attended the conference to hear leading participants from the market discuss the issues facing the cat bond and […]

Here’s an interesting press release from Karson Management, a firm established by the team at RISConsulting Group and led by Derrell Hendrix a veteran of the insurance-linked security and alternative risk financing/transfer sectors. The press release is regarding Karson Collateral, a provider of solvency eligible collateral for risk transfer and credit enhancement applications. Their K-Note […]

The latest catastrophe bond from U.S. insurer Chubb Group has closed and priced at an upsized $150m. The fifth cat bond from Chubb, East Lane Re V Ltd. began marketing as a $125m cat bond in two Series 2012-1 tranches, seeking a source of collateralized reinsurance cover on an indemnity trigger, per-occurrence basis over a […]

A couple of days ago we wrote about the higher than average incidence of tornadoes in the U.S. this year. Now the first estimate of insured losses for the recent outbreak of tornadoes in the U.S. midwest and southern states has come from risk modelling firm EQECAT. The recent spate of tornadoes saw almost a […]

CATCo Investment Management have added a new experienced hire to their team in the shape of a new Director of Underwriting. Ron Collins joins CATCo from Aon Benfield. He has 30 years of experience in reinsurance underwriting and broking with his most recent role as Senior Managing Director at Aon Benfield focusing on the development […]

Mystic Re III Ltd., the latest catastrophe bond sponsored by U.S. insurer Liberty Mutual, closed successfully at an upsized $275m and the notes from the transaction have been listed on the Cayman Islands Stock Exchange. The cat bond, which is Liberty Mutual’s fifth transaction, began life as a $150m deal with two tranches of $75m […]

Given the extent of the losses experienced from last years flooding in Thailand the country can no longer be considered catastrophe-remote said ratings agency Standard & Poor’s in a report published last week. That’s a pretty big deal as it shows the increasing influence that Asian markets are destined to have on the insurance and […]

Insurers and reinsurers are understandably nervous about the recent outbreak of tornadoes. Last year tornadoes caused in excess of $26 billion of economic losses and killed hundreds of people. Of course they also caused the default of the two Mariah Re catastrophe bonds. Now we seem to be beginning another extremely active tornado year, but […]

We’re now into the third month of the year and Q1 is looking like it could see near record levels of catastrophe bond issuance. In the last week another deal has come to market, the dual sponsor Combine Re Ltd. which is being issued by Swiss Re America for two reinsureds. Much of the market […]

Horseshoe Group, an independent insurance manager and advisor with a focus on the insurance-linked securities (ILS) and catastrophe bond market is expanding its operations to Ireland which will give them a platform to expand their ILS and cat bond administration services into Europe more easily.