Best of Artemis, week ending 13th August 2017

Here are the ten most popular news articles, week ending 13th August 2017, 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.

Ten most viewed articles on Artemis.bm, week ending 13th August 2017:

1. First blockchain settlement for cat bond completed by Solidum
   Insurance and reinsurance linked investment specialists Solidum Partners have completed a private catastrophe bond transaction, a $14.8 million Dom Re IC Limited 2017, which has become the first such securitisation to be settled using a private blockchain.

2. Hurricane forecast raised by NOAA, season could be “extremely active”
   The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has upped its forecast for the number of tropical storms and the number of major hurricanes that could occur in the 2017 Atlantic tropical storm and hurricane season, saying that “the season has the potential to be extremely active,”  perhaps becoming the most active since 2010.

3. Hurricane Andrew repeat a $60bn industry loss, a near-replica $180bn: Swiss Re
   Almost 25 years has passed since hurricane Andrew struck Florida and became the most costly storm to impact the state, but a modern-day repeat of Andrew would be significantly more impactful for insurance, reinsurance and ILS interests, while a near-replica that barreled into Miami could cause an industry loss of up to $180 billion.

4. Rhodri Lane to head London ILS business for Aon Securities
   Rhodri Lane will be joining Aon Securities as of the 14th August, to take on the role of Managing Director, Capital Markets in London and lead EMEA region insurance-linked securities (ILS) transaction activities, replacing recently departed Darren Bailey.

5. Investment oriented reinsurance model best when sponsored: S&P
   The total return reinsurance model, or investment oriented reinsurance model, or hedge fund backed reinsurance model (depending on what you prefer to call it), remains a challenging strategy to execute on well, but more recent start-ups that are sponsored by an existing re/insurer and asset manager are favoured by S&P.

6. ILS market will “continue to grow to new heights” – Swiss Re
   Following on from the record period of insurance-linked securities (ILS) activity through the first-half of this year, with a bumper volume of new catastrophe bond risk capital issued, Swiss Re Capital Markets expects that the ILS market will “continue to grow to new heights.”

7. Validus looking to grow AlphaCat via new lines of business: Kean Driscoll
   Validus Holdings’ executives have underlined the potential for third-party capital to underwrite more business outside of the U.S. wind catastrophe space, as it grows the assets under management (AuM) of its AlphaCat unit, with flood and crop being discussed as potential growth areas.

8. Schinnerer acquires ICAT, boosts property catastrophe expertise
   Schinnerer Group, the underwriting manager and managing general agent arm of insurance and reinsurance broking giant Marsh, is targeting the property catastrophe risks arena with the acquisition of catastrophe focused underwriting manager ICAT (International Catastrophe Insurance Managers LLC) from the Paraline Group.

9. Despite continued softening Hannover Re looks for P&C growth
   Reinsurance firm Hannover Re has continued to grow its underwriting portfolio, despite the fact that it acknowledges the softened price environment and challenging state of the market as well as the pressure placed on it by competition from insurance-linked securities (ILS).

10. Cowdery raising new fund for closed-life insurance business: Reports
    Insurance entrepreneur Clive Cowdery, the founder of life book investor Resolution Group, is reported to be raising capital for a new Bermuda investment fund that will continue to target backing closed-books of life insurance business with reinsurance capital.

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 29 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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