Best of Artemis, week ending 17th August 2014

Here are the ten most popular news articles, week ending 17th August 2014, on catastrophe bonds, reinsurance capital and related risk transfer topics, from the last seven days on Artemis. 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 17th August 2014:

1. S&P questions viability of hedge fund reinsurer business model
   In a newly published report ratings agency Standard & Poor’s questions the viability of the hedge fund backed reinsurance strategy, asking whether combining the hedge fund and reinsurer strategy can create higher risk-adjusted returns.

2. As Bermuda reinsurers pile into specialty risk, expect commoditisation
   Analysts at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods warn in a report that Bermudian insurance and reinsurance firms rush into specialty risks, in a search for premiums outside of the competitive catastrophe re/insurance market, will only speed up commoditisation.

3. Pricing finalised for Hoplon II Insurance lottery jackpot-linked cat bond
   The Hoplon II Insurance Ltd. lottery jackpot winnings catastrophe bond-type structure has now had the pricing finalised for both tranches of jackpot risk-linked notes that are being issued on behalf of the sponsor MyLotto24.

4. Reinsurance has become an “interesting new asset class”: Willis’ Hearn
   The reinsurance sector has become an “interesting new asset class” and nothing is yet abating the pace of new capital entering the space, according to insurance and reinsurance broker Willis’ deputy CEO Steve Hearn.

5. Prudential in $1.7 billion longevity reinsurance deal with Rothesay Life
   Prudential Retirement, a division of Prudential Financial Inc., has announced the completion of a longevity reinsurance transaction with Rothesay Life which sees the Prudential covering pension liabilities amounting $1.7 billion (approx. £1 billion).

6. AXA France and Hannover Re complete €750m longevity swap
   The first longevity swap transaction featuring a French insurance company cedent has been completed. AXA France and Hannover Re have announced this morning the completion of a €750m longevity swap transaction.

7. Hedge fund strategy reinsurer Till Capital signs up to MultiStrat Re
   Bermuda domiciled hedge fund style reinsurance and hybrid investment platform Till Capital Ltd., the parent company of reinsurer Resource Re Ltd., has signed two agreements with asset manager reinsurance platform Multi-Strat Re Ltd.

8. Catlin doubles contribution from third-party reinsurance capital
   Catlin, the global specialty property casualty insurance and reinsurance company with a strong base at the Lloyd’s market in London, has nearly doubled the contribution it receives from third-party capital arrangements in the last year.

9. Competition, earnings pressure, threatens global reinsurer ratings: S&P
   The increased competition in the global reinsurance market, created by excess capital which is driving down rates, could threaten the ratings of global reinsurers and create greater volatility in their earnings, warns Standard & Poor’s today.

10. Secondary market cat bond & ILS prices rebound (somewhat) in July
    The secondary market in catastrophe bonds and insurance-linked securities (ILS) saw prices rebound more strongly in July, after a couple of months of slower pricing movements at trading desks.

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 23 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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Q2 2014 Catastrophe Bond & ILS Market Report – The Biggest Quarter, The Biggest Catastrophe Bond

We’ve now published our Q2 2014 catastrophe bond & ILS market report.

This report reviews the catastrophe bond and insurance-linked securities (ILS) market at the end of the record second-quarter of 2014, looking at the new risk capital issued and the composition of the transactions completed during Q1 2014.
Download your copy here.