Catastrophe bonds and insurance-linked securities news

Swiss Re has now priced its latest catastrophe bond sponsorship, securing the upsized target of $345 million of broad North American peak peril retrocessional protection through its new Matterhorn Re Ltd. (Series 2026-3) issuance, while the notes all priced at the lowest-ends of twice reduced guidance, Artemis has learned.

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) has successfully priced its fourth catastrophe bond sponsorship today and so secured the targeted $100 million of California wildfire protection from the 123 Lights Re Ltd. (Series 2026-1) offering at the low-end of price guidance, Artemis has learned.

The first-half of 2026 saw another record period of issuance in the catastrophe bond market, as the use of cat bonds to source reinsurance protection continues to increase and the investor base appetite for new cat bond investment opportunities grows. Beyond the new issuance high-bar that was set, numerous other records fell in H1.

While the overall catastrophe bond market yield or coupon available to investors continued to rise through the month of June 2026, Plenum Investments noted that softening remains the dominant trend across new cat bond issuance.

We reported last month that AXA XL had secured $67.5 million of retrocessional protection from a new Galileo Re Ltd. (Series 2026-1) catastrophe bond issuance. We’ve now learned this deal was particularly innovative and set some new market firsts, including becoming the first US terrorism cat bond ever.

According to the latest data from the Plenum CAT Bond UCITS Fund Indices, catastrophe bond fund strategies in the UCITS format averaged a 0.62% return for the month of June 2026 which beat last year, while the rolling-twelve month return rose slightly to 10.22% as a result of the stronger month.

For German insurance group BarmeniaGothaer the recent completion of its debut catastrophe bond sponsorship underpins its resilience to extreme events, while also offering useful single peril flood reinsurance coverage, CFO Harald Epple has said about the €100 million Yardstick Re DAC (Series 2026-1) issuance.

Leadenhall Capital Partners LLP, the specialist insurance-linked securities investment manager, has now secured an upsized $75 million of US named storm and earthquake protection for rated reinsurance platform Nectaris Re, as the firm’s debut Arthur Re Ltd. – Tranquil Re 2026-1 catastrophe bond has now been priced at the low-end of initial guidance, Artemis can […]

Following the recent closure of German insurer Gothaer’s €100 million Yardstick Re DAC (Series 2026-1) flood catastrophe bond, analysts at Moody’s Ratings explained how the agency looked beyond just the standard model outputs when it came to rating the first-ever pure German flood cat bond, due to the bond having a very remote risk of […]

The recently settled $75 million Arthur Re Ltd. – Woody Re 2026-1 catastrophe bond represents an “important step” for The Fidelis Partnership in building out reinsurance capacity to support its Syndicate 3123 at Lloyd’s as it grows, according to David Woods, Head of Portfolio & Exposure and Ireland Chief Executive Officer.