Catastrophe bonds and insurance-linked securities news

The insurance and reinsurance industry in Germany has reportedly come together to discuss and strategise the launching of a EUR 10 billion pandemic risk fund, to provide risk capital in the event of future pandemics, with insurance-linked securities (ILS) one of the funding avenues being explored, it has been reported.

U.S. primary mutual insurer USAA has benefited from another almost $48.8 million of reinsurance recoveries under two of its outstanding and extended Residential Re catastrophe bonds, while also releasing a significant chunk of retained collateral back to investors as well.

Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, the U.S. primary insurer, has allowed a partial redemption of one of the tranches of its Caelus Re V Ltd. (Series 2017-1) catastrophe bond amounting to $75 million of collateral released.

Global reinsurance company Swiss Re has again returned to the catastrophe bond market for what will be its fifth time in just around one-year, this time bringing a targeted $200 million Matterhorn Re Ltd. (Series 2020-4) with which it hopes to secure retrocessional protection against hurricane losses.

U.S. primary mutual insurer USAA has made a second reinsurance recovery from its Espada Reinsurance Limited (Series 2016-1) catastrophe bond transaction and has released more of the outstanding principal back to investors as well.

Insurance-linked securities (ILS) and capital markets backed sources of insurance or reinsurance capacity should play a role in any government or industry supported pandemic risk pooling facility or backstop, respondents to our latest survey said.

Avatar Property and Casualty Insurance Company’s new $65 million Casablanca Re Pte. Ltd. (Series 2020-1) catastrophe bond issuance has been amended so that the notes will now be issued at a discount to par, with the implication being a higher premium being offered to investors, it seems.

Fidelis Insurance Holdings Limited, the specialty insurance and reinsurance firm, is seeking to upsize its first catastrophe bond transaction Herbie Re Ltd. (Series 2020-1) by as much as 25%, with the target lifted to $125 million for the deal but the pricing now lifted to the upper-end of guidance.

More predictable and transparent insurance-linked securities (ILS) structures, offering less ambiguous coverage, may be the immediate winners after the Covid-19 pandemic crisis, with catastrophe bonds and industry loss warranty (ILW) contracts an area set to receive increasing investor focus, according to S&P.

Regular readers will know that we’re proponents of investing in insurance-linked securities (ILS) and reinsurance linked assets, recognising the beneficial features of the ILS asset class and what it can offer to a sophisticated institutional investor.