2013

Global reinsurance firm Swiss Re has now delivered its final assessment on the total global economic and insured losses from natural catastrophes and man-made disasters in 2013, putting insured losses at $45 billion and economic losses at $140 billion.

The total volume of catastrophe bonds and insurance-linked securities (ILS) issued during 2013 and listed in the Artemis Deal Directory hit $7.6417 billion by the end of the year as a flurry of deals in December closed the year at an all time high of $20.5 billion.

2013 catastrophe bond issuance has passed the $7 billion milestone for the first time this year with the completion of the latest catastrophe bond from insurer AIG, Tradewynd Re Ltd. (Series 2013-2), which takes the size of the cat bond market over $20 billion.

Reinsurance firm Swiss Re has estimated the total economic losses from natural catastrophes and man-made disasters in 2013 at $130 billion, resulting in a $44 billion insured loss toll for the global insurance and reinsurance industry.

In its latest look at the catastrophe bond and insurance-linked securities (ILS) market reinsurer Swiss Re suggests that the tight spread environment seen on cat bond issues through 2013 so far is set to continue. Tighter spreads and lower pricing has been driven by investor demand providing an attractive environment for cat bond sponsors.

There seems to be no slowing down of the momentum that the market for insurance-linked securities and catastrophe bonds has generated in recent months and issuance continues apace into July. Based on figures in our Deal Directory, including two cat bonds still marketing, 2013 ILS issuance has now passed $5 billion.

2013 catastrophe bond market issuance looks set to reach new highs as the second-quarter brings issuance to record levels for the first six months of the year and leaves the market well on its way to achieving $7 billion plus of issuance by the end of the year. Q2 saw $3.35 billion of issuance and […]