Berkshire Hathaway

No, it probably doesn’t mean Berkshire Hathaway is going to sponsor a catastrophe bond anytime soon, but the news that ILS legal expert Robert Underhill has been hired to the firm could certainly provide Warren Buffett’s insurance and reinsurance unit with interesting options.

Interesting news last night as an announcement came out from Alleghany owned TransRe to explain that the reinsurance firm has entered into an agreement with Warren Buffett’s Gen Re which will effectively see it produce business for the firm.

Australian insurance group IAG has reported its results, revealing continued deterioration of its Canterbury, New Zealand earthquake claims, challenging commercial market conditions and new reinsurance arrangements with Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway.

Warren Buffett has again reduced his investment in the reinsurance industry by cutting his share holdings in the world’s largest reinsurer Munich Re, as the ‘Sage of Omaha’ continues to dial back on his firm Berkshire Hathaway’s interest in reinsurance underwriting.

When the reinsurance market is challenging, competitive and underwriting opportunities seem less attractive so you pull back on premiums underwritten, wouldn’t it be nice to still make a decent return on your investments?

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and National Indemnity Company have reduced their shareholdings in reinsurance firm Munich Re to 9.7%. Previously, the two firms held around 12% of the share capital of Munich Re.

Warren Buffett had previously bemoaned the fact that reinsurance had become a “fashionable asset class”. Now, his own business model is being blamed for creating further pressure on reinsurance prices, as new entrants look to operate with a reduced cost-of-capital.

Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s is questioning the capital adequacy of the insurance and reinsurance companies owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, due to concerns over the financing of the acquisition of Precision Castparts Corp.

The engine of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway business stuttered and stalled in the second quarter, as the insurance and reinsurance components which have driven a good deal of the Sage of Omaha’s success, were hit by weather and catastrophe losses.

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway has signaled its appetite for Australian and Asian expansion with the signing of a 10 year partnership deal with Australian insurer IAG, involving an equity stake and a 20% quota share reinsurance arrangement.