Casualty ILS news

The outstanding market for collateralized reinsurance sidecar structures has expanded rapidly, with estimates from rating agency AM Best valuing the space between $16 billion and $18 billion, which marks an 183% increase over the mid-point of the $5 billion to $7 billion range estimated by the agency in 2023.

The reinsurance sidecar market witnessed rapid growth throughout 2025, particularly in Bermuda, where a number of major re/insurers launched casualty reinsurance sidecars during the year, which demonstrates how investors have a growing interest in longer-duration casualty risk exposure that offers high yields and diversification from property catastrophe risk, says Fitch Ratings.

Northern Re’s recent $150 million capital raise marks a significant step in the expansion of its technology-enabled platform. According to the firm’s founding brothers, Anthony and Peter McKelvy, Northern Re is navigating a shift in the reinsurance landscape where investors are increasingly prioritising operational transparency over purely financial objectives.

Northern Re, the collateralized reinsurance company that provides investors with access to the returns of its long-tail casualty underwriting business, has announced raising an additional $150 million in committed capital from existing and new institutional investors, which now brings the company’s total platform capacity to $325 million.

QBE, the global re/insurer, sees alternative reinsurance capital as an important lever to allow the company to deliver sustainable returns in the mid-teens, according to its CEO Andrew Horton and CFO Chris Killourhy, with recent catastrophe bond and casualty sidecar initiatives seen as early deals to help in building a profile within ILS markets.

AXIS Capital, the global specialty insurance and reinsurance underwriter, has put a new reporting line in place for its insurance-linked securities (ILS) division AXIS ILS, with Group Chief Underwriting Officer Dan Draper adding that to his responsibilities.

AXIS Capital continues to leverage alternative capital and partner with insurance-linked securities (ILS) investors, with these activities generating attractive fee income in 2025. While a new structure established for 2026 shows that its casualty sidecar Monarch Point Re remains a core focus for the company.

In a year where Price Forbes Capital Markets saw strong activity and involvement in deals, it was casualty insurance-linked securities (ILS) that were the standout area of traction and CEO of the unit Adam Champion noted that the Bermuda market’s strength is compelling and easy to showcase to investors.

David Flandro of reinsurance broker Howden Re expects alternative, or third-party capital’s important role in the catastrophe space, and increasingly in casualty / specialty lines, to continue.

According to Howden Re, the dynamics of supply and demand in the US casualty reinsurance market led to predominantly stable conditions during the January 2026 renewals. But the firm also highlighted that rising use of casualty insurance-linked securities (ILS) and sidecars in the US contributed to enhancing clients’ negotiating power throughout the season.