Cat bond news

Porch Group, the US homeowners specialist insurer, is now targeting lower pricing for its debut catastrophe bond sponsorship, still aiming to secure $100 million in multi-peril collateralized catastrophe reinsurance through the Harbor Crest Re Ltd. (Series 2026-1) issuance but now at a lower spread, Artemis can report.

Hannover Re, the global reinsurance company, has facilitated issuance of a new $7.47 million private LI Re 2026-3 catastrophe bond using its Bermuda-domiciled transformer vehicle Kaith Re Ltd., with this new deal expected to support a collateralized, transformed and securitized reinsurance or retrocession arrangement.

Today we have added four more expert speakers to the Artemis London 2026 website, our next catastrophe bond and insurance-linked securities (ILS) market conference. Join us in London on September 1st for a full-day of in-depth discussion about the ILS market and valuable networking, register to attend the conference here.

Swisscanto Asset Management International S.A. has launched its first UCITS catastrophe bond fund under Luxembourg Law, the Swisscanto (LU) Bond Fund Cat Bonds, debuting with just over US $25 million in assets under management (AUM).

The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority has now updated its regulatory framework to make access to alternative reinsurance solutions simpler and easier for insurers in the country, with targeted changes that will support access to catastrophe bonds and other insurance-linked securities (ILS) for potential sponsors there.

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 insurance-linked securities (ILS) market remains in a strong position, but expanding into international markets and less conventional perils will be critical for the market’s next stage of growth, according to executives at reinsurance broker Howden Re, who note that this expansion is vital both to unlock diversification benefits and to help close global protection […]

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.