ILS investment strategy

This new video features the third panel discussion of the day at our recent Artemis London 2026 catastrophe bond and insurance-linked securities conference, a session focused on achieving diversification within the cat bond and ILS asset class and what that actually means for investors.

The catastrophe bond market has reached a scale where its continued growth actively reinforces the investment case, offering greater scalability, improved liquidity and broader scope to diversify within natural catastrophe risk, according to Dr. Rom Aviv of GAM Investments.

Speaking yesterday at the ILS Bermuda Convergence 2026 conference, Bob Smith, President & Co-CIO of fixed income and alternative solutions manager Sage Advisory, explained that he sees insurance-linked securities as an asset class that can expand the horizon of impact investing.

Given that catastrophe bonds are known for having a low correlation to traditional financial markets, global asset management firm Victory Capital has highlighted how the asset class’s portfolio implementation flexibility makes it viable for either an investor’s fixed income allocation or its alternative investment strategy.

While the industry has spent considerable time implementing ways that capital enters ILS vehicles, the mechanism for how it exits has often been treated as an afterthought. Artex Capital Solutions is dedicating effort towards building vehicles that provide a clear entry and a clear exit, with CEO Kathleen Faries emphasising that delivering clarity at the […]

The California Public Employees’ Retirement System, or CalPERS as it is better known, is exploring ways to increase its exposure to insurance-linked securities, which are seen as one asset class that can contribute towards its goal to invest $100 billion in climate solutions by 2030, according to a Bloomberg report.

In a recent report, Moody’s Ratings highlights how the economics of catastrophe bonds and insurance-linked securities change over time, driven by the softening global reinsurance market cycle. The end-result is more risk being assumed for less return, but as long as ILS manager’s maintain discipline, there is no cause for concern at this stage.

Institutional investors that have not yet chosen to allocate capital into insurance-linked securities (ILS) should be considering to do so given the diversification benefits that it offers, as well as its attractive risk-return profile, according to Eveline Takken-Somers, Head of Insurance Linked Investments, at Dutch pension fund service provider, PGGM.

The Florida State Board of Administration, allocating to insurance-linked securities and reinsurance for the Florida Retirement System pension plan, remains focused on navigating the softening market environment by adding more diversification within the asset class, with a Lloyd’s specialty investment moving through its pipeline still.

While property reinsurance and insurance-linked investment strategies are often viewed as carrying significant tail risk, Agecroft Partners believes that carefully constructed portfolios and disciplined underwriting can help to manage downside volatility more effectively than headline risk profiles may suggest.