Insurance-linked investments

Broker Guy Carpenter has announced the appointment of Al Paas as Head of European Capital & Advisory, who joins the firm with extensive experience in capital markets and mergers & acquisitions (M&A) advisory.

Catastrophe bond market yields remained flatter than anticipated through February as expected seasonal spread widening proved less pronounced given the continued price pressure from new primary cat bond issuance that is coming to market at lower premiums, data from Plenum Investments shows.

In announcing its results this morning, Adrian Cox, the CEO of Beazley, the London headquartered specialty insurance and reinsurance company, has stated that, when it comes to cyber insurance-linked securities the firm’s next step is to transition into securitisation and transformation of risks, with its dedicated cyber ILS fund planned for later this year.

As the catastrophe bond market continues to expand into new perils and more complex structures, broad and credible modelling coverage becomes highly important. However, reinsurer Swiss Re’s proprietary catastrophe models allow the firm to analyse a wider range of risks, which according to executives expands the “investable universe” while maintaining a well-understood risk-return profile.

Global re/insurer Chubb has reported that it ceded more risk in premium terms to its third-party capitalised total-return reinsurance joint-venture ABR Re in 2025, while the reinsurance commission benefits earned from the entity continued to increase.

The Association for Financial Markets in Europe (AFME) has published its response to the European Commission’s Climate Resilience Framework, calling for the use of insurance-linked securities (ILS) and catastrophe bonds as an effective way that insurers within the Union can access new capital to back climate-related policies.

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.

The boards of Zurich and Beazley have now agreed terms of the approximately £8.1 billion all-cash offer by Zurich for Beazley’s shares, while we understand that as the transaction proceeds it is business as usual for Beazley’s Bermuda cyber insurance-linked securities (ILS) plans.

Nephila Capital contributed an impressive $159.2 million in fund management revenues to its parent Markel in 2025, with the figure having risen 68% over the prior year and Tom Gayner, Markel CEO, said the ILS unit “delivered” for its investors as well.

Hong Kong’s Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Christopher Hui explained today that the government aims to enhance its preferential tax regime and extend the eligible asset classes for tax exemptions to include insurance-linked securities (ILS), such as catastrophe bonds.