Insurance linked securities news, ILS news

A proposal has been published today calling for the establishment of a United States government backed reinsurance entity named US Re, which would be designed to assume natural catastrophe risks at the most extreme tail of the loss distribution, holding catastrophe risk at the lowest cost possible.

Catastrophe bond market issuance activity continues apace in 2026 and now two months of the first-quarter may see new records set for the amount of limit that comes to market, while Q1 issuance overall is destined to be the second highest ever, according to Artemis’ Deal Directory data.

Before the Atlantic hurricane season begins each year, forecasters release activity predictions that can have some influence on reinsurance pricing. However, a recent commentary from global alternative and active investment manager Man Group challenges the accuracy of these forecasts, questioning both their reliability and the benchmarks used to measure success.

Pool Re, the UK government backed mutual terrorism reinsurance firm, is back in the catastrophe bond market to sponsor its fourth terrorism catastrophe bond, with a Baltic PCC Limited (Series 2026-1) issuance being offered to investors, we understand.

US-headquartered insurance holding company W. R. Berkley Corporation has continued to expand its use of its Lifson Re collateralized reinsurance sidecar through 2025, with written premiums ceded to the sidecar rising to $494 million, the highest level the company has recorded to date.

Zenkyoren has returned to the catastrophe bond market to add to its capital market backed aggregate Japanese earthquake reinsurance protection, with an initial $100 million target for this new Nakama Re Pte. Ltd. (Series 2026-1) sponsorship, Artemis has learned.

Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Co. Ltd. has now secured the targeted $100 million of multi-year collateralized Japanese earthquake reinsurance protection from its new Kizuna Re III Pte. Ltd. (Series 2026-1) catastrophe bond transaction, with the notes now priced at the mid-point of guidance, Artemis understands.

A new study authored by Hang Gao, et al published in The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance has highlighted how basis risk is a manageable and structural feature of parametric triggers, decoupling it from financial impacts on insurers or policyholders to focus on its fundamental properties.

One of the insurance-linked securities (ILS) sponsored by financial guarantee and municipal bond specialist Build America Mutual Assurance Company has had its ratings revised to Positive from Stable by Kroll Bond Rating Agency (KBRA), while another two remain at Stable.

We’ve learned that US primary insurance giant State Farm has registered a new company structure in Bermuda under the Merna Re naming convention that has applied to all of its catastrophe bonds, suggesting the insurer may be set to return to the capital markets for more reinsurance.