Lloyd’s of London news

The Lloyd’s of London insurance and reinsurance market reported a £0.9bn loss for 2020 after significant impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic dented performance, despite significant reinsurance recoveries.

Lloyd’s of London’s recently established insurance-linked securities (ILS) structure, the multi Insurance Special Purpose Vehicle (mISPV) named London Bridge Risk PCC Ltd., is for now limited in its use to quota share reinsurance transactions with a Lloyd’s member, we can report.

Helios Underwriting, the Lloyd’s of London focused investment and underwriting vehicle, secured £53.5 million of new capital through a share issuance, the majority of which has come from insurance-linked securities (ILS) market sources.

Helios Underwriting, the Lloyd’s of London focused investment and underwriting vehicle, has secured backing from specialist insurance-linked securities (ILS) and reinsurance investment firms ILS Capital Management and Hudson Structured Capital Management.

Nephila Capital, the largest dedicated manager of insurance-linked securities (ILS) and reinsurance linked investment funds, told us it is delaying the launch of its new specialty line focused Lloyd’s syndicate 2358.

Reinsurance broker Willis Re, part of the Willis Towers Watson group, has hired Michel Büker from reinsurer PartnerRe to the newly created role of Head of Lloyd’s Capital, Willis Re Specialty.

Beazley, the Lloyd’s market focused specialist insurance and reinsurance underwriter, fell to a $50.4 million loss for 2020, with a combined ratio of 109%, but targets a more profitable year in 2021 with no additions to its COVID-19 pandemic claims in the fourth-quarter.

London Bridge Risk PCC Limited, the newly established insurance-linked securities (ILS) vehicle sponsored by Lloyd’s, will “reduce the frictional costs and time” required for ILS investors to access the returns of the insurance and reinsurance market, law firm Clifford Chance has said.

For Lloyd’s, it’s important to “learn how to walk” first, as it gets up to speed with the new route for channelling investor funds to members of the market through its now approved multi-arrangement UK Insurance Special Purpose Vehicle (iSPV) before thinking about expanding the structures remit, according to CFO Burkhard Keese.

The approval and launch of Lloyd’s of London’s first insurance-linked securities (ILS) structure under the UK ILS regulations that came into force in late 2017 “reaffirms the ILS potential of the London Market”, according to Horseshoe CEO Andre Perez.