All of our news and analysis on the retrocessional reinsurance marketplace.
Retrocession is effectively reinsurance for reinsurers, so a tertiary layer of risk transfer away from the original risk, if you consider primary, reinsurance and then retrocession.
As reinsurance is insurance for insurers, retrocessional, or retro, protection is reinsurance for reinsurers.
The retrocession reinsurance market has increasingly come to depend on the capital markets and insurance-linked securities (ILS).
As of mid-year 2022, global retrocession capacity has been estimated to be as high as $60bn, around $20bn of which is indemnity based and the rest in other formats.
The alternative capital markets and ILS funds, or investors, play a significant role in global retrocession, as too do instruments such as catastrophe bonds and industry-loss warranties (ILW).
Lumen Re, the main reinsurance underwriting entity of LGT ILS Partners, is now aiming to secure up to $200 million in retrocessional protection against losses from North American peak perils with its debut Photon Re Ltd. (Series 2026-1) catastrophe bond issuance, Artemis has learned.
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Conduit Re continued to evolve its retrocession strategy into 2026, with the pure-play reinsurance company securing enhanced protection for both peak and secondary perils, the company explained this morning.
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Lumen Re, the main reinsurance underwriting entity of LGT ILS Partners, is in the catastrophe bond market seeking $125 million in retrocessional protection against losses from North American peak perils with a Photon Re Ltd. (Series 2026-1) issuance, the latest in a series of cat bonds to come from ILS manager linked structures, Artemis has […]
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White Mountains has reported that its investment into the Outrigger Re collateralized reinsurance sidecar, which supports its P&C insurance and reinsurance subsidiary Ark, delivered pre-tax income of $45 million in 2025, of which $55 million was attributable to the 2025 underwriting year, partially offset by a loss of $10 million from the 2024 underwriting year.
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Global reinsurer Hannover Re’s Bermuda-based insurance-linked securities (ILS) platform, Hannover Re Capital Partners, started writing business at the January 1st, 2026, reinsurance renewals, and Sven Althoff, Member of the Executive Board for Property & Casualty, has described the venture’s start as “truly diversified”.
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Swiss Re has now secured its upsized target of $150 million of aggregate and subsequent event retrocessional reinsurance covering North American peak perils from its new Matterhorn Re Ltd. (Series 2026-1) catastrophe bond, while each of three tranches of notes priced at the top-end of initial guidance ranges, Artemis can report.
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Large European reinsurer Hannover Re expanded its retrocession protections by around 17%, or EUR 200 million to EUR 1.4 billion at the January 1st, 2026, reinsurance renewals, with increased capacity for its capital markets backed K-Cessions quota share sidecar facility, and a new parametric earthquake cover.
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Global reinsurer SCOR grew its property and casualty (P&C) portfolio selectively at the January 1st, 2026, reinsurance renewals, with property catastrophe premiums up 12.5%, as the firm achieved targeted growth of 4.7% for its traditional reinsurance in what it describes as a market that remained disciplined on structures and terms and conditions.
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Global reinsurance firm Swiss Re is now targeting up to $150 million of aggregate and subsequent event retrocession covering North American peak perils from its new Matterhorn Re Ltd. (Series 2026-1) catastrophe bond, while price guidance for each of three tranches of notes have been raised to the top-end of initial ranges, Artemis can report.
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Integral ILS Ltd., the specialist insurance-linked securities investment manager, has successfully upsized its debut catastrophe bond sponsorship by nearly 38%, to secure $275 million of US named storm retrocession from the Windrose Re Ltd. (Series 2026-1) deal that has now been priced, Artemis can report.
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