side-pocket

According to our sources, insurance-linked securities (ILS) fund managers are having continued success at closing down certain exposures to last year’s hurricane Ian, with a number of side pockets being finalised and trapped capital continuing to be freed.

We’ve learned from sources that a number of insurance-linked securities (ILS) fund managers have recently been able to further reduce the size of investment side pockets they had established related to hurricane Ian.

Some of the side-pockets established by insurance-linked securities (ILS) funds in the wake of hurricane Ian are now being reduced in size, as estimates from the storm continue to trend lower than originally expected, according to Artemis’ sources in the ILS investment community.

According to sources in the insurance-linked securities (ILS) investment community, side-pockets being established after hurricane Ian by ILS funds that invest in private deals and collateralized contracts, to segregate potentially loss affected investments, are ranging from as small as 3% to as much as 30% of a strategy.

The insurance-linked securities (ILS) market and its fund managers are adapting their strategies following several years of heavy catastrophe losses, with their experiences in dealing with trapped ILS collateral driving them to evolve the way ILS fund side pockets are set and dealt with, Brian Desmond of Horseshoe told Artemis.

The Standards Board for Alternative Investments (SBAI) has published a new document that discusses the practice of side-pocketing within the insurance-linked securities (ILS) industry and explains the need for strong governance, transparency and robust disclosure when it comes to reserving for potential losses.