Trapped collateral news

Trapped capital is expected to remain and pose an ongoing challenge for some investors and managers from across the insurance-linked securities (ILS) space, according to executives at Willis Re, the reinsurance arm of broker Willis Towers Watson (WTW).

Issues related to the potential for insurance-linked securities (ILS) collateral to be trapped, because of uncertainty over the COVID-19 pandemic and its potential losses for the insurance and reinsurance industry, have largely been postponed until after the January renewals.

According to rating agency Kroll Bond Rating Agency (KBRA), the now approved updated business plan for ILS Capital Management’s reinsurance company Prospero Re Ltd., which allows it to write both fully collateralized and traditional reinsurance with an element of leverage, does not warrant any change to the vehicles rating.

So far in 2020, global catastrophe and severe weather losses falling to the insurance and reinsurance market are running approximately 8% above the 10-year average, according to analysts at Jefferies.

ILS Capital Management Ltd. has now received approval from the Bermuda Monetary Authority (BMA) for an expansion of the operating model of its reinsurance company Prospero Re Ltd., which can now write both fully collateralized and traditional reinsurance with an element of leverage.

Some insurance-linked securities (ILS) funds that invest in collateralised reinsurance contracts have been setting reserves for potential exposure to business interruption losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic in a handful of the major European catastrophe reinsurance programs, we understand.

Reinsurance capital could find itself on the hook for the largest share of COVID-19 losses from second waves of the virus sweeping Europe, with primary insurers largely happy with their loss-picks so far, analysts at Barclays have said.

The CATCo Reinsurance Opportunities Fund Ltd., Markel CATCo Investment Management’s listed retrocession focused investment fund, has successfully secured another release of trapped capital which will be returned to its investors.

The implications of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic on the re/insurance market suggests that the availability of capital is going to be a major issue, according to Tom Johansmeyer, Head of PCS.

Some higher-risk insurance-linked securities (ILS) and collateralised reinsurance funds have been forced to reserve more than 4% of their fund assets in case of losses from business interruption claims caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, a report suggests.