All Features articles – Page 18
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Cover Story
China opens for business
The Year of the Pig promises to be a prosperous one for China's insurance and reinsurance industry. As the Middle Kingdom further opens its doors, Helen Yates considers the main challenges for the market and its new entrants.
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Features
GR Survey: M&A
In February, Global Reinsurance ran a survey on the potential for mergers and acquisitions in the industry in 2007. Peter Joy presents the results.
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Features
The Florida storm
What are the economic consequences for Bermudian reinsurers after being pushed out of the Florida market? Roger Crombie explains why it will be a year of two halves.
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Features
Finite redux
Is there still a place in the industry for finite reinsurance despite its tarnished reputation? Or is it just a bad word that "gives people the shivers"? asks Ronald Gift Mullins.
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Features
Feeding the hunger
Rumours that Ariel Re is a frontrunner to buy Lloyd's insurer Talbot Underwriting could signal the start of M&A fever in 2007, predicts Mairi Mallon. Particularly in the wake of new Florida legislation.
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Features
A European Spitzer?
As was the case with Spitzer's probe two years ago, the lack of transparency in broker remuneration and "conflicts of interest" have once again made headlines. This time business insurance in Europe is under antitrust scrutiny, reports Helen Yates.
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Features
A good deal harder
Everyone seems to agree that 2007 will see an increase in M&A activity in the reinsurance sector. But what is less clear is whether any of the deals will represent good value for the shareholders of the companies involved. Lindsey Rogerson investigates.
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Features
A tale of two companies
Catlin's acquisition of Wellington was one of the biggest deals of 2006 and with healthy profits expected, 2007 is shaping up to be an exciting year for the company. Liz Booth finds out more.
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Online only
SCOR acquires 32.94% of Converium
SCOR is not giving up on its bid to acquire Converium and has bought 32.9% of the company's share capital
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GR Focus
Retro-spective
The doomsday sayers would have you believe that retrocession all but disappeared in 2006. But there was plenty of capacity available at the 1 January renewals, discovers Helen Yates, although it remains painfully expensive.
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Country Analysis
Hitting the ground running
Energy-rich Middle Eastern state Qatar is poised for rapid change. With one of the biggest development projects in the world underway, its undeveloped insurance industry is targeted for massive reform. Helen Yates considers the country's bid to attract the world's insurers and reinsurers.
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Features
Part of the furniture
Is the boom in capital market products coming to an end? With the industry anticipating record profits for 2006, Ronald Gift Mullins considers what impact this could have on the appetite of capital market investors.
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GR Focus
Feast or famine?
Is the reinsurance industry now overcapitalised? With prices now falling for many lines of business Christopher Kershaw and Andrew Poulton explain why there is too much capital in the market and what the consequences might be.
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Features
GR survey: climate change
One of GR's aims for 2007 is to encourage greater participation of its readers in the debates and issues shaping the industry. Each month, a short questionnaire will be sent out to our new "GR Benchmarking Club", with the results published in the magazine. Our first survey is on climate ...
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Investment Analysis
You can't predict the weather
Dire predictions for the industry a year ago have been largely disproved as reinsurers kickstart 2007 boasting massive profits. So is the outlook more upbeat now? Asks Lindsey Rogerson.
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Cover Story
A bumper year
2006 is being hailed an abundant year of profits for reinsurers with Mother Nature providing some respite following record losses in 2005. But it's too soon to start celebrating, warns Mairi Mallon.
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Analysis
Back from the brink
For a company that has seen downgrades, restatements and regulatory investigations in its recent history, all fingers are crossed at Converium that a return to the "A" ranks is imminent in 2007, discovers Nick Thorpe.
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Features
Runaway train
There is no holding back the soaring rates on US wind-exposed lines, while in the rest of the world prices are likely to remain level or even soften at the 1 January renewals. And so continues the tale of two markets, despite a non-existent hurricane season, discovers Mairi Mallon.
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Analysis
Pioneering spirit
Hiscox could never be accused of following the pack. Helen Yates looks at how the firm's recent decision to redomicile to Bermuda has put it right at the centre of the London versus Bermuda debate.
