Latest AM Best Headlines

All the headlines from our AM Best Topic Page, ordered by recency.

A.M. Best Issues Ratings for Andover Companies Pool Members

Apr 5 2018 // A.M. Best has removed from under review with negative implications, downgraded the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings to “aa-” from “aa” and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A+ (Superior) for...

How Predictive Analytics Boost Commercial Insurance Profits, Smooth Cycles

Apr 5 2018 // The increasing use of predictive analytics among commercial lines insurers has helped improve their bottom lines and led to more balanced underwriting cycles, A.M. Best says in a report.“Underwriting cycles have been...

Workers’ Compensation Insurer Stonetrust Enters Missouri, Tennessee

Apr 3 2018 // Workers’ compensation insurer Stonetrust Commercial Insurance Co. has begun writing business in Missouri and Tennessee.Stonetrust, which is headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is also writing in Louisiana,...

P/C Insurers Record $23.5B in Underwriting Loss in 2017

Apr 2 2018 // The U.S. property/casualty industry recorded a net underwriting loss of $23.5 billion for year-end 2017, according to preliminary results from A.M. Best. That was $18 billion bigger than the underwriting loss in 2016.The...

A.M. Best Removes from Under Review, Upgrades Ratings of Great Plains Casualty

Mar 22 2018 // A.M. Best has removed from under review with positive implications and upgraded the Financial Strength Rating to A- (Excellent) from B++ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating to “a-” from...

Outlooks Revised to Stable for Louisiana’s Stonetrust Commercial Insurance

Mar 21 2018 // A.M. Best has revised the outlooks to stable from negative and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of B++ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “bbb” of workers’ compensation insurer,...

How Bad Was P/C Insurers’ Underwriting Loss in 2017?

Mar 20 2018 // The U.S. property/casualty industry recorded a net underwriting loss of $23.5 billion for year-end 2017, according to preliminary results from A.M. Best. That was $18 billion bigger than the underwriting loss in 2016.The...

What A.M. Best Thinks of AmTrust’s Plan to Go Private, Sell Some Fee-Based Business

Mar 5 2018 // A.M. Best, which placed the ratings of AmTrust Financial Services under review with negative implications last November, says it is still reviewing the impact of the company’s plans to sell some of its fee business...

AXIS’ A.M. Best Ratings Revised to Negative; Insurance Arm Blamed

Feb 20 2018 // AXIS Capital Holdings’ money-losing insurance segment has drawn the attention of A.M. Best, which revised its outlooks for the Bermuda-based carrier to negative from stable, based largely on its...

Peak Re to Get Capital Boost After Prudential Financial Buys 13.1% Stake: A.M. Best

Feb 15 2018 // A wholly owned subsidiary of Prudential Financial Inc. (PFI) has signed definitive agreements to purchase a 13.1 percent stake in Peak Reinsurance Holdings Ltd., the sole shareholder of Hong Kong-based Peak Reinsurance Co....

Marine P&I Clubs Face Intense Pricing Pressures in February Renewals: A.M. Best

Feb 14 2018 // While the balance sheets of clubs operating in the marine protection and indemnity (P&I) sector are generally strong, underwriting discipline will be tested over the February 2018 renewal period, according to a report...

A.M. Best Calculates P/C Insurers’ Underwriting Loss for 2017

Feb 7 2018 // Rating agency A.M. Best expects the U.S. property/casualty insurance industry to post a second consecutive underwriting loss in 2017, driven mainly by catastrophe losses.The expected net underwriting loss for 2017 of $29.3...

A.M. Best Ratings Recap

Feb 5 2018 // Rating Assigned: Pan-American CasualtyA.M. Best assigned a Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent) and a Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a” to Pan-American Casualty Co. (PACC) in Richardson, Texas.The...

Still an Uphill Climb for Commercial Auto Market

Feb 5 2018 // The difficult job of moving commercial auto insurance to a profitable place has not gotten any easier.More vehicles on the road thanks to a rebounding economy, more miles driven, distracted drivers and...

A.M. Best Ratings Recap

Feb 5 2018 // Outlooks Positive: Northwest G.F. Mutual Insurance Co.A.M. Best revised the outlooks to positive from stable and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of B+ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of...

Personal Auto Insurance Business Performed Better in 2017: A.M. Best

Feb 1 2018 // The underwriting profitability of the U.S. personal auto line showed signs of improvement in 2017 as rate hikes have been effective against loss frequency and severity trends, according to a new A.M. Best report.The...

For First Time in 7 Years, Outlook Improves for Commercial Lines: A.M. Best

Jan 22 2018 // Analysts at A.M. Best have been sufficiently impressed by commercial lines insurers’ pricing, underwriting and resilience in recent years to boost their outlook on this segment of the U.S. property/casualty industry...

U.S. Reinsurance Outlook Remains Negative for 2018, Says A.M. Best

Jan 22 2018 // Ratings firm A.M. Best said it is maintaining its 2018 outlook for the U.S. property/casualty reinsurance sector at negative, citing the “pronounced pressure on U.S. property catastrophe rates as the alternative...

Commercial Automobile Remains Sore Spot in P/C: A.M. Best

Jan 19 2018 // The performance of the commercial automobile segment continued to deteriorate through third quarter 2017, according to a new A.M. Best report.Commercial auto has been a sore spot in the property/casualty for several years....

A.M. Best Assigns Credit Ratings to Texas’ Pan-American Casualty

Jan 19 2018 // A.M. Best has assigned a Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent) and a Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a” to Pan-American Casualty Co. (PACC) in Richardson, Texas, a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of...