Latest AM Best Headlines

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

Cyber Insurance Premium Volume Grew 35% to $1.3 Billion in 2016

Jun 23 2017 // Property/casualty insurers wrote $1.35 billion in direct written premium for cyber insurance in 2016, a 35 percent jump from 2015, according to reports by Fitch Ratings and A.M. Best.The largest cyber insurance writers are...

Medical Professional Insurance Market in Good Health for Now: A.M. Best

Jun 19 2017 // The U.S. medical professional liability (MPL) insurance sector is stable, with strong capitalization and profitable, albeit declining, operating performance, plus the prospect of positive earnings in the medium term,...

A.M. Best Assigns Ratings to Wisconsin’s Integrity Select Insurance

May 26 2017 // A.M. Best has assigned a financial strength rating of A (Excellent) and a long-term issuer credit rating of “a+” to Integrity Select Insurance Co. (Integrity Select) in Appleton, Wis.The outlook assigned to...

A.M. Best Lifts AIG’s Ratings ‘Under Review’ Status Following Duperreault’s Arrival

May 26 2017 // A.M. Best this week released American International Group from “under review” special scrutiny following the insurer’s bringing on industry veteran Brian Duperreault as president and chief executive...

A.M. Best Affirms Ratings of PartnerRe & Subsidiaries

May 26 2017 // A.M. Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a+” of Bermuda-based Partner Reinsurance Co. Ltd. and its affiliates (collectively referred...

A.M. Best: Outlook Stable for MGA Insurance in Dallas

May 24 2017 // A.M. Best has revised the long-term issuer credit rating (long-term ICR) outlook to stable from positive and affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of B++ (Good) and the long-term ICR of “bbb” of MGA...

A.M. Best Places Ratings of Sompo Japan Canopius Re Under Review

May 23 2017 // A.M. Best has placed under review with developing implications the financial strength rating of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a+” of Zurich-based Sompo Japan Canopius Reinsurance...

WannaCry Attack Could Be Opportunity for Cautious Insurance Industry: A.M. Best

May 23 2017 // According to a rating agency A.M. Best, the the recent WannaCry ransomware attack could be a benefit to the insurance industry if it leads to better-crafted policies with clear language that provide the desired protection...

A.M. Best Places Credit Ratings of Hamilton Re & Subsidiaries Under Review

May 16 2017 // A.M. Best has placed the Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit of “a-” of Bermuda-based Hamilton Re Ltd., under review with developing implications. Also under review are...

Medical Professional Insurance Market in Good Health for Now: A.M. Best

May 12 2017 // The U.S. medical professional liability (MPL) insurance sector is stable, with strong capitalization and profitable, albeit declining, operating performance, plus the prospect of positive earnings in the medium term,...

Liberty Mutual Completes Ironshore Acquisition; Will Use Ironshore Brand for U.S. Specialty Business

May 2 2017 // Liberty Mutual Insurance has completed its acquisition of specialty insurer Ironshore Inc., creating a global specialty business with approximately $6.5 billion in net written premium.Liberty Mutual announced last December...

A.M. Best Upgrades Aviabel’s Ratings After AXIS Acquisition

May 2 2017 // A.M. Best has removed from under review with positive implications and upgraded the Financial Strength Rating to A (Excellent) from A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating to “a” from...

Bermuda Re/Insurers Start to Feel Pressures of Challenging Market: A.M. Best

Mar 31 2017 // Bermuda market re/insurers are beginning to experience lower profits, a deterioration in both return on equity and combined ratio as well as the drying up of favorable reserve development. These negative trends are...

Endurance, with SOMPO as New Owner, Gets A.M. Best Ratings Upgrade

Mar 31 2017 // Endurance Specialty Holdings Ltd. got a financial ratings upgrade from A.M. Best and is no longer under review, based on positives the ratings agency sees after it was acquired by Japan’s SOMPO Holdings Inc. for $6.3...

A.M Best Assigns Rating to ICC Holdings; Affirms Illinois Casualty Ratings

Mar 29 2017 // A.M. Besthas assigned a long-term issuer credit rating (Long-Term ICR) of “bb” to ICC Holdings Inc.(ICC Holdings) in Rock Island, Ill., a recently formed publicly traded holding company for the demutualization...

European Reinsurance Buying Continues to Increase But Demand for Cover Slows: A.M. Best

Mar 21 2017 // The 20 largest European cedants have continued to buy more reinsurance as soft market conditions prevail, although the pace at which retention ratios are falling has been more subdued, according to A.M. Best in a new...

UK Insurers’ Reserve Strengthening Likely After Personal Injury Discount Rate Change: A.M. Best

Mar 1 2017 // The earnings of U.K. insurers likely will be hit by reserve strengthening following the U.K. government’s announcement of a dramatic cut to the discount rate used to calculate lump-sum personal injury compensation,...

Ups Beat Downs in P/C Insurer Credit Ratings in 2016: A.M. Best

Feb 7 2017 // Credit rating activity in 2016 turned positive as upgrades outpaced downgrades for the U.S. property/casualty industry, despite insurers having to face pressure on underwriting results and a low investment yield...

Amica Mutual Downgraded by A.M. Best Citing Increasing Catastrophe Losses, Auto Claims

Feb 6 2017 // Amica Mutual Insurance Co. no longer has a perfect financial strength rating from A.M. Best. More catastrophe losses and worsening automobile insurance claims severity are both to blame.Specifically, an A+ (Superior)...

A.M. Best Upwardly Revises Outlooks for Employers and Subsidiaries in Nevada

Jan 31 2017 // A.M. Best has revised the outlooks to stable from negative and affirmed, the Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings of “a-” of Employers Insurance GroupEmployers...