Latest AM Best Headlines

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

A.M. Best Affirms Ratings of Third Point Reinsurance & Subsidiaries

Mar 20 2015 // A.M. Best has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of A- (Excellent) and the issuer credit rating (ICR) of “a-” of Third Point Reinsurance Company Ltd. (TPRCL) (Bermuda) and Third Point Reinsurance...

A.M. Best Downgrades Ratings of Greenville Casualty Insurance Co.

Mar 20 2015 // A.M. Best has downgraded the financial strength rating to B- (Fair) from B (Fair) and the issuer credit rating to “bb-” from “bb” of Greenville Casualty Insurance Co. (Greer, SC). The outlook for...

A.M. Best Upgrades Michigan Millers Mutual Insurance Ratings

Mar 18 2015 // 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 issuer credit rating to “a-” from “bbb” of...

A.M. Best Report: Caribbean General Insurers Still Profitable Despite Challenges

Mar 17 2015 // The Caribbean general insurance market remains profitable, albeit challenging, for participants, according to an A.M. Best special report titled “Caribbean-based General Insurers: What Lies Ahead?”The report...

A.M. Best: China’s Solvency Rules Will Alter Reinsurance Buying Decisions

Mar 12 2015 // China’s new solvency regime will encourage direct insurers to revise their reinsurance programs, or panel of insurers, in order to better manage their solvency requirement arising from reinsurance credit risk,...

A.M. Best Downgrades Ratings of South Carolina Farm Bureau Group Members

Mar 11 2015 // A.M. Best has downgraded the financial strength rating to B+ (Good) from B++ (Good) and the issuer credit ratings to “bbb-” from “bbb” of South Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co. and Palmetto...

What’s Driving Nonstandard Auto – Technology, Consolidation, Population Changes, Fuel Specialty, Opportunity

Mar 9 2015 // The nonstandard auto market is characterized by substandard operating performance. Since 2007, carriers writing nonstandard auto policies have reported deteriorating operating performance and many are struggling to...

A.M. Best: State Farm Lloyds Ratings Unchanged After Texas Settlement

Mar 4 2015 // A.M. Best says the financial strength rating of B++ (Good) and the issuer credit ratings of “bbb” of State Farm Lloyds in Dallas are unchanged following the announcement that it has reached a settlement...

A.M. Best: New UAE Regulations Should Improve Risk Profile of Insurers

Feb 27 2015 // The Insurance Authority (IA) of the United Arab Emirates recently issued new financial regulations, which are well placed to improve the risk profile and policyholder security of UAE insurers, according to A.M. Best in a...

Ratings of Houston-Based Delta Lloyds Insurance Co. Downgraded

Feb 24 2015 // Ratings agency A.M. Best has downgraded the financial strength rating (FSR) to B+ (Good) from B++ (Good) and the issuer credit rating (ICR) to “bbb-” from “bbb+” of Delta Lloyds Insurance Co. of...

A.M. Best Downgrades Ratings of Philadelphia Contributionship Group

Feb 18 2015 // A.M. Best said Wednesday it has downgraded the financial strength rating to A (Excellent) from A+ (Superior) and the issuer credit ratings to “a+” from “aa-” of The Philadelphia Contributionship for...

A.M. Best: European (Re)Insurers Face Pressure Points; Ratings Are Stable

Feb 18 2015 // The recent unveiling by the European Central Bank (ECB) of its large-scale sovereign bond buying program is just one of the pressure points building in Europe that could affect insurers and reinsurers’ balance...

A.M. Best: Geopolitical Tensions Hit Insurers’ Prospective Growth in Russia

Feb 12 2015 // Heightened geopolitical tensions spilling over from the Russia-Ukraine crisis, high interest and inflation rates, and low commodity prices are placing pressure on Russia’s economy and its insurance industry’s...

A.M. Best: Outlook Stable for Oklahoma Farm Bureau Mutual

Feb 11 2015 // A.M. Best has revised the outlook to stable from negative and affirmed the financial strength rating of B- (Fair) and the issuer credit ratings of “bb-” of the members of Oklahoma Farm Bureau Group: Oklahoma...

A.M. Best: Drivers Behind London Market M&A Activity to Continue

Feb 10 2015 // The changing dynamics in the specialist property/casualty sector continue to encourage merger and acquisition activity in the London market. A new briefing from A.M. Best notes that the need for insurers to leverage...

A.M. Best: Outlook Stable for Louisiana’s Stonetrust Commercial Insurance

Feb 6 2015 // A.M. Besthas removed from under review with negative implications and affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of B++ (Good) and the issuer credit rating (ICR) of “bbb” of Stonetrust Commercial Insurance...

A.M. Best: Europe’s Largest Cedants Alter Reinsurance Purchasing Practices

Feb 6 2015 // Europe’s 20 largest cedants are benefiting from lower reinsurance rates and stronger bargaining power, resulting from a trend that saw increasing centralized reinsurance purchasing at a group level. A new report from...

A.M. Best: Reinsurers Need Underwriting Discipline in Competitive Market

Jan 14 2015 // Increasing competition and lower underwriting margins in the reinsurance market highlights the importance of disciplined underwriting, according to an A.M. Best briefing entitled “Global Reinsurers: Who Will Gain...

Proposed XL Acquisition of Catlin Gets Review From Rating Agencies

Jan 12 2015 // A.M. Best and Standard & Poor’s have weighed in with their comments about XL Group’s announced agreement to acquire Catlin Group Ltd. for $4.1 billion in cash and stock.A.M. Best placed the financial...

U.S. Insurers Still Funding Asbestos, Environmental Liabilities: A.M. Best

Jan 5 2015 // The current estimate of net asbestos losses for the U.S. property/casualty industry remains at $85 billion, with net environmental losses estimated at $42 billion, according to a new Best’s Special Report.According...