Latest AM Best Headlines

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

A.M. Best: UK Non-Life Insurers’ Profits Under Pressure

Oct 14 2014 // Profit margins in the U.K. non-life insurance sector are under pressure this year as companies fight to maintain pricing discipline in an extremely competitive market, according to a new A.M. Best special report. Premium...

A.M. Best Affirms Rating of Kiln Syndicate 510

Sep 26 2014 // A.M. Best has affirmed the financial strength rating of A (Excellent) and the issuer credit rating of “a+” of Lloyd’s Syndicate 510 (United Kingdom), which is managed by RJ Kiln & Co. Limited (RJ...

A.M. Best: Saudi Market Returning to Profitability

Sep 24 2014 // The Saudi insurance market continued its strong growth over the first half of 2014 with gross written premium expanding 24 percent compared with the first half of 2013, according to a new Best’s briefing.The...

Surplus Lines Rate Hikes to Slow As Competition Grows

Sep 23 2014 // Two insurance rating entities see slowing rate increases for the surplus lines segment in the coming months as competition grows.Moody’s Investors Service said that the U.S. excess and surplus lines sector is...

How Strong Is Florida’s ‘Revived’ Homeowners Market?

Sep 11 2014 // As Florida seeks to revive its private home insurance market after almost a decade without a hurricane, homeowners are pouring $6 billion a year in premiums into a new generation of small, in-state insurance companies with...

State of the Market: Surplus Lines Bounces Back

Sep 8 2014 // The surplus lines industry showed its subpar showing in 2012 was uncharacteristic as it outperformed the overall property/casualty industry once again in 2013. While 2013 was a good year all-round for the P/C industry, it...

A.M. Best Downgrades Tower Group Again

Sep 8 2014 // Tower Group International must deal with more ratings downgrades from A.M. Best, spurred by its soaring net losses and uncertainty over whether it can carry its debts through an intended merger with ACP Re.A.M. Best said...

A.M. Best Downgrades Tower Group Again

Aug 29 2014 // Tower Group International must deal with more ratings downgrades from A.M. Best, spurred by its soaring net losses and uncertainty over whether it can carry its debts through an intended merger with ACP Re.A.M. Best said...

Ratings Recap: Continental, Nat’l. Guaranty, Westminster, Triangle, Ellington Mutual

Aug 22 2014 // A.M. Best has upgraded the financial strength rating to ‘A’ (Excellent) from ‘A-‘ (Excellent) and the issuer credit rating to “a” from “a-“of Chicago-based Continental...

Weakening Operating Fundamentals Tip Reinsurers’ Outlook to Negative: A.M. Best

Aug 20 2014 // A.M. Best announced that it has “revised its ratings outlook on the global reinsurance sector to negative from stable, citing the significant ongoing market challenges that will hinder the potential for positive...

A.M. Best: Outlook Stable for Wisconsin Mutual Insurance

Jul 31 2014 // A.M. Best has revised the outlook to stable from negative and affirmed the financial strength rating of A- (Excellent) and the issuer credit rating of “a-” of Wisconsin Mutual Insurance Co. (WMIC), based in...

New IFRS Standard to Significantly Change Insurers’ Financial Reports: A.M. Best

Jul 29 2014 // “The emerging international accounting standard for insurance contracts will change the data that form one part of the material used by A.M. Best in the insurance sector,” the rating agency said in a Special...

Best Takes Rating Actions on AXA Financial, Certain Subsidiaries

Jul 21 2014 // A.M. Best has revised the outlook of the issuer credit ratings (ICR) to stable from negative and affirmed the ICR of “a-” and debt ratings of New York-based AXA Financial, Inc., and has revised its outlook on...

Ellington Mutual Insurance Co. Ratings Downgraded, Withdrawn

Jul 17 2014 // 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 Ellington Mutual Insurance Co. (EMIC) in Hortonville, Wis. The...

Best to Endorse Selected Ratings outside EU for Regulatory Use

Jun 16 2014 // A.M. Best Europe – Rating Services Limited (AMBERS) has confirmed that it has notified the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) that, effective immediately, “AMBERS intends to endorse selected...

Ratings Recap: Sunderland Marine, Heddington, Bosna Re

Jun 9 2014 // A.M. Best has removed from under review with developing implications and affirmed the financial strength rating of ‘A-‘ (Excellent) and issuer credit rating of “a-” of UK-based Sunderland Marine...

Best Affirms AmTrust Financial and Subs P&C Ratings; Outlook Stable

Jun 2 2014 // A.M. Best has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A’ (Excellent) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “a” of the property/casualty subsidiaries of AmTrust Financial Services, Inc. (AFSI),...

Ratings Recap: Frankenmuth, Sooner, Tokio Marine America, Kingstone, Canopius U.S., HDI-Gerling America

May 28 2014 // A.M. Best has revised the outlook to stable from negative and affirmed the issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “a+” of Frankenmuth Mutual Insurance Company and its affiliates, Ansur America Insurance Company,...

Ratings Recap: Dominion, Ardellis, NAGICO, JRG Re

May 27 2014 // A.M. Best has assigned a financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A’ (Excellent) and issuer credit rating (ICR) of “a” to The Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company, based in Toronto, Ontario,...

Brown & Brown Completes Acquisition of Wright Insurance Group

May 22 2014 // Brown & Brown Inc. said it has completed its acquisition of specialty and flood insurance company The Wright Insurance Group, LLC.In January, Florida-based national insurance broker Brown & Brown said it would...