Latest Italy Headlines

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

Best Affirms FSR’s; Downgrades ICR’s of Allianz U.S. Units; Ratings on Review/Negative

Dec 20 2011 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating of ‘A+’ (Superior) and downgraded the issuer credit ratings (ICR) to “aa-” from “aa” of Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty...

Best Puts Fireman’s Fund Companies on Review/Negative; Affirms Ratings

Dec 20 2011 // A.M. Best Co. has placed under review with negative implications and has also affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A’ (Excellent) and the issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “a+” of...

Best Affirms Aviva’s Ratings; Places them on Review/Negative

Dec 16 2011 // Following its announcements, made earlier this week, A.M. Best Europe – Rating Services Limited is continuing to take rating actions on a number of European (re)insurers, as a result of the continued negative...

Best Downgrades Generali, Main Subs Ratings; Keeps on Review/Negative

Dec 15 2011 // As a result of the continued negative developments regarding the euro zone sovereign debt crisis, A.M. Best Europe – Rating Services Limited has downgraded the financial strength rating (FSR) to ‘A’...

Best Downgrades Allianz and Subs Issuer Credit Ratings; Affirms FSR

Dec 15 2011 // A.M. Best Europe – Rating Services Limited has reacted to the ongoing sovereign debt crisis in the euro zone, which it describes as “continued negative developments” with a number of rating actions, starting...

Europe’s Austerity Zeal Risks Killing the Patient

Dec 14 2011 // Europe’s “no pain no gain” attitude to solving its sovereign crisis risks exacerbating the bloc’s problems, choking off the very growth needed to raise the money to pay down the debt.From Athens to...

Willis Group Acquires Italian Broker

Dec 12 2011 // Willis Italy, a unit of Willis Group Holdings, announced the acquisition of Broking Italia SRL, a long-established specialist in the Italian insurance market, founded and currently headed by Gianfranco Agostini and Daniela...

S&P Puts Allianz, Aviva, AXA, Generali, Mapfre Units, 10 Other EU Insurers on CreditWatch/Negative

Dec 12 2011 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings announced that it has placed its ratings on the following insurers (and certain related operating subsidiaries and certain holding companies) on CreditWatch with negative...

Best Places Generali, Main Subsidiaries’ Ratings under Review/Negative

Nov 21 2011 // A.M. Best Europe – Rating Services Limited has taken action in the wake if the Italian financial crisis by placing the financial strength rating of ‘A+’ (Superior) and issuer credit rating of...

AmTrust Europe to Open Branch in Italy

Nov 18 2011 // UK-based insurer AmTrust Europe, Ltd., a FSA [Financial Services Authority] authorized insurance company, which already has had operations in Italy “under freedom of services (LPS) for a number of years,”...

Italy, Southeast France Hit by Heavy Rains, Floods: AIR Analysis

Nov 15 2011 // Catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide has issued a report on the heavy rains, which caused widespread flooding in France and Italy during the first week of November.The storms were caused by a “low pressure system...

Floods Hit France, Italy; UK Motorway Crash Leaves 7 Dead, 51 Injured

Nov 7 2011 // Continuing heavy rains have caused serious flooding in southern France and throughout Italy, with little letup in sight. In western England an horrendous crash on the M25 motorway in Somerset, involving 34 cars and trucks,...

France, Germany Give Greece Ultimatum on Euro

Nov 3 2011 // The leaders of Germany and France told Greece on Wednesday it would not receive another cent in European aid until it decides whether it wants to stay in the euro zone.They also made clear that saving the euro was...

Italian Finance Chiefs to Meet as Crisis Mounts

Nov 2 2011 // Italy’s top financial officials will meet later on Wednesday, as the escalating market turmoil threatens to push the euro zone’s third largest economy into a debt crisis that could threaten the whole currency...

Europe’s Fleet Vehicle Market Valued at $23 Billion

Oct 18 2011 // New research by Finaccord, a specialist market research consulting firm, estimates that the market for motor insurance for fleet vehicles across ten European countries is worth €15.8 billion [$21.77 billion] in premiums...

Italy Downgrade, Greek Worry Dominate Europe’s Financial Markets

Sep 20 2011 // Standard & Poor’s downgrading of Italian debt hit the euro on Tuesday, although stock investors shrugged off the move to push European stocks higher.Markets remain on edge about Greece’s rickety finances...

European Insurers’ Greek Hit Fuels Debt Concerns

Aug 5 2011 // Allianz and Generali followed rivals in aggressively writing down holdings of Greek government bonds on Friday, fuelling investor concerns about the possible impact on insurers of a worsening sovereign debt crisis.Analysts...

Stress Test Puts Banks’ Euro Zone Debt in Spotlight

Jul 18 2011 // Pressure on Europe’s banks to raise more capital increased on Monday after last week’s stress tests revealed their holdings of European sovereign debt, with likely losses on Greek bonds a growing concern.A...

Europe at Impasse on Greece, IMF Backs Investor Role

Jul 14 2011 // The International Monetary Fund joined Germany on Wednesday in pushing for private sector investors [presumably including the EU’s insurers] to help cut Greece’s debt mountain as the euro zone sought to break...

Europe Considers Greek Default Possible; Leaders to Meet

Jul 12 2011 // European Union leaders are poised to hold an emergency summit after finance ministers acknowledged for the first time that some form of Greek default may be needed to cut Athens’ debts and stop contagion to Italy and...