Latest S&P Headlines

All the headlines from our S&P Topic Page, ordered by recency.

S&P Report on Qatar Finds ‘Long-term Strengths, Short-term Weakness’

Jan 27 2009 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has published an article examining the Qatari Insurance Sector In 2009. Entitled “Short-Term Weaknesses Offset By Long-Term Strengths,” it notes that “when...

Ratings: Hannover Re, Scottish Re, NTI, Korean Re, Southern Rock, Ecclesiastical/Ansvar

Jan 26 2009 // A.M. Best Co. has commented that the financial strength rating of ‘A’ (Excellent) and the issuer credit rating (ICR) of “a+” of German reinsurer Hannover Rueckversicherung AG (Hannover Re) remain...

S&P Assigns ‘AA-‘ Ratings to RenRe Europe; Outlook Stable

Jan 22 2009 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has assigned its ‘AA-‘ counterparty credit and financial strength ratings on Renaissance Reinsurance of Europe (RenRe Europe) with a stable outlook.“RenRe...

Ratings Roundup: Ocidental Companhia, First Capital, HSBC, NEMI

Jan 22 2009 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has placed its ‘BBB+’ long-term counterparty credit and insurer financial strength ratings on Ocidental Companhia Portuguesa de Seguros de Vida, S.A., Ocidental...

Ratings Roundup: Syndicate 0780, Munich Re Italy, NIPPONKOA, Exchange, Aerial Re, Colonial, Bay Haven

Jan 20 2009 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has revised its outlook on the Lloyd’s Syndicate Assessment (LSA) on Advent Underwriting – Syndicate 0780 to stable from positive. S&P also affirmed the...

S&P: Florida Hurricane Fund, Citizens, Guaranty Fund Ratings to Negative

Jan 15 2009 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services revised the outlook to negative from stable on Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund (AA-), Citizens Property Insurance Corp. (A+), and Florida Insurance Guaranty Association...

Ratings Recap: Nuernberger, Tryggingamidstödin, PMG, Wagram, Al Fajer

Jan 15 2009 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has lowered to ‘A-‘ from ‘A’ its long-term counterparty credit and insurer financial strength ratings on German life insurer Nuernberger...

Ratings: RSA (Ireland), Mondial, Tokio Marine (Guam), Ballantyne Re (Notes), Wuerttembergische

Jan 7 2009 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has assigned its ‘A-‘ insurer financial strength and counterparty credit ratings to Ireland-based insurer RSA Insurance Ireland Ltd. with a stable outlook....

S&P Explains How Mitsui, Aioi, Nissay Merger Plans May Affect Ratings

Jan 5 2009 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services said today that media reports of a possible merger among Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Group Holdings Inc., the holding company of Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Co. Ltd. (MSI) (...

Ratings Roundup: Cooperative Mutual, Great Northwest

Dec 29 2008 // A.M. Best Co. has downgraded the financial strength rating (FSR) to ‘B+’ (Good) from ‘B++’ (Good) and issuer credit rating (ICR) to “bbb-” from “bbb” for Omaha-based...

Ratings Recap: Aspen, Munich Re (Malta), Qatar, Nissan, CMI, Takaful, Int’l.

Dec 23 2008 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength ratings of ‘A’ (Excellent) and the issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “a” of Aspen Insurance UK Limited (AIUK) and Bermuda-based Aspen Insurance Limited...

Ratings II: Zurich (Spain), HDI (Italy), National Grid, Cat Bonds of Ajax, Carillion, Newton

Dec 23 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has raised its counterparty credit and insurer financial strength ratings on non-life insurer Zurich Espana, Compania de Seguros y Reaseguros, S.A.(Zurich España) to...

S&P Puts Everest Re and Subs Ratings on CreditWatch/Negative

Dec 22 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has placed its ‘A-‘ counterparty credit ratings on Bermuda-based Everest Re Group Ltd. and its U.S.-based intermediary holding company, Everest Reinsurance Holdings...

Ratings: ANICO, Washington Casualty, Grain Dealers, Nat’l. Guaranty, Am. Physicians

Dec 19 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services today said it lowered its counterparty credit and financial strength ratings on American National Insurance Co. (ANICO) and its core subsidiaries, American National Life...

S&P: Outlook on White Mountains Primary is Negative; Reinsurers Stable

Dec 18 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has revised its outlook on White Mountains Insurance Group Ltd. (WTM), OneBeacon Insurance Group Ltd. (OB), and the members of OneBeacon Insurance Group (OneBeacon) to negative...

S&P Affirms Insurance Australia Group’s Ratings; ERM is ‘Strong’

Dec 17 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has affirmed its ‘AA-‘ ratings on Insurance Australia Group Ltd.’s (IAG) core operating companies, including Insurance Australia Ltd. and IAG New Zealand...

XL CEO Comments on S&P, A.M. Best Rating Actions

Dec 17 2008 // Bermuda-based XL Capital Ltd. has issued two separate comments following yesterday’s announcement by Standard & Poor’s Ratings that it has downgraded XL and its operating subsidiaries (See IJ web site...

S&P Lowers XL and Operating Companies Ratings; Outlook Negative

Dec 16 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has lowered its counterparty credit and financial strength ratings on XL Capital Ltd.’s core operating companies to ‘A’ from ‘A+’. S&P also...

S&P Raises Chubb’s Ratings to ‘A+’

Dec 16 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that it has raised its counterparty credit rating on Warren, N.J.-based Chubb Corp. to ‘A+’ from ‘A’, “to reflect reduced notching...

S&P: Challenging Times Loom For U.S. Insurers in 2009

Dec 15 2008 // The deteriorating U.S. economy – with its waves of layoffs, dislocations in the credit and equity markets, and falling home prices – will present a challenge in 2009 for almost every domestic business sector,...