Latest S&P Headlines

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

S&P Report Says U.K. Auto Insurers Use of Prior-Year Reserves ‘Unsustainable’

Sep 8 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has issued an analysis of the U.K. motor insurance industry’s reported results, which concludes that “healthy reported numbers continue to hide high releases from...

S&P Raises SCOR’s Outlook to Positive

Sep 4 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has revised its outlook on French reinsurer SCOR SE and its guaranteed subsidiaries (collectively SCOR or the group), to positive from stable. SCOR regained an ‘A-‘...

S&P, Best Rate Zurich Bonds

Sep 4 2008 // Both Standard & Poor’s and A.M. Best have given high ratings to Zurich’s latest debt issue. S&P said it has “assigned its ‘A+’ long-term senior unsecured debt rating to the proposed...

Ratings Roundup: Am Farm/Ranch, Great Northwest, Business Alliance

Sep 4 2008 // A.M. Best Co. has downgraded the financial strength rating (FSR) to ‘B-‘ (Fair) from ‘B+’ (Good) and issuer credit rating (ICR) to ‘bb-” from ‘bbb-” of Oklahoma City-based...

S&P, Best: Gustav’s Impact Minimal – But Storm Losses are Cumulative

Sep 3 2008 // Both Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services and A.M. Best have issued statements following the passage of Hurricane Gustav, which indicate that the storm’s impact on the industry will not be nearly as severe...

Gustav Impact Limited But Losses from Moderate Catastrophes Add Up

Sep 2 2008 // Gustav may not wallop the property/casualty insurance industry the way Katrina did but there is still concern in insurance and reinsurance circles over the continued pile-up of catastrophe losses.Standard &...

S&P Affirms Allianz ‘AA’ Ratings after Dresdner Sale

Sep 2 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has affirmed its ‘AA’ long-term counterparty credit and insurer financial strength ratings on Germany’s Allianz SE (AZSE) and related core entities, along...

Cat Bonds Buck Credit Crunch Says S&P Report

Sep 2 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has released findings, which show that ‘natural catastrophe bonds (‘nat cats’) have proven generally resilient during the capital market’s turbulence...

U.S. Commercial Lines Outlook Revised To Negative From Stable

Sep 1 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services revised its outlook on the U.S. commercial lines property/casualty insurance sector to negative from stable.Standard & Poor’s credit analyst John Iten explained that...

S&P Report Says Oman Insurance Market Still Strong After 2007 Losses

Aug 27 2008 // In its latest report on the insurance market in the Sultanate of Oman, Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services says that despite the heavy losses from Cyclone Gonu in 2007, the sector has much to commend...

S&P Places Aon on CreditWatch/Negative

Aug 25 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has placed its ‘BBB+’ counterparty credit rating on Aon Corp. on CreditWatch with negative implications, following the announcement that Aon has “signed a...

Ratings Roundup: Penn Treaty Network, Donegal, CIFG

Aug 25 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has revised its outlook on Penn Treaty Network America Insurance Co. (PTNA) to negative from stable; however, the rating agency also said that it affirmed its ‘B-‘...

S&P Advises Floods Could Lead to Ratings Actions on Midwest-Focused Insurers

Aug 21 2008 // An aerial photo shows a flooded area of downtown looking North over Cedar Rapids, Iowa, June 13, 2008. Interstate I-380 can be seen on the left while Mays Island, with Cedar Rapids City Hall, is seen on the right with its...

S&P Raises International General Insurance Ratings to ‘BBB+’

Aug 20 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has raised its long-term counterparty credit and insurer financial strength ratings on Bermuda-based insurer International General Insurance Co. Ltd. (IGI) to...

Ratings Roundup: Catlin (US), R.V.I., Companion, AmTrust

Aug 19 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has assigned its ‘A-‘ long-term counterparty credit and insurer financial strength ratings to Catlin Speciality Insurance Co. (CSCI) and Catlin Insurance Co. Inc....

Ratings Roundup: SALAMA, MBIA/Ambac (Chile), Misr, SJ China, Starbound, Great American

Aug 18 2008 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating of ‘A-‘ (Excellent) and the issuer credit rating (ICR) of “a-” of SALAMA Islamic Arab Insurance Company (P.S.C.), which is based in the...

S&P Releases New Lloyd’s Syndicate Financial Assessments

Aug 15 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has announced the results of its latest public information Lloyd’s Syndicate Assessment (LSA) review, which considered the 2007 syndicate financial statements and...

S&P: ING Ratings, Outlook ‘Unchanged’ by Q2 Profit Decline

Aug 14 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that its ratings and outlooks on ING Groep N.V. (currently ‘AA-‘ – Stable – ‘A-1+’) and related entities are unchanged following...

S&P: U.S. Commercial Lines Outlook Revised To Negative From Stable

Aug 14 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services revised its outlook on the U.S. commercial lines property/casualty insurance sector to negative from stable.Standard & Poor’s credit analyst John Iten explained that...

Validus Files to Sell Shares; Best, S&P Assign Ratings

Aug 11 2008 // Bermuda-based Validus Holdings, Ltd. announced that it has filed a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). “The registration statement, which became effective upon...