Latest S&P Headlines

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

S&P Reports on Australian P/C Insurers

Aug 16 2007 // A new report from Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services notes that “from October 2006 to August 2007, the Australian non-life [P/C] insurance industry underwent a deluge of activity that is changing the...

S&P Reports New Zealand P/C Insurers Still Face Price Pressures

Aug 16 2007 // A new report from Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services notes that the New Zealand non-life (P/C) insurance industry is still on a downward pricing cycle that has yet to correct.The report entitled, “Pursuit...

Ratings Recap: Scottish Re, Macau Ins., AEGON, Generali (Austria), Allianz (debt), Sinosure

Aug 10 2007 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services said that its rating and outlook on Scottish Re Group Ltd. (SCT; B+/Developing/–) “will not be affected by the company’s five-day delay in its second-quarter...

S&P Report Analyzes U.S. Insurers Hurricane Readiness

Aug 8 2007 // So far the U.S. hurricane season has been remarkable for its absence, but Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services questions whether that trend will continue. In a report, entitled “Are U.S. Insurers Ready If...

Best, S&P Lower Conseco’s Ratings as Run-off Losses Continue

Aug 8 2007 // A.M. Best Co. and Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services have both lowered their respective ratings on Conseco Inc., following the Company’s announcement of further losses in its Conseco Senior Health...

S&P Lowers Kanawha Ratings to ‘BBB;’ CreditWatch Positive

Aug 8 2007 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has lowered its counterparty credit and financial strength ratings on Kanawha Insurance Co. to ‘BBB’ from ‘BBB+’; however, at the same time S&P...

S&P: Capital Management, ERM, Solvency II Concern European Insurers

Aug 7 2007 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services analyzes plans to pay back capital, maximizing ROEs and the lack of opportunities to deploy capital effectively in a new report – “Capital Management, Enterprise...

Ratings Recap: Ohio Casualty; Unum; CICA; Converium (No. Am.); MGIC; Wisconsin Mutual

Aug 1 2007 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that its ‘BBB-‘ counterparty credit rating on Ohio Casualty Corp. and its ‘A-‘ counterparty credit and financial strength ratings on the...

S&P Raises Allianz Ratings to ‘AA’

Jul 13 2007 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has raised its long-term counterparty credit and insurer financial strength ratings on Germany’s Allianz SE (AZSE) and various core operating entities to ‘AA’...

S&P Raises Taiwan Fire & Marine Ratings to ‘BBB+’

Jul 6 2007 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has raised its counterparty credit and insurer financial strength ratings on Taiwan Fire & Marine Insurance Co. Ltd. (TFMI) to “BBB+” from “BBB”...

S&P Raises Taian’s Ratings

Jul 6 2007 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has raised its insurer financial strength and counterparty credit ratings on Taian Insurance Co. Ltd. of Taiwan to “BBB+” from “BBB’ and assigned a...

S&P Report Analyzes Bancassurance in Europe, U.S., Russia

Jul 6 2007 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has issued a new report -“Bancassurance Approaches Employed In Europe, The U.S., And Russia: Similarities And Differences-” that analyzes the sector in those...

S&P: Korean P/C Outlook Stable

Jul 5 2007 // “The outlook on rated Korean non-life insurers remains stable,” says a report from Standard & Poor’s Rating Services, “reflecting the expectation that underwriting performance may gradually...

S&P Lowers Mapfre Ratings

Jul 5 2007 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has lowered its long-term counterparty credit rating on Spain’s insurance holding company Mapfre S.A. to “A+” from “AA-.” S&P also lowered...

S&P Raises Fondaria-SAI Ratings

Jul 5 2007 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has raised its long-term counterparty credit and insurer financial strength ratings on Italian composite insurance group Fondiaria-SAI SpA and its core subsidiary, Milano...

S&P: Outlooks on Most Asia-Pacific Insurance Markets is Stable

Jul 5 2007 // The Hong Kong office of Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has issued a report affirming the stable outlook on most of the insurance markets in the Asia-Pacific region. “They reflect strengthening balance...

S&P’s European Insurance Symposium Highlights Impending Changes

Jun 28 2007 // Kathleen A. Corbet, President of Standard & Poor’s, told the audience at its second annual European Insurance Symposium that the insurance sector is at a critical point, with the move to greater transparency,...

Ratings Recap: Nelson Re/Glacier Re; Kyoei/Swiss Re; Travelers/Lloyds; XL

Jun 26 2007 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has assigned its ‘B’ senior secured debt rating to the $75 million class A, series 2007-I principal-at-risk variable-rate notes issued under the newly established...

S&P: Insurance Execs Urge ‘Common Sense’ in Model Use

Jun 25 2007 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services’ Insurance 2007 conference, held June 3-5 in New York City, has yielded some valuable advice from three industry leaders on how to properly employ models.S&P noted...

Montpelier Re Launches New Lloyd’s Syndicate; S&P Comments

Jun 21 2007 // Bermuda’s Montpelier Re Holdings Ltd. announced that it has received approval from Lloyd’s for the commencement of trading on July 1, 2007 of a new Syndicate, to be known as Montpelier Syndicate 5151, pseudonym...