Latest S&P Headlines

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

S&P Rates Catlin’s Lloyd’s Syndicate ‘4-‘ (Low Dependency)

May 25 2006 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has assigned its interactive Lloyd’s Syndicate Assessment (LSA) of ‘”-” (low dependency) to U.K.-based Catlin Underwriting Agencies – Syndicate...

S&P: Most Insurers’ Enterprise Risk Management At Least Adequate

May 23 2006 // Any insurance organization without effective risk management faces losing its competitive position or, worse, exposing itself to unacceptable losses, according to an article published by Standard & Poor’s...

S&P Rates Mexican Quake Cat Bond Managed by Swiss Re ‘BB+’

May 22 2006 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that it has assigned its “BB+” credit ratings to the $160 million class A and B principal-at-risk notes issued by CAT-Mex Ltd.“The transaction,...

S&P Raises Ratings on Allianz Australia to ‘A+’

May 19 2006 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that it has raised its insurer financial strength and counterparty credit ratings on Allianz Australia Insurance Ltd. to “A+” from “A” and it...

S&P Rates Arch Pref. Shares ‘BB+’; Affirms Operating Co.’s ‘A-‘ Rating

May 17 2006 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that it has assigned its “BB+” preferred stock rating to Arch Capital Group Ltd.’s proposed $100 million issuance of Class B, noncumulative...

S&P Raises Citizens Property Insurance Rating to A+

May 17 2006 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has raised its rating on Citizens Property Insurance Corp., Fla.’s $1.6 billion of high-risk account senior-secured debt to ‘A+’ from ‘A’ and...

S&P Lowers QBE Hongkong Rating

May 15 2006 // As previously indicated (See IJ Website May 11), Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has lowered its insurer financial strength rating on Hong Kong-based general insurer QBE Hongkong & Shanghai Insurance...

S&P Puts QBE Hongkong on CreditWatch after Guarantee Withdrawn

May 11 2006 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced from its Melbourne office that it has placed its “A+” insurer financial strength rating on Hong Kong-based general insurer QBE Hongkong & Shanghai...

S&P Rates ACE/INA Notes ‘BBB+’

May 10 2006 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that it has assigned its ‘BBB+’ senior debt rating to ACE INA Holdings Inc.’s $300 million senior debt issuance, which is due 2036 and is fully and...

S&P Annual Insurance Conference Scheduled for NYC in June

May 5 2006 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that “Rethinking Risk” will be the theme of its 22nd annual insurance conference scheduled for June 5-6 in New York City.S&P said: “CEOs from...

S&P Keeps NZ’s Simply Insurance on Watch/Positive Pending GE Takeover

May 3 2006 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that its “B” insurer financial strength rating on Simply Insurance New Zealand Ltd. remains on CreditWatch with positive implications, where it was placed...

S&P Assigns SCOR Global ‘A-‘ Ratings; Affirms Group Ratings

May 3 2006 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced several rating actions concerning French reinsurer SCOR. S&P said it has assigned an indicative “A-” long-term insurer financial strength rating to...

S&P Rates Swiss Re’s Notes ‘A’

Apr 28 2006 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that it has assigned its ‘A’ long-term junior subordinated debt rating to the proposed perpetual, subordinated, fixed-rate, step-up euro-denominated notes...

Unitrin Specialty® gets another “A”!

Apr 24 2006 // Strong Financials, Operating Performance gets thumbs up from Standard & PoorDALLAS, TEXAS – Standard and Poor’s Ratings Services affirmed its “A” financial strength ratings on Unitrin’s...

S&P, Best Comment on IPC Share Sale

Apr 21 2006 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services moved quickly to affirm its “A” counterparty credit and financial strength ratings on IPCRe Ltd. and its “A” financial strength rating on IPCRe Europe...

S&P, Best Rate R&SA Debt

Apr 21 2006 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services and A.M. Best Co. have both issued bulletins concerning the proposed perpetual fixed-/floating-rate sterling-denominated subordinated notes to be issued by U.K.-based non-life...

S&P Report on European Insurance Sector Sees Stable Ratings

Apr 19 2006 // A new report from Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services Ratings -“Industry Report Card: European Insurance-” has found that financial ratings in the European insurance sector are predominantly...

S&P Assigns ‘A-‘ Rating to Sompo’s Chinese Subsidiary

Apr 17 2006 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that it has assigned its “A-” long-term counterparty credit and insurer financial strength ratings to China-based Sompo Japan Insurance (China) Co. Ltd.,...

S&P Puts Norway’s NEMI on CreditWatch/Negative After Share Offer

Apr 17 2006 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that it has placed its “BBB” long-term counterparty credit and insurer financial strength ratings on Oslo-based non-life insurer NEMI Forsikring ASA (NEMI...

Bond Insurers Urged to Travel Conservative Underwriting Route

Apr 14 2006 // Bond insurers had an interesting 2005, dealing with the ratings implications of natural disasters, airline and auto parts manufacturer bankruptcies, Securities and Exchange Commission and attorney general investigations,...