Latest S&P Headlines

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

Reports Say California Not Earthquake Proof, on 1906 Quake’s Anniversary

Apr 13 2006 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services recently noted in two articles, “San Francisco’s Credit Rating Is Strong–But Not Earthquake Proof” and “One Hundred Years Later, California...

AXA Receives ‘Binding Offer’ from Stone Point for Re business; Best, S&P Comment

Apr 10 2006 // France’s AXA Group acknowledged that it has received a binding offer for its reinsurance operation – AXA Re and its subsidiaries – from Paris Re Holdings Limited. As previously reported (See IJ Website...

S&P Assigns Oman United ‘BBB’ Rating

Apr 7 2006 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that it has assigned its ‘BBB’ long-term counterparty credit and insurer financial strength ratings to Oman-based insurer Oman United Insurance Co. SAOG...

S&P Announces Revision in Assessing P/C Cat Risks

Apr 7 2006 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that it has revised its criteria for measuring the catastrophe risk of primary P/C insurance companies, according to an article published today.The article, which is...

S&P Revises Outlook on Global Reinsurers to Stable; Teleconference Scheduled for Today

Apr 6 2006 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that it has revised its outlook on the global reinsurance industry to stable from negative, “indicating that there will be little near-term movement in ratings...

S&P Comments on Converium’s Notes

Apr 6 2006 // In a bulletin from its London office Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services said it has “clarified its stance on its ‘BB+’ rating on the $200 million 7.125 percent senior notes issued by U.S.-based...

S&P Affirms Odyssey Re and Subs ‘A-‘ FSR Ratings; Off CreditWatch

Apr 5 2006 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that it has affirmed its “A-” counterparty credit and financial strength ratings on Odyssey America Reinsurance Corp., Clearwater Insurance Co., and...

Rating Agencies React to Fairfax 10-K Filing; Part 3 – Off S&P Credit/Watch

Apr 4 2006 // The rating agencies have taken different actions on Fairfax Financial Holdings and its subsidiaries, including Odyssey Re Holdings in which Fairfax has an 80 percent stake, following the Group’s filing of its Form...

Catastrophe bonds becoming a common alternative toreinsurance, S&P says

Apr 3 2006 // The insurance industry is turning more frequently to catastrophe bonds, according to an article, “Catastrophe Bonds: Assessing A Risky Business,” which was published by Standard & Poor’s Ratings...

Financial Commentary

Apr 3 2006 // Do under-reserved property/casualty insurers deserve high ratings?Publicly traded property casualty insurance companies must serve many masters. To be competitive in the marketplace, they must offer products that meet the...

Standard & Poor’s Assigns ‘A-‘ Rating to La. Citizens Bonds

Mar 31 2006 // The Louisiana Department of Insurance reported that the rating agency Standard & Poor’s has given the Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corporation (Citizens) bond issue an ‘A’-minus rating,...

S&P Rates Korea’s Dongbu ‘BBB+’

Mar 31 2006 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that it has assigned its “BBB+” long-term counterparty credit and insurer financial strength ratings to Dongbu Insurance Co. Ltd., “reflecting its...

S&P Assigns ‘B-‘ Rating to New NZ Insurer Western Pacific

Mar 31 2006 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that it has assigned its “B-” insurer financial strength and counterparty credit rating to New Zealand-based start-up nonlife insurance company Western...

S&P Stresses Importance of ‘Financial Flexibility’ for Reinsurers

Mar 31 2006 // An article published in Standard & Poor’s Ratings Direct stresses that “financial flexibility continues to be an extremely important rating factor.” The publication, entitled “More Frequent...

S&P Assigns IAG ‘AA-‘ Ratings

Mar 28 2006 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that it has assigned its ‘AA-‘ long-term counterparty credit rating to Insurance Australia Group Ltd., with a stable outlook.“The rating reflects...

R&SA’s U.S. Operations Ratings Cut To ‘BB’; Outlook Negative

Mar 23 2006 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has lowered its counterparty credit and insurer financial strength ratings on Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Group PLC’s U.S. insurance operations to...

S&P Lowers American Steamship Mutual Ratings to ‘B+’

Mar 22 2006 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that it has lowered its counterparty credit and financial strength ratings on American Steamship Owners Mutual P&I Assn. Inc. (American Club) to “B+”...

S&P to Implement New Way to Assess Insurer Cat Risk

Mar 21 2006 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services said that its criteria for measuring catastrophe risk for primary insurers will be revised early in the second quarter of this year. (For reinsurers, there are no current plans...

S&P Ups Eureko Outlook to Positive

Mar 20 2006 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that it has revised its outlook on the holding companies and core operating entities of Netherlands-based insurance group Eureko to positive from stable,...

Atlantic Mutual ratings fall as surplus drops $100 million

Mar 20 2006 // Ratings analysts who downgraded personal lines insurer Atlantic Mutual earlier this month will be meeting with the company in the coming weeks to review results of the fourth quarter and all of 2005 before deciding what to...