Latest S&P Headlines

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

News Currents

Jun 19 2005 // Cat model reassessments cause rating and capital changesLast fall’s disastrous hurricanes provided some rough times for the catastrophe modeling industry. Consequently the principal cat modelers – Applied...

S&P Lowers Channel Re Outlook to Negative; Affirms ‘AAA’ Rating

Jun 16 2005 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that it has revised its outlook on Channel Reinsurance Ltd.’s “AAA” financial strength and financial enhancement ratings to negative from...

S&P Conference: With End of Contingent Commissions, Brokers Find Ways to Plug the Hole

Jun 14 2005 // Insurance brokerage executives at Standard & Poor’s insurance conference, “Insurance 2005: Under the Microscope,” expressed confidence Tuesday that brokers would survive the sunset of the...

S&P Assigns ‘BBB’ Rating to Taiwan’s Taian Insurance

Jun 10 2005 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that it has assigned its “BBB” long-term insurer financial strength and counterparty credit ratings to Taian Insurance Co. Ltd. with a stable outlook. As...

U.S. Reinsurance Stability ‘Dependent on Parental Support,’ Says S&P

Jun 8 2005 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services new assessment of the outlook on the U.S. reinsurance sector finds that it continues to be stable (See related article in “National “), “but only because of...

S&P Mid-Year 2005 Report on Outlook for U.S. Reinsurers – Sector Stable, “But Only Because Of Parental Support”

Jun 8 2005 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has issued its assessment on the U.S. reinsurance sector, which concludes that it remains stable, even though there have been declines in pricing.S&P notes: “The...

S&P Rates Kingsway Notes ‘BBB-‘

Jun 7 2005 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that it has assigned its “BBB-” rating to Kingsway ROC GP’s C$125 million (U.S.$100 million) 10-year senior unsecured debt, unconditionally...

Argonaut Group Ratings Raised; Outlook Stable

Jun 7 2005 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced it raised its counterparty credit rating on San Antonio-based Argonaut Group Inc. to “BBB-” from “BB+.”At the same time, S&P raised its...

S&P Trims AIG Ratings

Jun 3 2005 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has lowered its long-term counterparty credit and senior debt ratings on American International Group Inc. (AIG) to AA from AA-Plus. Standard & Poor’s also removed...

S&P Lowers Ratings of Austrian Insurer UV to ‘A-‘; Outlook Stable

Jun 2 2005 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that it has lowered to “A-” from “A” its counterparty credit and insurer financial strength ratings on UNIQA Versicherungen AG (UV) as well as...

S&P: Personal Lines Sector Outlook Stable Despite Market Softening

Jun 2 2005 // After experiencing its worst catastrophe losses ever (about $27 billion) in 2004, the U.S. personal lines insurance sector is showing signs of entering into a softer cycle than the hard one that has dominated the industry...

S&P Lowers Aegon’s Hungarian Sub ‘pi’ Ratings to ‘A-‘

Jun 1 2005 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that it has lowered its long-term public information-based (‘pi’) counterparty credit and insurer financial strength ratings on Hungary-based Aegon...

S&P Revises Outlook on Norway’s Bluewater to Positive

May 31 2005 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that it has revised its outlook to positive from negative on Norwegian marine insurer Bluewater Insurance ASA, based on an improved view of the company’s...

S&P: No Rating Action on HRH After Lockhart Resignation

May 31 2005 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has indicated that it is not taking any rating action on insurance broker Hilb, Rogal & Hobbs as a result of the company’s announcement that its president and chief...

S&P Raises Ratings on 7 Insurance Holding Companies

May 30 2005 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that it has raised its long-term counterparty credit and debt ratings on seven unregulated insurance and reinsurance holding companies. S&P also raised its...

S&P Raises Euler Hermes Ratings to ‘AA-‘ w/ Negative Outlook

May 27 2005 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that it has raised its long-term counterparty credit and insurer financial strength ratings on the Core operating subsidiaries of the French credit insurance group...

S&P Assigns Rating of ‘A+’ for ING’s Canadian Subs

May 26 2005 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that it has assigned its “A+” long-term counterparty credit and financial strength ratings to the following Canadian subsidiaries of the Netherlands ING...

S&P Affirms Zurich’s ‘A+’ Rating; Off CreditWatch; Outlook Negative

May 24 2005 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that it has affirmed its ratings on the various operating entities of Swiss-based composite insurance group Zurich Financial Services (collectively ZFS), including...

S&P Revises NZ’s Simply Insurance Outlook to “Developing”

May 24 2005 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services Melbourne office announced that it has revised its rating outlook on Simply Insurance New Zealand Ltd. to developing from stable. The rating remains at...

Zurich Ireland Authorized for European Corporate; S&P Assigns ‘A+’ Rating

May 24 2005 // Zurich Financial Services Group (ZFS) announced today that Zurich Insurance Ireland Limited (ZIIL), formerly Eagle Star Insurance Company (Ireland) Ltd., will become an EU-wide risk carrier for Global Corporate business...