Latest S&P Headlines

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

S&P: Without Terrorism Coverage, Big Changes Loom

Feb 3 2005 // Congress has yet to renew the government program that reinsures losses in the insurance industry from foreign terrorist attacks, and the possibility that this program might expire at the end of 2005 is already prompting...

S&P Affirms Mutual Steamship (Bermuda) ‘A’ Rating

Feb 2 2005 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that it has affirmed its “A” long-term counterparty credit and insurer financial strength ratings on Bermuda-based insurer The United Kingdom Mutual Steam...

S&P Assigns Ratings to Fairfax Debt Issue

Feb 2 2005 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that it has assigned its preliminary “BB” senior debt, “BB-” subordinated debt, and “B+” preferred stock ratings to Fairfax...

Lloyd’s Decreases 2005 Market Capacity; S&P Reports on Syndicates

Feb 2 2005 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has published the first of its quarterly reports on the members and syndicates at Lloyd’s. The study follows confirmation that the world’s oldest insurance market...

S&P Assigns ‘BBB’ Rating to Korea’s Hyundai

Jan 28 2005 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has assigned its ‘BBB’ counterparty credit and insurer financial strength ratings to Korea’s Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance Co. Ltd. The outlook on the...

Arbitration on Central Fund Goes Against Lloyd’s; S&P, Best Comment

Jan 26 2005 // When six insurers,* led by Swiss Re, agreed to back Lloyd’s Central Fund with £500 million, with a maximum for any one year of £350 million (around $500 million at the time – $650 million currently) it seemed...

S&P Assigns ‘B’ Rating to Moscow Re

Jan 24 2005 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that it has assigned its ‘B’ long-term counterparty credit and insurer financial strength ratings to Russia-based (re)insurer Moscow Reinsurance Co....

Ohio Casualty Affirmed

Jan 24 2005 // S&P revised its outlook on Ohio Casualty Corp. and the members of the Ohio Casualty Ins. Co. Intercompany Pool to positive from stable. S&P also affirmed its “BBB” counterparty credit and financial...

Best Meridian Lowered

Jan 24 2005 // S&P lowered its counterparty credit and financial strength ratings on Best Meridian Ins. Co. and its subsidiary, Best Meridian International Ins. Co. to “BB+” from “BBB-” and assigned a stable...

S&P Sees No Rating Change for Alea after Lower Earnings Forecast

Jan 20 2005 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has issued a bulletin indicating that its ratings and outlook on the operating subsidiaries that comprise the Alea group – currently rated “A-” with a stable...

S&P Affirms Jupiter’s ‘AA+’ Ratings

Jan 19 2005 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that it has affirmed its “AA+” long-term counterparty credit and insurer financial strength ratings on Guernsey-based Jupiter Insurance Ltd., the wholly...

ACE European Group Completes Transfer of Belgian Sub; Best, S&P Comment

Jan 18 2005 // ACE European Group confirmed that as of Jan.1, 2005 its belgian subsidiary, ACE Insurance S.A. N.V., has successfully transferred its insurance and reinsurance portfolio into ACE European Group Limited (AEG).“ACE...

S&P Affirms Norway’s Gard P&I ‘A-‘ Rating

Jan 18 2005 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that it has affirmed its ‘A’ long-term counterparty credit and insurer financial strength ratings on Assuranceforeningen Gard – gjensidig –...

S&P Report: Reinsurers’ “True Test Still to Come”

Jan 13 2005 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has published its biannual report card covering the world’s largest reinsurers. According to the report, reinsurers have held their resolve and have kept price cuts to...

S&P: OIL’s $1.2 Billion Loss Will Not Affect Ratings

Jan 11 2005 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has issued a bulletin indicating that the recently announced $1.2 billion of incurred losses in 2004 for Oil Insurance Ltd. – currently rated “A+”/Negative;...

Best, S&P Announce Rating Actions on ACE Ltd. and Subs after Reserve Increase

Jan 7 2005 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services came down a bit harder on ACE Limited’s ratings than A.M. Best following the announcement that the company would increase its reserves for asbestos and environmental...

S&P Issues Report on Latin American Reinsurance

Jan 5 2005 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has issued a report entitled, “The Latin American Reinsurance Industry: Underdeveloped, With Potential,” which points out that the “underdeveloped Latin...

Commercial Property Market Survives Extraordinary and Ordinary Catastrophes

Jan 3 2005 // The commercial property market took a huge hit from four major hurricanes that struck the U.S. mainland this past year. The full effects may have yet to be felt, however, it looks like commercial property insurers came...

MMC Still on CreditWatch Negative

Jan 3 2005 // S&P announced that its “BBB” long-term counterparty credit and senior debt ratings on Marsh & McLennan Cos. will remain on CreditWatch negative.The decision follows the announcement that MMC closed on...

S&P Lowers, Withdraws Best Meridian Ratings

Dec 30 2004 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that it has lowered its counterparty credit and financial strength ratings on Best Meridian Insurance Co. (BMI) and its subsidiary, Best Meridian International...