Latest Swiss Re Headlines

All the headlines from our Swiss Re Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Swiss Re Q3 Net Income Doubles at $618 Million; Berkshire Loan Terminated

Nov 4 2010 // Swiss Re reported third-quarter net income of $618 million, compared to $314 million in the prior-year period. The reinsurer also announced that the” convertible perpetual capital instrument issued to Berkshire...

Swiss Re Structures $386 Million ‘European Windstorm’ Notes

Nov 3 2010 // Swiss Re’s Capital Markets Division has structured €275 million [$386 million] in notes as an alternative risk transfer vehicle, covering European windstorm events, for AXA Global P&C’s Calypso Capital...

Swiss Re is ‘Well Placed’ for Baden-Baden Renewal Discussions

Oct 25 2010 // Swiss Re has issued a bulletin noting that it is “well placed for the upcoming 2011 renewal negotiations with its European clients.” The talks, which begin this week in the German resort of Baden-Baden, bring...

New Swiss Re sigma Study Examines Impact of Inflation on Insurers

Oct 19 2010 // Swiss Rre has issued a timely new sigma study , “The impact of inflation on insurers,” which examines “recent commodity price spikes and the current easy monetary policy” that have “increased...

Swiss Re Structures $138.6 Million Cat Bond for Groupama

Oct 6 2010 // Swiss Re’s Capital Markets unit announced that it has ‘successfully structured and placed €100 million [$138.6 million] of securities issued by Green Valley Ltd.,” covering windstorm events in...

Swiss Re Announces Major Division & Leadership Structure Reorganization

Oct 1 2010 // Swiss Re announced that it will “adjust its senior leadership structure to strengthen the company’s core capabilities and market presence with a focus on three key areas: Reinsurance, Corporate Solutions and...

Alabama Buys Hurricane Policy

Aug 9 2010 // Alabama will pay $800,000 annually for three years to an insurance company as a hedge against heavy damage to state property on the coast from a major hurricane.Under the deal that took effect last month, global insurer...

Swiss Re Shuns Low-Margin Accounts; Weighs Where to Deploy Capital

Aug 6 2010 // Swiss Re would return capital to shareholders rather than underwrite low-margin business, its chief financial officer told Reuters, in a sign of confidence in the world’s second-biggest reinsurer’s renewed...

Swiss Re: Pools & Parametric Covers, May Lessen Nat Cat Impact

Jul 13 2010 // The early appearance of Hurricane Alex, which hit Mexico and the Gulf coast of the U.S., was, according to experts at Swiss Re, “a relatively unusual occurrence in June and could signal a very active hurricane...

Swiss Re Offers Risk Managers Solvency II Advice for a ‘Post-crisis World’

May 18 2010 // “Risk Managers must try to talk about ‘the elephant in the room,’ enabling an open dialogue about business risks,” advised Swiss Re’s Chief Risk Officer, Raj Singh, as the reinsurer presented...

(Re)Insurers Take on $5 Billion Risk with Soccer World Cup Coverage

May 10 2010 // Soccer teams and fans aren’t the only ones girding themselves for the start of the World Cup in South Africa. The world’s insurance companies have sold policies covering $5 billion worth of risks linked to the...

Swiss Re Posts $158 Million Q1 Net Income, Despite Natural Catastrophes

May 6 2010 // Swiss Re reported net income of $158 million for the first quarter of 2010, a successful result given the “high natural catastrophe losses in the first quarter.” Swiss Re also noted that the “estimated...

Swiss Re ‘sigma’ Study: Insured 2009 Disaster Losses Cost $26 Billion

Mar 16 2010 // Swiss Re’s annual sigma study has calculated that “natural catastrophes cost insurers $22 billion in 2009, while man-made disasters cost an additional $4 billion. Insured losses were highest in North America,...

Swiss Re Estimates Chile Quake Loss at $500 Million; Xynthia $100 Million

Mar 10 2010 // Swiss Re released its preliminary estimates for losses from the magnitude 8.8 earthquake that hit Chile on February 27 – $500 million – and from European windstorm Xynthia – $100 million. Both estimates...

Reinsurers Say $4 to $7 Billion Chile Quake Loss ‘Unlikely’ to Raise Rates

Mar 10 2010 // Last month’s huge earthquake in Chile might cost the insurance industry up to $7 billion in damage claims, the world’s top two reinsurers said, but it looks unlikely to raise reinsurance prices.World leader...

Ratings Recap: Swiss Re (Cat Bond), Transmonde, Sagicor, Bahamas First

Mar 10 2010 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has assigned its preliminary ‘B-‘ credit rating to the class II-CN3 notes series 2010-1 issued under the principal at-risk variable-rate note program, Successor X...

Swiss Re Rebounds from 2008 Loss; Reports $469 Million FY Net Income

Feb 18 2010 // Swiss Re returned to profit in 2009. The world’s number two reinsurer reported net income of CHF506 million [$468.9 million], compared to a loss of CHF 864 million [$800.6 million] in 2008.The earnings statement...

Business Moves

Feb 7 2010 // Swiss Re, Berkshire HathawaySwiss Re concluded an agreement with Berkshire Hathaway Life Insurance Company of Nebraska to cede, a “closed block of yearly renewable term individual life reinsurance business, written...

Catlin Appoints Zingg Group Chief Investment Officer

Feb 4 2010 // The Bermuda-based Catlin Group Limited announced the appointment of Martin Zingg as chief investment officer of the Catlin Group, effective March 1. He will be based in Catlin’s office in Zurich, Switzerland.Zingg...

Swiss Re in $1.268 Billion Deal with Berkshire Hathaway Life Insurer

Jan 19 2010 // Swiss Re has concluded an agreement with Berkshire Hathaway Life Insurance Company of Nebraska to cede, a “closed block of yearly renewable term individual life reinsurance business, written prior to 2004.” The...