Hurricane Ian sees global insurance sector suffer more than $100bn loss for the fifth time since 1970 March 22, 2023 The global insurance sector suffered natural catastrophe losses of more than $100bn (£81bn) for just the fifth time in 2022, after taking a major hit from Hurricane Ian, new research shows. Natural catastrophes caused $275bn worth of damage in 2022, costing insurance companies $125bn, the research from reinsurance company Swiss Re shows. The hit [...]
Axa rejects claim FCA’s Consumer Duty could hurt City’s finance sector March 22, 2023 The head of Axa’s UK & Ireland division has pushed back against claims the Financial Conduct Authority’s new Consumer Duty could hinder the City’s competitiveness. Claudio Gienal, chief executive of AXA UK and Ireland, told City A.M. he “supports” the FCA’s new customer-focused mandate. Gienal also said he doesn’t “see an issue with competitiveness” around [...]
European insurance M&A deals hit record high as investors shrugged off recession and interest rate fears March 22, 2023 The market for M&A deals involving European insurance companies surged in 2022, as private equity funds continued to drive the market forwards, despite the headwinds facing the global economy. The boom saw investors shrug off rising interest rates to complete a record 435 M&A deals in 2022, up from 285 in 2020 and 379 in [...]
Summertime sadness: 2022 heatwave leaves insurers with £219bn subsidence bill March 21, 2023 Insurers are set to pay out £219m to Brits whose houses sunk into the ground due to the heatwave last year, new figures from the Association of British Insurers (ABI) show. The summer heatwave, which saw temperatures in the Lincolnshire town on Coningsby hit record highs of 40.3 degrees Celsius, led to a surge in [...]
World’s top insurers to face aircraft leasers in High Court ‘mega trial’ over planes seized by Russia March 15, 2023 Insurance giants Lloyd’s, AIG and Fidelis are set to face a ‘mega trial’ in London’s High Court over their refusal to pay out billions in insurance claims to aircraft leasers that had their planes seized by President Vladimir Putin. A High Court judge has ruled claims brought forward by an array of the world’s biggest [...]
Prudential: Insurance giant vows to stay listed on London stock exchange after posting uptick in profits on pivot to Asia March 15, 2023 Prudential today confirmed it intends to remain listed in the City following speculation the 175-year-old insurer had plans to switch the the London Stock Exchange for New York. A spokesperson for the insurance giant today confirmed to City A.M. the firm has “no plans” to exit the London Stock Exchange. It comes after Prudential today [...]
Phoenix: Insurer hikes dividend after volatile markets hit investments and share price March 13, 2023 British insurer Phoenix Group today posted a £1.23bn loss as volatile markets hit the value of the insurance company’s investment portfolio. Shares in the FTSE 100 company fell sharply on the news as Phoenix pointed to the “challenging economic backdrop” after noting it generated 12.5 per cent less cash than in 2021 The insurer, however, [...]
Aviva launches £300m share buyback scheme after posting 35 per cent surge in profits March 9, 2023 Aviva today vowed to buy back another £300m worth of its owns shares from investors after the insurer outstripped analysts expectations by posting a 35 per cent uptick in its operating profits in 2022. The UK insurance giant today said its operating profits had surged by 35 per cent, to £2.2bn, in what company chief [...]
Lloyd’s of London chief: Why the City needs Monday to ‘come back’ March 8, 2023 Lloyd’s of London chief executive John Neal has said he wants to “get Monday back” in calling for brokers and underwriters to return to the office four days a week. The insurance chief said that while “Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays are busy” he now wants Lloyd’s staff to work in the firm’s City building on [...]
Beazley forced to lower chief exec’s pay following mistake in insurer’s results March 8, 2023 Beazley was today forced to publish a correction to its balance sheet after the Financial Times spotted an embarrassing error in its annual report. In its annual results statement, insurer Beazley overstated the value of its ‘net assets per share’ in reporting them at 420.8c instead of their real value 386.7c. Beazley’s error is particularly [...]