David Priebe, Chairman of Global Client Development Contact The catastrophe bond year ended back in July, and two quarters of virtual silence have signaled an abrupt change in the market. After 2006 and 2007, we had become accustomed to record-setting issuance years. Hopes were high for 2008, which was on track with the previous year through the beginning of the third quarter. ... Continue Reading »
Capital Markets
Cat Bonds Persevere in Tumultuous Market
GC Securities, a division of MMC Securities Corp.* Contact A slow issuance year in 2008 masks a story of resilience and risk management flexibility. After a record-setting year in 2007, catastrophe bond issuances fell 62 percent by issuance volume and 52 percent by transaction count last year. During the first half of the year catastrophe bond issuance was tempered by ample ... Continue Reading »
Climate Change: A Debate Reshapes (Re)insurance
By David Priebe, Chairman of Global Client Development Contact The climate change debate is likely to continue unabated well into the future. Even if it is not settled anytime soon, the debate itself has already begun to affect the (re)insurance industry. Risk-bearers deal in probability routinely, making climate change another likelihood to consider. In this manner, it has ... Continue Reading »
Swap Out Risk?
By GC Securities, a division of MMC Securities Corp.* The far-reaching effects of the ongoing global financial catastrophe have led investors and catastrophe bond sponsors to question the status quo. While the (re)insurance industry has persevered (particularly relative to the banking industry) it is evaluating the true extent of the risk that it has assumed. For sponsors of ... Continue Reading »
Alternatives to Alternative Capital
David Piebe, Chairman of Global Client Development Contact (Re)insurers have come to expect that alternative sources of capital will always be available. Private equity funds, hedge funds, and other alternative investment vehicles have contributed copious capacity to risk-bearers since the turn of the millennium, and especially following the 2005 storm season. The well, ... Continue Reading »
Capital Drought on the Horizon?
David Priebe, Chairman of Global Client Development Contact Earlier this year, the (re)insurance industry celebrated an abundance of capital. Buybacks and dividends were common, as carriers struggled to find productive uses for their extra cash. Only a few months later, we are in the midst of a financial catastrophe that is wreaking havoc on balance sheets and constraining ... Continue Reading »
Sidecars Have a Specific Role to Play
Christopher Klein, Global Head of Business Intelligence Contact The popularity of sidecars seems to have ended. The availability of traditional capital and access to insurance-linked securities (ILS) and other alternatives simply has made sidecars less attractive. But, reinsurers know that the market can harden at any time, with one mega-catastrophe creating near-immediate ... Continue Reading »
Navigating Pricing Peaks and Valleys
By David Priebe, Chairman, Global Client Development Contact The capital models for (re)insurance risks are evolving. Over the past 15 years, alternative sources of capital have become increasingly important, particularly in the capital-constrained environments that follow major catastrophe events. As expected, capital market vehicles such as catastrophe bonds and sidecars have ... Continue Reading »
Push Pandemic out of Insurance
Capital Markets Provide Necessary Depth David Rains, Managing Director Contact Life carriers struggle with the notion of hedging pandemic risk. The probability of an event occurring in any particular year is low. Even if an outbreak does occur, the process for estimating losses and determining reserves is unclear. Capital approaches do not consider probabilistic tail scenario ... Continue Reading »
A Sidecar Comeback?*
David Priebe, Chairman of Global Client Development Contact High-velocity capital was crucial in 2005 and 2006. Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma struck with unexpected consequences, and (re)insurers were left with a USD34 billion price tag. Balance sheets were drained, and the hunger for fresh capital was universal. Some replenishment did come from the dedicated capital of ... Continue Reading »
