Best of Artemis, week ending 5th July 2020

Here are the ten most popular news articles, week ending 5th July 2020, covering catastrophe bonds, ILS, reinsurance capital and related risk transfer topics. To ensure you never miss a thing subscribe to the weekly Artemis email newsletter updates or get our email alerts for every article we publish. Ten most read articles on Artemis.bm,…

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Vida Capital acquires longevity life settlement asset manager Avmont

Vida Capital, Inc., the alternative investment manager with a life settlement and insurance-linked securities (ILS) focus, has added to its life and longevity asset management scope, with the acquisition of specialist Avmont, LLC. Vida Capital is of course a joint-venture partner in insurance-linked securities (ILS) and collateralised reinsurance asset manager Merion Square Capital LLC. But…

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ARC pays Madagascar $2.3m as parametric drought policy triggered

The African Risk Capacity (ARC), a parametric sovereign disaster risk insurer for African nations, has paid the government of Madagascar $2.3 million after its parametric drought insurance policy was triggered in the last growing season. Madagascar has benefited from ARC parametric insurance coverage thanks to its joining the Africa Disaster Risk Financing (ADRiFi) Programme and…

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Latest report shows job stability for the insurance industry

By Dr. Steven Weisbart, Chief Economist, Insurance Information Institute Dr. Steven Weisbart The employment report for June 2020, just released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, has some interesting numbers.­ I’m not referring to the national employment numbers but to the employment numbers for May for the insurance industry. In May, you might remember, the numbers…

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Cat bond rates-on-line accelerate 11% in Q2, hard market entrenched: Lane

Catastrophe bond and insurance-linked security (ILS) rates-on-line have continued to accelerate away as the hard market persists, rising another 11% in the second-quarter of 2020, according to the synthetic ILS rate-on-line Index calculated by Lane Financial. Cat bond and ILS rates and pricing continue to sit in what Lane Financial would call hard market territory,…

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First pure wildfire cat bond in two years upsized & priced within guidance

The first California wildfire catastrophe bond transaction to be issued since the severe California season of 2018 has successfully been upsized, with utility Sempra Energy’s SD Re Ltd. (Series 2020-1) deal now set for $90 million. Not only has the first pure wildfire cat bond in almost two years increased in size slightly, it’s also…

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United (UPC) reports $30m Q2 catastrophe losses, after reinsurance

Florida headquartered, expansive catastrophe exposed primary property insurer United Insurance Holdings (UPC Insurance) has pre-reported an expected $30 million pre-tax hit from numerous catastrophe and severe weather events that struck its book of business in the second-quarter. The $30 million pre-tax hit is after accounting for any reinsurance recoveries made by United’s subsidiaries. As a…

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PG&E pays $11bn subrogation settlement, joins Wildfire Fund

Pacific Gas and Electricity (PG&E), the wildfire stricken California focused electrical utility operator, has finally made its payments to insurance, reinsurance and other entities holding subrogation claims rights, amounting to an $11 billion settlement. Having now successfully emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy and secured financing for its future operations, PG&E has also formally joined the…

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Amid Covid-19, Guernsey never missed a beat: ILS Insight

In spite of the unprecedented impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on sectors of all shapes and sizes, when it comes to servicing the insurance-linked securities (ILS) sector during this challenging time, Guernsey did not miss a beat. This is according to Jutta Kath, Head of Transaction Management at Schroder Secquaero, who, speaking as part of…

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