May 2008/1

The pioneering ILS Avalon Re was struck by a rash of downgrades following news that a third energy loss could hit the cat bond. Following notifications of claims arising from a New York steam pipe ex

Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s (S&P) is set to revise its cat bond methodology, Trading Risk can reveal. The latest move comes as the ratings agencies’ models come under increasing scru

Benfield Group's corporate finance arm Benfield Advisory has developed a new parametric reinsurance product, aimed at transferring workers’ compensation catastrophe (WCC) coverage to reinsurers

Ratings agency Moody’s upgraded the $750mn of notes in life (re)insurer Genworth Financial’s River Lake III XXX securitisation in April, just 10 days after downgrading them. The $250mn of

UK (re)insurer Brit Insurance is the latest firm to sign up to trade insurance linked derivatives on the Insurance Futures Exchange Services (IFEX) platform. IFEX, part of Neil Eckert-founded Climate

Swiss Re Global Market’s environmental and commodity markets division has entered into an emissions reduction purchase agreement with Hebei Construction Investment New Energy Co Ltd. Through th

Ratings agency AM Best is extending its insurance linked securities (ILS) rating methodology to include assessment of the basis risk carried by industry loss arranties (ILWs). In a statement, the fir