October 2009/1

The ILS market may be in line for its fabled $2-2.5bn new issuance in the latter months of 2009, as real deals begin to hit the market, Trading Risk understands. With more than $3bn of ILS capacity m

Secondary trading accelerated towards the end of September, as ILS investors realigned their cat bond holdings in anticipation of $2.5bn of new issuance in the coming months. “Investors are tra

The Bermuda Monetary Authority (BMA) has finalised its new regulatory regime for Special Purpose Insurers (SPIs) in a push to become the  ILS jurisdiction of choice. On 5 October the BMA published a

The twin impact of the financial markets turmoil and the recession are clear to see in first half figures for the US property and casualty industry, with both the top and bottom line heavily hit. Acc

Swiss Re has extended its partnership with Oxfam America on introducing weather insurance for a staple cereal crop to a further four Ethiopian villages. The pilot project, in drought-prone Adi Ha, sa

Ratings agency Moody’s Investors Service has further downgraded and withdrawn the ratings on Scottish Re-sponsored life securitisations due to dismal asset performance in the structures. In Sep

Moody’s Investors Service has downgraded the underlying rating of approximately $721mn of UNUM Group’s Northwind life securitisation to Baa1 from A2, citing the “adverse impact of i

Industry loss warranty (ILW) buyers are returning to the market after a very quiet trading season, seeking cheap stop-gap cover for the remainder of 2009, according to broker-dealers. Swiss Re's Patt

Hedge fund participation in 2009 ILS transactions has increased more than four-fold since 2008, although their slice of the overall pie has shrunk by more than half since 2007, according to industry

Perennial ILS issuer the California Earthquake Authority (CEA) has not renewed its $650mn specific cat bond layer with Swiss Re Capital Markets (SRCM) at its 2010 reinsurance renewal, Trading Risk ca

Dan Ozizmir, convergence market rainmaker and former head of Swiss Re Capital Markets (SRCM), has joined the judging panel for the Trading Risk Awards 2010. The annual Awards, launched with great suc

GC Securities has launched a New York-based ILS trading desk to complement its index trading activities and to boost cat bond liquidity. The desk, which gained full approval in June, will be run by