Analysis

  • Asset risk: biggest risk for Asian insurers

    02 May 2019

    With a lack of domestic long dated assets to match their long-term liabilities and some restrictions on overseas investments, Asian insurers’ biggest risk exposure comes from their investments. In Hong Kong, Vincent Huck meets with regional and local stakeholders to understand how they are coping and their expectations for the upcoming changes in regulations.

  • The 'obscure' Solvency II co-investment rule

    30 April 2019

    Recent changes to co-investing rules under Solvency II have been received with mixed feelings by European insurers. Many players are even unaware there has been a development. Vincent Huck reports

  • China’s Belt & Road: where are the insurers’ investments?

    25 April 2019

    As China celebrates the sixth year of its initiative this week, insurers remain reluctant to invest in its projects. Vincent Huck asks why

  • Factor investing: what are the facts?

    23 April 2019

    While there has been a lot of hype around factor investing in the last decade, the jury is still out as to whether these types of strategies are of interest for insurers. David Turner looks at the state of play

  • Lloyd's syndicates $100m outsourcing treasure

    18 April 2019

    In the second part of our two-part series on Lloyd's syndicates and their investments, David Walker analyses their portfolio allocations and performance, uncovering a treasure most asset managers would want a map to.

  • Baloise CIO on navigating a negative interest rates environment

    16 April 2019

    Matthias Henny, chief investment officer at Baloise Group talks about the challenges of operating in a negative interest rates environment, how the reallocation of assets has helped stabilise returns, and why he sees opportunities to grow external assets under management. Interview by Adam Leach

  • Lloyd's syndicates open up about investment outsourcing

    11 April 2019

    Research by Insurance Risk Data reveals the 2018 winners and losers of the mandated asset managers for Lloyd's syndicates. David Walker reports on who won which mandates, who received applause and who wasn't that lucky.

  • Green bond strategies split French CIOs and CROs

    09 April 2019

    The difference in approach between insurers' risk and investment functions has been revealed at an event organised by the French institute of actuaries, in partnership with Schroders and Axa. This examined insurers' strategies to integrating environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria. Vincent Huck reports

  • How investment regulations affect insurers’ ratings – the agency’s perspective

    04 April 2019

    Antonello Aquino, associate managing director for EMEA at Moody’s, speaks about the evolution of the regulatory framework for insurers in Europe, and considerations for their investments. Interview by Vincent Huck

  • Next recession to hit US insurers’ assets harder than 2008 crisis

    02 April 2019

    The recession is coming in 2020, according to Guggenheim Investments and will be focused on the corporate bond sector. This, coupled with increased leverage and poorer liquidity, suggests the next downturn could be worse for US insurers than 2008. Sarfraz Thind reports