Analysis

• UK's interest rate rise: the reaction

  07 November 2017

  Last week's interest rate hike by the Bank of England was highly anticipated, but the Bank's longer-term strategy has come under scrutiny in light of Brexit and rising inflation. Practitioners share their take on what UK insurers can expect. Asa Gibson reports

  

• Eiopa's advice on standard formula change offers promise for insurers' investments

  01 November 2017

  The European authority published its recommendations to the European Commission on changing the standard formula, with positives to be found on the scope of look-through, regional government bonds and internal credit assessment.

  

• Commercial real estate finance: opportunities for insurers

  30 October 2017

  Insurers seeking capital efficient returns are looking closely at private real assets, lured by attractive yields with underlying security and strong borrower protections. Real estate finance may fit the bill with advantageous capital treatment under Solvency II, as Aviva Investors' Iain Forrester explains.

  

• Anticipating the end of the credit cycle

  25 October 2017

  With the end of the current credit cycle in sight, insurers are presented with challenges and opportunities that require a nimbleness and flexibility to negotiate. JP Morgan Asset Management's Bhupinder Bahra and Bryan Wallace explain

  

• Catalonia: volatility in the streets and insurers' balance sheets?

  23 October 2017

  As tensions rise between the Spanish government and pro-separatists in Catalonia, the country's life insurers must prepare for bond market turbulence. Asa Gibson reports

  

• Brexit the great infrastructure unknown

  18 October 2017

  With huge competition and a small pool of opportunities, infrastructure investment is not easy in the UK. And things are likely to be even less stable post-Brexit. But could the divorce from the EU actually be a boon for insurance investors? Sarfraz Thind reports

  

• Rock 'n rolling stock: insurers find an opportunity in railway assets

  11 October 2017

  Having facilitated some £2bn of direct investment in UK rail in less than two years, Rock Rail is helping to ease the industry's infrastructure woes with a steady pipeline of projects insurers can gain direct exposure to. Asa Gibson reports

  

• The relative value in emerging markets

  06 October 2017

  An economic slowdown in China and the oil price crash of 2014-15 put many investors off emerging market assets, but Paul Forshaw, global head of insurance asset management at Schroders, believes insurers may be enticed by their relative value compared to developed markets.

  

• How asset managers can data-mine 3,500 insurers

  04 October 2017

  Solvency II reports are giving investment managers a goldmine of data and narrative by which to analyse underwriters and win a competitive edge. David Walker explains how.

  

• Folksam CIO: "There is simply no reason not to continue investing in green bonds"

  29 September 2017

  Michael Kjeller, chief investment officer of Swedish pensions and insurance provider Folksam, discusses his firm's decision to raise its target for green bond investment