City National Rochdale mutual ILW fund delivers 15.6% return
The City National Rochdale Select Strategies Fund, a US mutual insurance-linked securities (ILS) fund focused on investments into industry-loss warranties (ILW’s) and industry-index trigger catastrophe bonds, delivered its strongest annual performance in the last year, with an almost 15.6% return to its investors. With a now six year track record for this fund, Kurt Hawkesworth, […]
City of Zurich Pension Fund ILS allocation expands to ~$960m
The allocation to the insurance-linked securities (ILS) asset class by the City of Zurich Pension Fund has continued to expand, reaching approximately US $960 million by the end of March 2024, with mandates now with eight investment managers across life and P&C reinsurance investments. The City of Zurich Pension Fund remains very close to target […]
UCITS cat bond fund assets grow by 4% to reach $11.4bn in Q1 2024
The assets under management of the main catastrophe bond funds in the UCITS format increased by 4% over the first-quarter of 2024, to reach a new high of almost $11.4 billion by the end of the period. Catastrophe bond funds in the UCITS format have been growing rapidly over the last year, with their assets […]
Catastrophe bond market yield dips to 12% on insurance risk spread squeeze
The total yield of the catastrophe bond market in US dollars had declined to 12% by the end of March, down from a high of close to 16% in early January. But the signs are that the cat bond market yield may be stabilising, as demand and supply become more balanced, Plenum Investments believes. We have launched a […]
Cat bond spreads adequately compensate for hurricane risk: Twelve Capital
Investment manager Twelve Capital feels that the spread being taken when investing into catastrophe bonds compensates for the shorter-term risk being taken from the hurricane peril, noting that pricing of cat bonds is based on a longer-term view than just a single hurricane season. With hurricane forecasts suggesting a hyperactive 2024 Atlantic storm season with potentially elevated […]
Industry-loss cat bond spread decline necessitates portfolio rethink: Icosa
Spreads for industry-loss index trigger catastrophe bond instruments have declined or tightened so much in recent months that indemnity cat bonds now look relatively more attractive for the first time, which necessitates a rethink about how cat bond portfolios are constructed, according to Florian Steiger, of Icosa Investments. Steiger formed Icosa Investments as a new […]
As alternative capital hits $108bn record-high, Aon forecasts further growth
According to Aon Securities, the insurance-linked securities (ILS) and investment banking arm of Aon’s Reinsurance Solutions, the amount of alternative capital in the reinsurance industry ended 2023 at a new high of $108 billion, a figure the broker expects to grow as interest investor is growing across the range of ILS instruments. Alternative capital levels […]
Berenberg adds catastrophe bonds to OTC fixed income offering
Berenberg, the private banking, investment banking, asset and wealth management specialist, will offer catastrophe bond trading over-the-counter (OTC) within its fixed income division, responding to what it sees as growing client demand for access to cat bond investments. Trading catastrophe bonds in the secondary market is a critical feature for the liquid insurance-linked securities (ILS) […]
Tokio Marine is first Japanese cat bond sponsor to use sustainable development bond
Tokio Marine Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiary Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Co. Ltd., has become the first Japanese insurer to make use of a SOFR-based World Bank Sustainable Development Bond as a permitted investment within its latest catastrophe bond issuance, the company highlighted today. As Artemis has been reporting, Tokio Marine has been […]
ILW market activity rising, as preparations for hurricane season begin
According to Artemis’ sources, activity in the industry-loss warranty (ILW) market has increased in the last few weeks, as reinsurance and insurance-linked securities (ILS) markets prepare for what is anticipated to be an active 2024 Atlantic hurricane season. As we’ve reported, long-range seasonal forecasts for Atlantic hurricanes have suggested a challenging storm season could be ahead. […]