Ben Dyson
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Articles by Ben Dyson
Investors sell off large European reinsurers following Q1 P&C revenue decline
The share prices of Europe's three largest reinsurers fell into negative territory after the companies reported lower first-quarter revenues in early May. Hannover Re's share price recorded the steepest decline, dropping 10.56% on June 9 from its level at the beginning of May. It was closely followed by Munich Re, which fell 10.31% over the same period. Swiss Re's share price declined by a more modest 5.38%.
Japanese insurers' UK PRT acquisitions create template for future deals
Legal & General is one of the UK pension risk transfer writers that has received investment from a Japanese insurer in the past year. Source: Barry Lewis/InPictures via Getty Images. As Japanese insurers continue to look overseas for growth, minority stakes in pension risk transfer insurers provide a blueprint for future investment in the UK.
Future of UK funded reinsurance in flux as capital charge raised
The Prudential Regulation Authority, part of the Bank of England, plans to increase the capital charge on funded reinsurance to 10% on average from 2% to 4%. Source: Mike Kemp/In Pictures via Getty Images. UK life insurers' continued use of funded reinsurance is hanging in the balance after the country's financial regulator proposed that insurers will have to hold more than double the current level of capital against it.
Standalone AI liability insurance emerging as industry tackles new risks
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Analysts predict mixed Q1 fortunes for big 4 European reinsurers
Analysts have a mixed forecast for Europe's big four reinsurers when they report first-quarter earnings as the group benefits from more muted catastrophe losses but battles weaker life and health results. Munich Re and Hannover Re will both report year-over-year increases in net income available to stockholders of more than 52%, according to an analyst consensus from Visible Alpha. Profits at Scor SE are expected to be almost flat year over year, while Swiss Re AG's are predicted to fall 11.1%.
Low catastrophe losses have bolstered (re)insurers' resilience – Gallagher Re
These are technologies that help enhance functionality, improve your user experience, and tailor your use of our digital services. For example, functionality Cookies can be used to remember pages and products you have viewed in order to enhance and personalize your experience when you visit our digital services. These are technologies used for targeted advertising and marketing.
Lemonade's gross written premium nearly triples in UK, slips in Germany
US personal lines insurer Lemonade Inc. nearly tripled its UK gross written premium year over year in 2025, while its German business shrank for the second consecutive year, according to regulatory filings. Lemonade's European operation, Lemonade Insurance NV, reported UK gross written premium of €28.6 million in 2025, up 190.8% from €9.8 million in 2024, according to solvency and financial condition reports published by the company.
Lloyd's profits, premiums rise but keeping 'weather eye' on underwriting
Lloyd's of London is paying close attention to possible additional signs of worsening underwriting performance. Lloyd's, whose results are derived from the 108 syndicates underwriting in its market, reported a profit before tax of £10.59 billion in 2025, up from £9.63 billion in 2024. Its return on capital increased to 22% from 21%, marking the third-consecutive year of returns above 20%. However, there were signs of deteriorating underwriting performance.
Risks rise for insurers as war pressures on Iran mount
A damaged building in the aftermath of a drone strike in the Seef district of Manama, Bahrain on March 10, 2026. Source: AFP via Getty Images. Insurers providing war cover in Persian Gulf countries face higher risks as the US and Israel continue their air campaign against Iran. Iran has hit a range of non-military targets in the Gulf in retaliation for the US-Israeli airstrikes, which began Feb. 28.
Doubts emerge about Trump's marine war insurance plan
Aircraft attached to Carrier Air Wing 9 sit on the flight deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln in support of Operation Epic Fury on Feb. 28, 2026. Source: United States Navy. The feasibility and efficacy of President Donald Trump's plan to backstop marine insurers covering shipping in the Persian Gulf is being questioned as the war between the US and Israel and Iran continues.
Marine war insurance for Hormuz dries up as Middle East war intensifies
The Strait of Hormuz shipping lane has been a focal point for marine insurers in the early stage of the Middle East war. Source: Gallo Images/Orbital Horizon/Copernicus Sentinel Data via Getty Images. Ships wanting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz are finding it almost impossible to buy hull war cover following between Iran and the US and Israel.
Zurich faces prospect of rival bids in its attempt to buy Beazley
Zurich Insurance Group AG's moves to buy Beazley PLC could draw out rival bidders for the London-listed insurer, according to analysts. Beazley rejected Zurich's latest proposal to buy the company for £12.80 per share, which values it at £7.67 billion on Jan. 22, having already declined a £12.30 per share proposal on Jan. 16. Beazley also revealed Zurich had made a higher £13.15 per share proposal in June 2025, which it had also rebuffed.
Munich Re Q3 profit expected to double after quiet quarter for catastrophes
Munich Re's third-quarter 2025 profit is expected to double year-on-year after an unusually low level of catastrophe claims industrywide in the quarter. Analysts predict net income attributable to common shareholders at the world's largest reinsurer will more than double to €1.90 billion, up from the restated €907 million Munich Re reported in the third quarter of 2024, according to consensus estimates from Visible Alpha, a part of S&P Global Market Intelligence.
UK life insurers risk losing funded reinsurance in regulator's latest clampdown
The Prudential Regulation Authority, part of the Bank of England, is exploring whether insurers need to hold more capital for funded reinsurance. Source: Paul Campbell/Getty Images. UK life insurers face losing a mainstay of their risk management toolkit in the latest push to regulate its use.
Event insurers would face large bill if Paris Olympics disrupted
Event insurers would face large bill if Paris Olympics disrupted The Stade de France will be a focal point for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Source: Maja Hitij/Getty Images Sport via Getty Images Europe. Insurers would be forced to pay a large claims bill if the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris were interrupted. The Paris Games, which hold their opening ceremony July 26 and run through Aug.
Global IT outage a 'huge wake-up call' for cyber insurance industry
Airlines were among those hit the hardest by the June 19 CrowdStrike outage. Source: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images News via Getty Images North America. The global IT outage that brought key industries to a standstill worldwide on July 19 is likely to generate large claims bills for the cyber insurance industry and a coverage rethink.
Sampo paying high price for Topdanmark stake, but synergies look achievable
Sampo Oyj is paying a large premium for the 50.5% of Danish insurer Topdanmark A/S that it does not already own, but it should be able to generate the synergies that help justify the price, according to analysts. Sampo, a pan-Nordic property and casualty insurer, announced June 17 that it was offering 1.25 of its shares for each Topdanmark share it plans to acquire, implying a 27% premium to Topdanmark's share price on June 14.
UK election: Government should tackle claims costs to curb motor insurance hikes
UK election: Government should tackle claims costs to curb motor insurance hikes Shadow Secretary for Transport Louise Haigh said regulators should probe UK motor insurers over recent price rises. Source: Nicola Tree/Getty Images News via Getty Images. A new UK government has several options to cut claims costs if it is determined to crack down on motor insurance prices, industry experts said.
Insurers unfazed by downward cyber price pressure even as attacks rise
Despite recent declines, prices for cyber insurance remain sufficient to cover the risks insurers are assuming as the world faces a resurgence in ransomware attacks. Cyber insurance rates in the first quarter fell 12% on average for UK clients of insurance broker Marsh LLC that have annual revenues of more than £200 million. That marked the fourth-consecutive quarter of rate declines, according to the broker's report on first-quarter cyber insurance trends.
Wefox insurance unit cuts business lines amid talk of group insolvency risk
Wefox has pared back its underwriting to three main business lines as its new chief executive reportedly warned there was a risk that the European insurance technology group may be close to insolvency. According to the 2023 annual report of its underwriting arm, wefox Insurance AG, the insurance technology company has stopped underwriting motor, household and private liability insurance in Germany and Switzerland, and motor insurance in Italy.
UN's new net-zero insurance forum is safer from antitrust attacks, chair says
UN's new net-zero insurance forum is safer from antitrust attacks, chair says The United Nations' new net-zero insurance initiative is an "even safer space for complementary efforts on climate action" than the ill-fated Net-Zero Insurance Alliance, said Butch Bacani, the initiative's chairman.
Wrangle over Baltimore bridge claim begins as shipowner seeks to cap liability
Wrangle over Baltimore bridge claim begins as shipowner seeks to cap liability The marine reinsurance industry is facing one of its biggest-ever claims payouts after container ship Dali struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. Source: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images News via Getty Images.
Baltimore bridge collapse underscores importance of insurance - Lloyd's CEO
The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore will give the insurance industry an opportunity to demonstrate its worth, according to Lloyd's of London's top executive. "The good news is we can show the value of insurance on what is a complex and expensive loss, because each element of that claim will be dealt with," CEO John Neal said during a call for Lloyd's annual results.
Pool Re CEO 'confident' as UK terrorism reinsurer faces pivotal vote on future
State-backed UK terrorism reinsurer Pool Reinsurance Company Ltd. is "very confident" that its members will vote in favor of fundamental changes to how it is run. The changes, which include shifting to catastrophe treaty-style reinsurance coverage from the current facultative model, are part of Pool Re's remit to return more risk to the private insurance market, which is a condition of its unlimited guarantee from the UK government.
UK insurance M&A the outlier as EMEA deal volume falls in 2023
Mergers and acquisitions in the UK insurance industry rose in 2023, in contrast to a wider slowdown in deal activity across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. There were 156 acquisitions of UK insurance targets last year, up from 130 in 2022, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence data.
Big task of restoring war insurance in Ukraine starting with small steps
Oleksandr Kubrakov, deputy prime minister for restoration of Ukraine, speaks at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London, where restarting the private war risks market was discussed. Source: WA Pool/Getty Images News via Getty Images Europe. Early success in the effort to restore Ukraine's war risks insurance market, though small in the context of the overall need, is bringing hope that more substantive solutions will be possible.
The big task of restoring war insurance in Ukraine is starting with small steps
Oleksandr Kubrakov, deputy prime minister for restoration of Ukraine, speaks at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London, where restarting the private war risks market was discussed. Source: WA Pool/Getty Images News via Getty Images Europe. Early success in the effort to restore Ukraine's war risks insurance market, though small in the context of the overall need, is bringing hope that more substantive solutions will be possible.
PCAF aiming to launch expanded version of insurance standard in H1 2025
The Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials is planning to release the second version of its insurance-associated emissions standard in the first half of 2025. The work on the second version will focus on treaty reinsurance and construction all-risk/erection all-risk cover, according to Marco Tormen, managing consultant at Guidehouse and head of the Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials' (PCAF) activities in Europe and German-speaking countries.
Path to net-zero: Disclosure push will spur insurers' work to quantify emissions
Path to net-zero: Disclosure push will spur insurers' work to quantify emissions Insurers are starting to quantify emissions from their auto underwriting portfolios, among others, as they get to grips with greenhouse gas accounting. Source: deepblue4you/iStock via Getty Images. An evolving reporting environment for greenhouse gas emissions should spur the so-far limited adoption of a key standard for measuring emissions in insurers' underwriting portfolios.
Reinsurance startups face uphill climb as renewals restore supply-demand balance
The outcome of the Jan. 1 reinsurance renewals will make life tougher for new entities hoping to enter the market and capitalize on good trading conditions. The supply of reinsurance cover more closely matched buyer demand at the most recent renewal date, after reinsurers' efforts to restore profitability by cutting exposure to riskier areas created an imbalance at the prior year's renewal period. This leaves fewer supply gaps for startups to fill, making it trickier for them to gain a foothold.
Insurers brace for claims from generative AI surge
Insurers brace for claims from generative AI surge Generative AI has already triggered several events that could point to increased claims for insurers. Source: Generated with AI using Image Creator from Microsoft Designer . . AI: Beyond the Hypeis a multipart series exploring trends around various artificial intelligence technologies.
Global insurers curb exposures as they assess Israel-Hamas war impact
Israeli tanks and troops move near the border with Gaza on Oct. 28, 2023, in Sderot, Israel. Source: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images News via Getty Images. Global insurers are hiking prices and reducing coverage on war policies in Israel as the country's conflict with Hamas develops. Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, launched a surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7, triggering the war. The initial Hamas attack killed more than 1,400 people in Israel, the Israeli government has said. As of Nov.
Global insurers curb exposures as they assess Israel-Gaza war impact
Israeli tanks and troops move near the border with Gaza on Oct. 28, 2023, in Sderot, Israel. Source: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images News via Getty Images. Global insurers are hiking prices and reducing coverage on war policies in Israel as the country's conflict with Hamas develops. Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, launched a surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7, triggering the war. The initial Hamas attack killed more than 1,400 people in Israel, the Israeli government has said. As of Nov.
Everest CEO: Reinsurance hard market likely to last into 2025
The current good trading conditions in the reinsurance market can continue all the way into 2025, according to Juan Andrade, CEO of global insurer and reinsurer Everest Group Ltd. "We see the market as having legs through 2024 and very likely into 2025," Andrade said in an interview in September. "We're not seeing any change in momentum at this point in time." The global reinsurance industry is experiencing a hard market.
Convex CEO: Insurance market needs more than 1 good year of returns
Investors will need more than a single year's good performance to be persuaded that the insurance and reinsurance industry has turned a corner, according to Paul Brand, CEO of specialty insurer and reinsurer Convex Group Ltd. Reinsurers in particular had a good first half in 2023, as their efforts to reprice and restructure business started to pay off. But the current state of the market is "very brittle," Brand said in an interview.
Reinsurers warming to cyberrisk as market matures
Reinsurers warming to cyberrisk as market matures Reinsurers are coming to grips with the potential costs of a cyber catastrophe. Source: imagedepotpro/iStock via Getty Images. Reinsurers are growing more comfortable with underwriting cyberrisk, boosting the coverage available to primary carriers.
Reinsurance startups are tough sell for investors despite positive conditions
The reinsurance market is unlikely to see a large influx of new players even with a conducive trading environment, according to brokers and capital markets advisers. Market conditions for reinsurance startups are positive at the moment as higher prices, tighter terms and increased client retentions are improving profitability in the sector.
Munich Re's H1 profit drop bucks improving trend for Europe's Big 4
Munich Re was the only one of the Big Four European reinsurers to report lower group profit year on year for the first half of 2023. The world's biggest reinsurer reported net profit of €2.42 billion in the period, down 20.9% on the €3.07 billion it made in the same period of 2022. One reason for Munich Re's lower profit was a bigger bill for large non-life reinsurance claims.
Insurers forging ahead on climate as anti-ESG forces grow - Conduit Re chair
Insurers forging ahead on climate as anti-ESG forces grow – Conduit Re chair There is a "strong movement in one direction" on climate, said Neil Eckert, executive chairman of Bermuda-based reinsurance group Conduit Holdings. Source: Conduit Holdings. The insurance industry's environmental efforts are continuing unabated even with an uptick in anti-environmental, social and governance sentiments.
Preservice Teachers’ Implementation of Cooperative Learning in Chinese Physical Education
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EU, UK guidance provides relief to embattled net-zero alliances
Margrethe Vestager, executive vice president in charge of competition policy at the European Commission, aims to make competition rules for sustainability initiatives clearer. Source: Urban Andersson via EC - Audiovisual Service. New antitrust guidelines in Europe aimed at easing collaboration on sustainability should bring some comfort to the embattled Net-Zero Insurance Alliance and similar initiatives across the financial sector.
Battle over cyber war insurance exclusions making buyers question value of cover
Battle over cyber war insurance exclusions making buyers question value of cover Lloyd's of London's rollout of its exclusion for cyber war and severe state-backed attacks has been the source of client confusion. Source: Lloyd's of London. Lloyd's of London's exclusion of war and severe state-backed attacks from its core cyber cover has created confusion, prompting buyers to reexamine the value of the product.
Measuring social and emotional learning implementation in a research-practice partnership
Introduction When education practitioners implement a social and emotional learning (SEL) approach, they usually are hoping to enhance students’ social and emotional skills. Although there is a great deal of evidence on the impact of SEL programs on a range of student outcomes, SEL practices and the contexts in which they are implemented vary widely (Durlak et al., 2011; Cipriano et al., 2022).
Cyber insurance market poised for growth as hard market eases
A slowdown in price increases and companies hardening their cybersecurity defenses will help expand the cyber insurance market, according to industry brokers and underwriters. Source: Surasak Suwanmake via Getty Images The recent moderation of cyber insurance price increases could pave the way for new buyers to enter the market and make life easier for existing customers.
IFRS 17 benefits to grow over time amid short-term challenges
The introduction of IFRS 17, a new global accounting standard for insurance contracts, will create some temporary distortions and comparability challenges while the regime beds in. One key change under the new system, which applies to reporting periods after Jan. 1, 2023, is that liabilities will be discounted according to current interest rates. This will remove mismatches in how reported assets and liabilities respond to changes in interest rates.
Insurance industry's net-zero progress at risk as departures shake alliance
Insurance industry's net-zero progress at risk as departures shake alliance Activists participating in an Earth Day march carry an inflated replica of Earth during a rainstorm on April 22 in Washington, DC. Source: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images News via Getty Images The insurance industry's path to net-zero underwriting has become more uncertain following the exits of three big-name members, including two founders, from the UN-convened Net-Zero Insurance Alliance.
Net-Zero Insurance Alliance down more members as 2 Spanish insurers, MS&AD exit
Spanish insurers Grupo Catalana Occidente SA and Mapfre SA, and Japanese insurer MS&AD Insurance Group Holdings Inc., have left the UN-convened Net-Zero Insurance Alliance (NZIA), cutting the initiative's membership to 17. The three insurers are the latest to leave the alliance after a flurry of exits last week. Fourteen companies have now left the NZIA. Before the exodus began at the end of March with Munich Re, the alliance had 30 members.
Sompo confirms exit from Net-Zero Insurance Alliance
Japanese insurance group Sompo Holdings Inc. withdrew from the UN-convened Net-Zero Insurance Alliance (NZIA) on May 25. Eight insurance and reinsurance groups have now confirmed their exit from the alliance, following a raft of departures this week. These included NZIA chair Axa SA, which also announced it was leaving May 25, along with Scor SE and Allianz SE.
Merck case leaves cyber insurers wanting for clarity on war exclusions
The New Jersey Superior Court in Elizabeth ruled that a certain policy exclusion did not let insurers covering pharmaceutical giant Merck off the hook for claims related to a 2017 cyberattack. Source: Getty Images North America A recent New Jersey court finding failed to provide answers as to how cyberattacks should be attributed, highlighting a lack of clarity surrounding war exclusions in cyber insurance policies.
Global insurers face raft of challenges from sanctions targeting Russia
Sanctions against Russia will cause the global insurance industry to lose some business, may trigger loss claims and force companies to keep pace with a barrage of new rules. The U.S., European Union and U.K. and a number of other countries, have imposed economic sanctions on Russian companies and individuals in response to the country's invasion of Ukraine.
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