Global multiline insurers better equipped for challenges: S&P
Standard & Poors (S&P) has said it believes the group of insurers best positioned to withstand the industry's top challenges are global, diversified players, according to a new report it has released.
"Global multiline insurers’ (GMI capital positions and operating performance held up well on average last year," said Volker Kudszus, analyst, S&P. "And, given our stable outlooks on nine of the 13 players we rate, we expect our ratings on GMIs will generally remain more resilient than on our universe of insurance ratings, where negative outlooks slightly outweigh positives."
S&P said it continues to see GMIs' geographic and product diversification as key ratings
strengths. It said this will help them cope with challenges- such as lower-for-longer interest rates, the looming risk of the UK exiting the EU, and increased regulatory scrutiny-better than less diversified insurers.
"Overall, global diversification is a double-edged sword, though," added Kudszus. "While no single external challenge is likely to trigger downgrades of GMIs currently, most have at least some exposure to many kinds of challenges."
Over the long term, S&P said it sees some room for both potential credit upsides and downsides, depending on how regulations and economic challenges impact GMIs' competitive positions and risk profiles.
