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A pedestrian carrying an umbrella walks along the River Thames in view of City of London skyline in London, Britain, July 31, 2023. Finance executives, consultants and headhunters interviewed by Reuters predict subdued deal flows, modest bonuses for most and heavy job cuts in 2024. "2023 will ultimately be one of the lowest corporate finance fee pools in modern history," said Fabrizio Campelli, head of Corporate Bank and Investment Bank at Deutsche Bank. JOB CUTSBanks have already turned to cost cuts to try to weather the downturn, which in a people-intensive business means job losses. And although some bankers expect a tough 2024, others sense an opportunity for European banks from the Basel Endgame.

Persons: Hollie Adams, Fabrizio Campelli, Banks, Ronan O'Kelly, Oliver Wyman, O'Kelly, Dominic Hook, Goldman Sachs, Vis Raghavan, JP Morgan, Morgan McKinley's, Stephane Rambosson, headhunter, Rambosson, Ana Botin, Morgan's Raghavan, there's, Oliver Wyman's O'Kelly, Deutsche's Campelli, Anousha Sakoui, Carolyn Cohn, Jesus Aguado, Alexander Smith Organizations: REUTERS, LONDON, Finance, Reuters, Corporate Bank, Investment Bank, Deutsche Bank, Organisation for Economic Cooperation, Development, Barclays, Lloyds, Challenger Metro Bank, UBS UBSG.S, Citi, Workers, Global Investment Banking, Employment, European Union, Santander, Global, Basel, Thomson Locations: City, London, Britain, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Ukraine, West, China, United States, India, Madrid

☆ Red Sea attacks on ships spark safety concerns for sailors
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Jonathan Saul | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Galaxy Leader cargo ship is escorted by Houthi boats in the Red Sea in this photo released November 20, 2023. The International Chamber of Shipping association said the "attacks must stop immediately, and the innocent seafarers released". "In light of the threat to safe transit of global trade in the Arabian and Red Seas, ZIM is taking temporary proactive measures to ensure the safety of its crews, vessels, and customers' cargo by re-routing some of its vessels," ZIM said. U.S. maritime administration MARAD said in an advisory on Sunday that vessels faced multiple threats after the attacks. Insurance industry sources said they expected war risk premiums to rise in the area, especially for Israel-linked shipping.

Persons: Houthis, ZIM, MARAD, Jonathan Saul, Carolyn Cohn Organizations: Galaxy Leader, Houthi Military, REUTERS, Yemeni, Pentagon, Hamas, Chamber of Shipping, ICS, Insurance, Thomson Locations: Red, Yemen, Gulf, Aden, Somali, Israel, Palestinian, Hodeidah

REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 28 (Reuters) - M&G Real Estate (MNG.L) forecasts it is "a matter of time" before global property markets face greater volumes of forced selling, with banks increasingly reluctant to refinance troubled or lower quality assets at current interest rates. "We are in a new period of real estate investment that will require a new mindset," he told Reuters before the publication of the firm's Global Real Estate Outlook on Tuesday. Nearly 40% of outstanding British commercial real estate loans are due to mature in 2024 and 2025, where average real estate values have fallen by over 20% since mid-2022, the report said, citing data from Bayes Business School. "Real estate debt is becoming an increasingly attractive investment proposition," Pellicer said. U.S. office-based working is at only 50% of pre-pandemic levels, the report cited real estate services firm JLL (JLL.N) as estimating, while numbers in Europe have recovered to 75%.

Persons: Aly, Jose Pellicer, Pellicer, G, Carolyn Cohn, Sinead Cruise, Alexander Smith Organizations: REUTERS, G, Reuters, Bayes Business, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, Germany, Sweden, Europe, United States, Asia

☆ British investment managers get green light for tokenised funds
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Kevin Coombs/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 24 (Reuters) - British investment managers have got the go-ahead to develop tokenised funds, in which assets are split into smaller tokens backed by blockchain technology, the industry's trade body said on Friday. Tokenisation, or fractionalisation, of funds will enable a fund's assets to trade more cheaply and transparently and investors to buy into a wider range of assets, industry proponents say. Funds authorised by Britain's Financial Conduct Authority can take the first steps towards offering tokenised funds, provided the investments are in mainstream assets and valuation and settlement arrangements don't change, the Investment Association said in a statement. Scrimgeour is chair of a working group which is working with the FCA and Britain's finance ministry to open up opportunities for tokenised funds. Investment managers and exchanges in the United States, Europe and Asia have already taken tentative steps in offering tokenised funds.

Persons: Kevin Coombs, tokenisation, Michelle Scrimgeour, Scrimgeour, Carolyn Cohn, Elizabeth Howcroft, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, Britain's Financial, Investment Association, Legal, General Investment Management, FCA, BlackRock, Investment, Thomson Locations: Canary Wharf, London, Britain, United States, Europe, Asia

☆ UK insurer Aviva posts 13% rise in nine-month premiums
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A man walks past an AVIVA logo outside the company's head office in the city of London March 5, 2009. REUTERS/Stephen Hird (BRITAIN)/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 16 (Reuters) - British insurer Aviva (AV.L) on Thursday posted a 13% rise in its general insurance gross written premiums for the first nine months of the year, saying it would continue to return surplus capital to shareholders. Insurers have dealt with issues such as rising inflation and the higher cost of claims by increasing premiums. The life and general insurer, whose main markets are Britain, Canada and Ireland, reported premiums of 8 billion pounds ($9.91 billion), up from 7.2 billion a year earlier. "We see significant opportunities to generate further higher return, capital-light growth in the future as we prioritise these segments."

Persons: Stephen Hird, Amanda Blanc, Blanc, Eva Mathews, Carolyn Cohn, Huw Jones, Sherry Jacob, Phillips, Jason Neely Organizations: AVIVA, REUTERS, Aviva, RSA, Reuters, Thomson Locations: London, BRITAIN, British, Britain, Canada, Ireland, Bengaluru

☆ Lloyd's of London to invest $65 million following slavery report
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Carolyn Cohn | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Signage is seen inside the Lloyd's of London building in the City of London financial district in London, Britain, April 16, 2019. The 335-year old insurance market apologised in 2020 for its role in the 18th and 19th century slave trade. The Lloyd's market is made up of nearly 50,000 people, and Lloyd's wants one in three new hires to come from ethnic minorities. Historians estimate between one and two-thirds of the British marine insurance market was based on the slave trade in the 18th century. The research also showed that Joseph Marryat, Lloyd's of London chairman from 1811 to 1824, had enslaved people, White added.

Persons: Hannah McKay, Lloyd's, We've, Bruce Carnegie, Brown, Alexandre White, Joseph Marryat, White, Garba, Carolyn Cohn, Sinead Cruise, Jan Harvey, Elaine Hardcastle Organizations: REUTERS, London, Black, Johns Hopkins University, Mellon Foundation, Reuters, Central Fund, African Development Bank, Inter, American Development Bank, UN, Equity, of, United Nations, European Union, U.S, Thomson Locations: London, City, Britain, Liverpool, Lloyd’s

Many organisers choose to buy that cover through an add-on political violence and terrorism policy. Insurers cannot change policy wordings of existing policies, so any event organisers who bought political violence cover and cancelled after the conflict started on Oct 7 should be covered. Insurers are also considering restricting cover for event cancellations outside the region, the sources added. Ryan at Marsh said some political violence insurers were proposing wordings which would allow them to break or review policies due to "conditions relating to armed involvement in the 2023 Israel war". Specialist political violence policies are typically offered by firms operating in the Lloyd's of London (SOLYD.UL) insurance market, as well as by U.S. insurers.

Persons: Evelyn Hockstein, Edel Ryan, Marsh, Ryan, Sinead Cruise, Alexander Smith Organizations: Hamas, REUTERS, European Aquatics, MTV, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, Palestinian, Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, Paris, Washington, Gaza City, London

The special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) unveiled plans earlier this year to combine with London Innovation Underwriters and raise additional funds to deploy in the Lloyd's of London insurance market. The deal by Financials Acquisition Corp differs from a typical SPAC merger because the company has set up London Innovation Underwriters itself. It is not the first time that public market investors in London have backed a new insurance venture. In 2020, Conduit Holdings (CRE.L) listed on the London Stock Exchange, subsequently starting reinsurance activities. UBS and HSBC are joint global coordinators to the Financials Acquisition deal.

Persons: Britain's King Charles, Sarah Meyssonnier, William Allen, Lloyd's, Beazley, Carolyn Cohn, Pablo Mayo Cerqueiro, Anousha Organizations: City of, REUTERS, Financials, London Innovation Underwriters, Lloyds, Innovation Underwriters, Conduit Holdings, London Stock Exchange, UBS, HSBC, Thomson Locations: City, City of London, Britain, London, Lancashire, Lloyd's

☆ UK watchdog finds potential NatWest 'regulatory breaches' in Farage fiasco
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Iain Withers | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Signage is seen for the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority), the UK's financial regulatory body, at their head offices in London, Britain March 10, 2022. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 27 (Reuters) - British watchdog the Financial Conduct Authority said on Friday that it had identified potential "regulatory breaches" in NatWest's handling of a decision to close former Brexit party leader Nigel Farage's accounts. NatWest said it would disclose a decision on whether to dock its former CEO Alison Rose's pay over the matter "as soon as possible". "This report, and additional information we have considered, has highlighted potential regulatory breaches and a number of areas for improvement," the FCA said in a statement, adding it was reviewing the firm's governance, systems and controls. Reporting by Carolyn Cohn and Iain Withers, editing by Lawrence WhiteOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Toby Melville, Nigel Farage's, Farage, Alison Rose's, Travers Smith, Alison Rose, Carolyn Cohn, Iain Withers, Lawrence White Organizations: FCA, Financial, Authority, REUTERS, British, NatWest, Thomson Locations: London, Britain

El Al Israel Airlines planes are seen on the tarmac at Ben Gurion International airport in Lod, near Tel Aviv, Israel March 10, 2020. Insurers for Israeli flag carrier El Al Airlines (ELAL.TA), Israir (ISRG.TA) and Arkia have previously said they can issue such notices due to the war between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. Israeli airlines have now received the notices, two sources told Reuters, without naming the airlines. Israeli's parliamentary finance committee last week approved a plan to provide a state guarantee of $6 billion to cover insurance against war risks to Israeli airlines. Airlines normally take out two types of policy - an "all risks" policy which covers both regular damage to the hull and passenger liability, and a "war" policy to cover war or terror-related losses to the aircraft.

Persons: Ronen, Bruce Carman, Arkia, Israir, Garrett Hanrahan, Hanrahan, Carolyn Cohn, Sinead Cruise, David Evans Organizations: El Al Israel Airlines, Ben, REUTERS, Aviation, El Al Airlines, Palestinian, Hamas, Hive Underwriters, El Al, Lebanese, East Airlines, Airlines, Marsh's Global Aviation, Reuters, Hezbollah, Norwegian Air, Thomson Locations: Ben Gurion, Lod, Tel Aviv, Israel, Lebanon, Europe, United States, London, Turkey, Beirut, Eilat

☆ Major cyber attack could cost the world $3.5 trillion -Lloyd's of London
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

3D printed models of people working on computers and padlock are seen in front of a displayed CYBER ATTACK words and binary code in this picture illustration taken, February 1, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 18 (Reuters) - A major cyber attack on a financial services payments system could lead to global losses of $3.5 trillion, with much of it not covered by insurance, commercial insurance market Lloyd's of London (SOLYD.UL) said on Wednesday. Cyber insurance saw over $9 billion in gross written premiums in 2022 and is forecast to grow to $13 billion to $25 billion by 2025, Lloyd's said. Over 20% of the world's cyber premium is placed in the Lloyd's market, Lloyd's said. Major cyber insurers Beazley (BEZG.L) and Hiscox (HSX.L) are among more than 50 insurance companies in the Lloyd's market.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Lloyd's, ”, Bruce Carnegie, Brown, Beazley, Carolyn Cohn, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, Lloyd's, Cambridge Centre, Risk Studies, China, Thomson Locations: London, United, Japan

☆ AI should cut pensions costs, highlight risks - report
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Artificial Intelligence words are seen in this illustration taken March 31, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Artificial intelligence should improve pensions performance by cutting costs and highlighting upcoming risks, the Mercer CFA Institute's global pensions report said on Tuesday, with the Netherlands in top spot in this year's index. Additional uses for AI could include building customised portfolios and identifying market anomalies, although AI was unlikely to be able to predict market movements with accuracy so uncertainty will remain, the report said. Iceland came second and Denmark third in the 2023 index. Reporting by Carolyn Cohn; Editing by Alexander SmithOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, David Knox, Mercer, Carolyn Cohn, Alexander Smith Organizations: REUTERS, Mercer CFA, Mercer, CFA Institute, Monash Centre, Financial Studies, Denmark, Thomson Locations: Netherlands, Iceland

STOCKHOLM/AMSTERDAM, Oct 12 (Reuters) - Airlines wrestled with the safety risk of evacuation operations in Israel on Thursday, with carriers including Dutch KLM cancelling flights while sister airline Air France mounted a special relief flight chartered by the French foreign ministry. Israel's parliamentary finance committee meanwhile approved a plan to provide a state guarantee of $6 billion to cover insurance against war risks to Israeli airlines. The framework will grant Israeli airlines cover against war risks, thereby ensuring the continuity of air operations. Foreign airlines have struggled to find a common approach and the head of European budget giant Ryanair (RYA.I) said it was up to governments to plot the way forward. PATCHY RESPONSEGermany's Lufthansa (LHAG.DE) said it was sticking to its plans for evacuation flights on Thursday and Friday, while continuing to ground commercial flights to Israel.

Persons: Ben Gurion, Ben Smith, Ed Bastian, Sasha Gainullin, Rafael Schvartzman, Obama, Anna Ringstrom, Bart H, Meijer, Tim Hepher, Joanna Plucinska, Julia Payne, Carolyn Cohn, Steven Scheer, Rajesh Kumar Singh, Doyinsola, Terje Solsvik, Deborah Kyvrikosaios, Diane Craft Organizations: Airlines, Dutch KLM, Air France, Palestinian, Israel's, Norwegian Air, Insurance, Reuters, Foreign, Ryanair, KLM, Boeing, Lufthansa, Dubai's Emirates, Delta Air Lines, International Air Transport Association, Regulators, U.S . Federal Aviation Administration, Thomson Locations: STOCKHOLM, AMSTERDAM, Israel, Palestinian, Tel Aviv's, Ben, Gaza, Tel Aviv, Eilat, Emirates, United States, Europe, U.S, Ben Gurion

Most foreign airlines have suspended or curtailed services, leaving passengers uncertain how to leave or reach the country and consular services struggling to keep up with demand for assistance, with priority given to those with missing relatives. Israel's parliamentary finance committee said late on Tuesday it would debate authorising state guarantees for providing war risk insurance for Israeli airlines. British Airways said it would suspend flights to Tel Aviv after diverting a flight from London back to Britain shortly before it was due to reach Tel Aviv, citing security concerns. U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Washington remains in talks with U.S. airlines about flights to Israel. Passengers have complained of mounting costs especially for leaving Israel, but airlines deny driving up prices.

Persons: Yiannis, El Al, Sun Dor, Israel, ” Neil Roberts, Jan Lipavsky, Lipavsky, couldn't, Annalena Baerbock, Carsten Spohr, Pete Buttigieg, flydubai, Steven Scheer, Carolyn Cohn, Jacob Gronholt, Pedersen, Michael Kahn, Victoria Klesty, Joanna Plucinska, Tim Hepher, Huseyin Hayatsever, David Shepardson, Alexander Cornwell, Mark Potter, Lincoln Organizations: Larnaca International Airport, REUTERS, El, Hamas, Association, British Airways, Lufthansa, German, . Transportation, U.S, Nordic, Dubai's Emirates, Etihad Airways, Thomson Locations: Israel, Larnaca, Cyprus, Israeli, Athens, Rome, Madrid, Bucharest, New York, Paris, Istanbul, El, Tel Aviv, London, Britain, Czech, Oman, Prague, Lipavsky, Denmark, Carsten Spohr ., Washington, Norwegian, Oslo, Abu Dhabi, United States, COVID

"There's been very little marking down of (private) assets," said Con Keating, head of research at Brighton Rock Group, an insurance company for pension schemes. "No-one knows where the next big blow-up for pensions will come from," said Henry Tapper, founder of pension market analysis group AgeWage. He said heavy selling of commercial property and private equity stakes by pension schemes is raising questions over private capital valuations. "It's the right approach to obviously put some scrutiny on private market valuations." But in deals where private equity firms and investors buy and sell portfolios of investments, assets are being valued at less.

Persons: Yann Tessier, Con Keating, Henry Tapper, EY's, Paul Kitson, Burgiss, Ben Leach, Willis Towers Watson, IOSCO, Wilfred Small, Sinead Cruise, John O'Donnell, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: City of, REUTERS, Britain's, Authority, Brighton Rock Group, Reuters, Numis Securities, Thomson Locations: City, City of London, Canary, London, Britain, Germany, Sweden

☆ Aviva shares jump 8% as Times cites takeover talk
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The Aviva logo on a window at the company's head office in the City of London, Britain, March 7, 2019. REUTERS/Simon Dawson/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Shares in Aviva (AV.L) shot up almost 9% on Friday, after Britain's Times newspaper cited talk of a possible takeover of one of the UK's largest insurers by a foreign buyer. ($13.41 billion)The Times cited "chatter that refused to die down". Last month, Aviva said it had agreed to buy UK life insurance business of AIG (AIG.N) for 460 million pounds($563 million), in the largest acquisition to date by its CEO, Amanda Blanc. ($1 = 0.8201 pounds)Reporting by Joice Alves and Carolyn Cohn; Writing by Amanda Cooper; Editing by Dhara RanasingheOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Simon Dawson, Amanda Blanc, Joice Alves, Carolyn Cohn, Amanda Cooper, Dhara Organizations: Aviva, City of, REUTERS, Britain's Times, Reuters, AIG, Thomson Locations: City, City of London, Britain

Benefiting from the highest interest rates since 2008, pension funds are better funded to meet future payouts than they have been in years. Because insurers hold a lot less government debt than pension funds, favouring higher-return assets such as corporate debt, they are expected to sell some of the gilts they receive. It is selling 240 billion pounds of debt this year, a record, save for 2020-21. Helped by the pension fund demand of past years, Britain's average debt life is around 15 years, more than double the U.S. and Germany's. Britain has already started skewing its funding towards shorter debt this year, citing high borrowing needs, a move investors reckon also reflects declining pension fund appetite.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, BoE, gilts, Chris Jeffery, Lane Clark, Peacock, Barry Kenneth, Van Lanschot, Arif Saad, Craig, Owen Davies, LGIM's Jeffery, Yoruk, Carolyn Cohn, Dhara Ranasinghe, Toby Chopra Organizations: REUTERS, Bank of England, Legal, General Investment Management, Fund, Investment, Royal London Asset Management, Investors, Yoruk Bahceli, Thomson Locations: gilts, Germany's, Britain, Amsterdam, London

☆ Lloyd's of London swings to first-half profit
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The interior of the Lloyd's of London building is seen in the City of London financial district in London, Britain, April 16, 2019. REUTERS/Hannah McKay//File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Lloyd's of London (SOLYD.UL) swung to a first-half pre-tax profit of 3.9 billion pounds ($4.88 billion), helped by rises in premium rates and positive investment returns, the commercial insurance market said on Thursday. Lloyd's recorded a loss of 1.8 billion pounds for the same period a year ago. The COVID-19 pandemic, Ukraine war, inflation and climate change-fuelled natural catastrophes have helped insurers and reinsurers to raise premiums, improving their profits. Lloyd's saw a net investment return of 1.8 billion pounds, compared with a loss of 3.1 billion pounds a year earlier.

Persons: Hannah McKay, Lloyd's, ”, John Neal, Carolyn Cohn, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, Global, Thomson Locations: London, City, Britain, Ukraine

Signage is seen inside the Lloyd's of London building in the City of London financial district in London, Britain, April 16, 2019. The answer to that is yes," Neal told Reuters in an interview. "Absent UN intervention and UN clearance, we would not sanction the insurance," Neal said. The Lloyd's market estimated loss, net of reinsurance, from the Ukraine conflict was 1.6 billion pounds ($2 billion), he added. Lloyd's recorded a first-half pre-tax profit of 3.9 billion pounds ($4.9 billion) versus a loss of 1.8 billion pounds in the first half of 2022, helped in part by higher premium rates.

Persons: Hannah McKay, John Neal, Neal, Beazley, Adrian Cox, Cox, Lloyd's, Beazley's Cox, Sinead Cruise, Jan Harvey Organizations: REUTERS, United Nations, NATO, Moscow, Reuters, UN, Aeroflot, Thomson Locations: London, City, Britain, Turkey, Russia, Ukraine, Taiwan, Moscow

☆ BAE Systems pensions appoint Goldman Sachs to manage 23 bln stg in assets
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

The logo for Goldman Sachs is seen on the trading floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, New York, U.S., November 17, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 6 (Reuters) - The trustees of two BAE Systems (BAES.L) pensions schemes have appointed Goldman Sachs Asset Management to manage 23 billion pounds ($28.88 billion) in defined benefit pension scheme assets, the fund manager said on Wednesday. The mandate for BAE Systems Pension Scheme and BAE Systems Executive Pension Scheme is the largest outsourced chief investment officer appointment in Britain to date, GSAM said in a statement. Pension funds are looking at ways to cut costs by outsourcing parts of their business. ($1 = 0.7964 pounds)Reporting by Carolyn Cohn; editing by Jason NeelyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Andrew Kelly, Goldman, GSAM, Carolyn Cohn, Jason Neely Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, BAE Systems, Management, Thomson Locations: New York City , New York, U.S, Britain

☆ S&P Global raises reinsurance sector view to stable from negative on higher prices
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Carolyn Cohn | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The S&P Global logo is displayed on its offices in the financial district in New York City, U.S., December 13, 2018. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 5 (Reuters) - S&P Global has raised its view of the global reinsurance sector to stable from negative, it said on Tuesday, due to higher reinsurance rates and increasing investment income, while rival Moody's kept its outlook for the sector stable. The COVID-19 pandemic, war, inflation and climate change-fuelled natural catastrophes have put upward pressure on reinsurance rates in recent years. S&P Global said this "resulted in the hardest market in decades" in some lines of business. "Challenges such as elevated natural disasters, increasing cost of capital, financial market volatility, and inflation risk persist," S&P Global added.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Moody's, Gallagher Re, reinsurers, Laline Carvalho, Neff, Re, Carolyn Cohn, Jason Neely, Alex Richardson, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, Global, P Global, P, reinsurer, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, California, Florida, Monte Carlo

"We are delighted to see ongoing momentum...we continue to feel good about our growth prospects in Hong Kong," he said. Besides disclosing earnings, Wadhwani announced a strategy that included "targeted investment in structural growth markets" across Asia and Africa. Prudential's annualised premium equivalent (APE) sales, a closely watched gauge of insurance sales, rose 37% to $3 billion on a stronger pickup in sales from Chinese mainland visitors to Hong Kong. Prudential said APE sales in Hong Kong rose more than four times in the first half, and business generated from Chinese mainland visitors enjoyed a "significant increase" following the opening of the border. Reporting by Sumeet Chatterjee in Hong Kong and Carolyn Cohn in London; Editing by Christopher Cushing and Sharon SingletonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Simon Dawson, Prudential's, Anil Wadhwani, Wadhwani, Sumeet Chatterjee, Carolyn Cohn, Christopher Cushing, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Prudential, REUTERS, Prudential PLC, Jefferies, China, Hong Kong, AIA, HK, Consumers, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, HONG KONG, Asia, Hong Kong, Hong, Africa, Hong Kong . Hong Kong, China

☆ Pensions business boosts Legal & General H1 profit above expectations
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Legal & General (LGEN.L) reported a forecast-beating operating profit of 941 million pounds ($1.20 billion) in the first half on Tuesday, boosted by its bulk annuity business, and said it was on track to meet its five-year ambitions. Analysts in a company-compiled consensus poll had forecast operating profit for the British life insurer and asset manager of 834 million pounds. Operating profit fell nearly 2% from a year earlier but analysts at Jefferies said they expected the results to be "well received" on Tuesday. British specialist insurer Just Group (JUSTJ.L) reported a 154% jump in first-half profit on Tuesday, also beating market estimates, boosted by bumper sales of its retirement income products and higher new business income. ($1 = 0.7868 pounds)Reporting by Carolyn Cohn in London and Eva Mathews in Bengaluru, editing by Sinead CruiseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Nigel Wilson, Jefferies, Carolyn Cohn, Eva Mathews, Sinead Cruise Organizations: General Investment Management, Thomson Locations: London, Bengaluru

☆ Fintech Vesttoo seeks Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Israel-based fintech Vesttoo is seeking Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in a U.S. court which will enable it to pursue legal action against those responsible for a fake collateral scandal, it said in a statement on Monday. Vesttoo - partly backed by Banco Santander's (SAN.MC) fintech venture capital arm Mouro Capital - has laid off staff, closed offices and appointed an interim chief executive following the discovery of fraudulent letters of credit used on its platform. Vesttoo provides insurers with access to so-called insurance-linked securities - an alternative form of reinsurance. Led by Mouro, Vesttoo last raised $80 million at a $1 billion valuation last October. In its bankruptcy filing, Vesttoo said it had appointed law firm DLA Piper and financial adviser Kroll to represent the firm.

Persons: Vesttoo, Ami Barlev, Mouro, DLA Piper, Kroll, Carolyn Cohn, Sonali Paul Organizations: Banco Santander's, Thomson Locations: Israel, U.S

☆ Israeli fintech Vesttoo names new interim CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

JERUSALEM, Aug 9 (Reuters) - Israeli fintech company Vesttoo said on Wednesday it named Ami Barlev as interim chief executive officer, replacing Yaniv Bertele, who was in charge during a fake collateral scandal. The firm noted Barlev specializes in the areas of corporate governance, business development, crisis management, and managing companies in complex situations. Vesttoo, which uses artificial intelligence technology to connect the insurance industry and capital markets, is also in contact with regulatory bodies worldwide. Vesttoo provides insurers with access to so-called insurance-linked securities - an alternative form of reinsurance. Reporting by Steven Scheer and Carolyn Cohn; Editing by Toby Chopra and David EvansOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Vesttoo, Ami Barlev, Yaniv Bertele, Barlev, Steven Scheer, Carolyn Cohn, Toby Chopra, David Evans Organizations: Nasdaq, Banco Santander's, Thomson

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