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☆ Here are Tuesday's biggest analyst calls: Nvidia, Apple, Tesla, JetBlue, Disney, Caterpillar, Super Micro and more
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Here are Tuesday's biggest calls on Wall Street: Morgan Stanley downgrades Oatly to equal weight from overweight Morgan Stanley resumed coverage of the oats company and said it sees too many negative catalysts. " Morgan Stanley reiterates Tesla as overweight Morgan Stanley said it's sticking with Tesla despite a slew of negative data points in a recent investor survey. Morgan Stanley reiterates Nvidia as overweight Morgan Stanley said it's standing by Nvidia heading into earnings later this week. Morgan Stanley initiates CG Oncology as buy Morgan Stanley said shares of the bladder cancer company are "compelling." "We initiate coverage on Morgan Stanley Direct Lending with a Buy rating and $23.50 PT.

Persons: Morgan Stanley downgrades Oatly, Morgan Stanley, Tesla, Bernstein, Siri, it's, Disney, Ingersoll Rand, Rosenblatt, MSCI's, Goldman Sachs, Wolfe, Piper Sandler, Riley, Grainger, Northcoast, JPMorgan downgrades Holley Organizations: Apple, Nvidia, Disney, RBC, Aerospace, BAE Systems, Caterpillar, SMCI, Deutsche Bank, JetBlue, Alaska Air, ASM, Health, BrightSpring Health, Brunswick Corporation, Barclays, JPMorgan, Mizuho, Oncology, UBS, Morgan, Fund, Seaport, Booking Holdings, " Bank of America, AIG, Bank of America, General Insurance Locations: Silicon Valley, Alaska, Brunswick, MIBS, Texas, Europe, Asia

☆ UK pension transfer boom continues as deals worth $11 bln struck
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Lawrence White | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The logo of Legal & General insurance company is seen at their office in central London March 17, 2008. Legal & General (LGEN.L) said it had agreed a so-called full buy-in to the Boots Pension Scheme worth 4.8 billion pounds, in what it said was the largest such deal in Britain by premium size. The market has been running at around 30 billion pounds a year in Britain, but consultants expect 2023 to top that. Rising funding ratios for pension schemes are driving unprecedented demand, Legal & General (L&G) said, as funds scramble to protect schemes against the vagaries of market movements amid rising interest rates worldwide. L&G has written a total of 13.4 billion pounds worth of pension risk transfer deals this year globally, up from 9.5 billion pounds last year.

Persons: Alessia, Eva Mathews, Lawrence White, Sharon Singleton, Mark Potter Organizations: General, REUTERS, Legal, Co, Regulators, Bank of England's Prudential, Authority, Health, Thomson Locations: London, BRITAIN, Britain, Rothesay, Bengaluru

☆ 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

☆ 'Shark Tank' star Daymond John looks to boost Black entrepreneurs for a fourth year
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Drew Richardson | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Leon Bennett | Filmmagic | Getty Images"Shark Tank" star Daymond John is looking to give Black business owners a boost for the fourth year running. The FUBU CEO's Black Entrepreneurs Day, billed as a celebration of Black business, will return Nov. 1. Black Entrepreneurs Day was launched later that year to "celebrate" Black business owners amid a focus on systemic racism and economic inequities. Many of the companies standing behind Black Entrepreneurs Day have launched initiatives to support the Black community. This year, Black Entrepreneurs Day will feature a star-studded guest list including Goldberg, O'Neal, Cedric the Entertainer, Anthony Anderson and Rick Ross, to discuss their journey as Black entertainers and entrepreneurs.

Persons: Daymond John, Radhika Jones, Leon Bennett, John, Whoopi Goldberg, Shaquille O'Neal, George Floyd, Rodney King, JPMorgan Chase, Chase, what's, Goldberg, O'Neal, Cedric, Anthony Anderson, Rick Ross Organizations: Wallis Annenberg Center, Performing Arts, Filmmagic, Apollo, Black, CNBC, JPMorgan, Business, General Insurance Locations: Beverly Hills , California, Manhattan

☆ UK's Direct Line appoints CEO after tough 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Aug 30 (Reuters) - British motor and home insurer Direct Line Insurance Group (DLGD.L) on Wednesday named Adam Winslow, a senior executive at Aviva (AV.L), as its CEO, seeking to reset after profits fell by 95% in 2022. Winslow, who is currently CEO of UK & Ireland general insurance at FTSE 100-listed Aviva, will join Direct Line in the first quarter of 2024. His appointment comes after Penny James, Direct Line's CEO for nearly four years, stepped down in January and Chief Commercial Officer Jon Greenwood was appointed acting CEO. Direct Line reported in March that its operating profit dropped 95% in 2022 after inflation drove up the cost of motor repairs and it warned that 2023 would be impacted by higher than previously expected claims inflation. Direct Line reports first-half 2023 results on Sept. 7.

Persons: Adam Winslow, Winslow, Penny James, Jon Greenwood, Sinchita Mitra, Eva Mathews, Huw Jones, Varun Organizations: Line Insurance, Aviva, UK & Ireland, Direct, Thomson Locations: British, Bengaluru, London

☆ NN Group’s deal spree is finally delivering
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Aug 29 (Reuters Breakingviews) - NN Group (NN.AS) is reaping the benefits of scale in its Dutch backyard. Benign weather in the Netherlands, one of the few European states to escape extreme summer weather, helped. But the seeds of NN’s resurgence lie back in 2016 when it began a 3 billion euro deal splurge, first on domestic rival Delta Lloyd and then VIVAT’s general insurance arm. That helped it hike a 10% share of the general insurance market to 24% as of 2021. NN has outperformed its country rival Aegon (AEGN.AS), boosting shareholder returns by 64% since it bought Delta Lloyd in 2016.

Persons: David Knibbe, Elliott Advisors, Elliott, Delta Lloyd, Aimee Donnellan, Mukesh Ambani’s, Didi, George Hay, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, Chief, Delta, Aegon, Delta Lloyd, Thomson Locations: Netherlands

☆ Insurer AIG profit beats estimates on gains in life and retirement unit
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File PhotoAug 1 (Reuters) - American International Group (AIG.N) exceeded second-quarter profit expectations on Tuesday, driven by growth at its life and retirement unit and lower-than-expected catastrophe losses in what was a very expensive quarter for the industry. AIG, one of the world's biggest commercial insurers, said net premiums written in its general insurance arm for the quarter ended June grew 10% to $7.5 billion. AIG's life and retirement unit saw a 42% jump in premiums and deposits, partly helped by record sales in fixed index annuities. AIG's general insurance accident year combined ratio was 88%, compared with 88.5%, a year earlier. The metric excludes catastrophe losses and a ratio below 100 signifies that the insurer earns more from premiums than it pays out in claims.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Mawar, Gallagher, Noor Zainab Hussain Organizations: AIG, REUTERS, American International, Companies, Thomson Locations: New, New York, Guam, United States, Bengaluru

[1/2] Uday Kotak, Managing Director of Kotak Mahindra Bank poses for a picture at the company's corporate office in Mumbai January 15, 2015. Kotak General Insurance, which is fully-owned by Indian banking giant Kotak Mahindra Bank (KTKM.NS), did not respond to Reuters queries. While the Kotak insurance unit's interest in selling a stake has been reported earlier, its talks with Zurich, the potential deal size and valuation are being reported for the first time. More than 30 companies operate in India's general insurance market, where annual premium collections grew 11% to reach $26.7 billion in 2021-22, helped by rising financial literacy and income levels, CareEdge Ratings said in a report. Already, foreign companies such as Germany's Allianz and South Africa's Lombard have general insurance partnerships with Indian banking or financial groups.

Persons: Uday Kotak, Kotak, South Africa's Lombard, Ergo, Sriram, Tom Sims, Victoria Farr, Aditya Kalra, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: Mahindra Bank, REUTERS, Danish, Zurich Insurance, Kotak, Zurich eyeing, Insurance, Asia's, Germany's Allianz, South, Thomson Locations: Mumbai, India, Zurich, MUMBAI, South Africa's, Europe, China, Frankfurt

☆ State Farm will no longer offer new home insurance policies in California over wildfire concerns
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

State Farm said it won't accept new applications for business and personal lines of property and casualty insurance in California. The change won't impact those with personal auto insurance, and current property and casualty insurance holders can still file claims for property that's already covered by State Farm. "Insurance companies prioritize their short-term financial goals, the long-term goal of the Department of Insurance is protecting consumers," California Department of Insurance spokesperson Michael Soller told CNN. Soller continued: "It's important to note that current State Farm customers are not affected, and no non-renewals are being issued as a result of this announcement." "We pledge to work constructively with the CDI and policymakers to help build market capacity in California," Friday's statement from State Farm said.

☆ State Farm stops home insurance sales in California, citing wildfire risks
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —State Farm is stopping new home insurance sales in California, citing wildfire risks and skyrocketing construction costs, the company announced Friday. The insurance giant stopped accepting applications for all business and personal lines property and casualty insurance in California on May 27. “State Farm General Insurance Company made this decision due to historic increases in construction costs outpacing inflation, rapidly growing catastrophe exposure, and a challenging reinsurance market,” the company said in a statement. While “insurance companies prioritize their short-term financial goals, the long-term goal of the Department of Insurance is protecting consumers,” California Department of Insurance spokesperson Michael Soller said. “However, it’s necessary to take these actions now to improve the company’s financial strength,” State Farm said, adding it will reevaluate according to market conditions.

☆ State Farm to stop accepting homeowners insurance applications in California due to wildfires, construction costs
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

State Farm General Insurance Company on Friday announced that it will stop accepting new homeowners insurance applications in California, citing "rapidly growing" catastrophe risks like wildfires, "historic increases" in construction costs and a challenging reinsurance market. State Farm said it will stop accepting new business, personal lines property and casualty insurance applications starting Saturday. The company said it will work with the California Department of Insurance and other policymakers to improve conditions in California, but that State Farm decided to take action to improve its "financial strength. "We will continue to evaluate our approach based on changing market conditions," State Farm said. State Farm did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment.

☆ Insurer AIG exceeds profit estimates on strong underwriting gains
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 4 (Reuters) - American International Group Inc (AIG.N) beat market estimates for first-quarter profit on Thursday, as record underwriting gains cushioned the blow from lower alternative investment returns. AIG, one of the world's biggest commercial insurers, said net premiums written in its general insurance for the quarter ended March grew 5% to $6.97 billion. Total consolidated net investment income rose 9% to $3.5 billion, partially offset by lower alternative investment income, AIG said. The New York-based company's general insurance underwriting income rose 13% to $502 million, its strongest first-quarter underwriting results, the insurer said. The general insurance accident year combined ratio was 88.7%, compared with 89.5%, a year earlier.

[1/2] Dressmaker Faieza Caswell from Mitchells Plain sews under candlelight in her workplace, on the Cape Flats due to South Africa's struggling power utility company Eskom, implementing regular power cuts - called 'load-shedding', in Cape Town, South Africa February 11, 2023. South Africa's relatively wealthy, developed economy and nearly three decades of political stability helped drive industry growth and draw in reinsurers. And they are now tightening the conditions of their agreements with insurance companies. Reinsurers are also pushing insurance companies to include so-called "named perils" in policies rather than offering blanket cover for catastrophes. Grid failure would plunge South Africa into a nationwide blackout that could last weeks.

☆ Aviva boosts investor payouts after profit beat
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Iain Withers | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The British insurer and asset manager said it had paid more than 5 billion pounds to investors since 2021, including a final dividend of 20.7 pence per share for 2022. The FTSE 100 company reported a 35% rise in 2022 operating profit from continuing operations to 2.2 billion pounds, up from 1.6 billion pounds the previous year. Aviva made an accounting loss of 1.1 billion pounds, compared to a 2 billion pound profit the previous year, which it blamed on adverse market movements in 2022. Following a pension scheme payment and investor payouts, this fell to an estimated 196%, the company said. The company's general insurance gross written premiums increased 8% to 9.7 billion pounds, while its fund arm Aviva Investors reported external net flows of 1.3 billion pounds, down from 3.3 billion the prior year.

☆ Aviva hikes investor payouts after bumper operating profit beat
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The British insurer and asset manager said it had paid more than 5 billion pounds to investors since 2021, just topping Cevian's demand for that figure to be returned over the year. Aviva reported a 35% rise in 2022 operating profit from continuing operations to 2.2 billion pounds, up from 1.6 billion pounds the previous year and trumping analyst forecasts. However, it made an accounting loss of 1.1 billion pounds, compared to a 2 billion pound profit the previous year, which it blamed on adverse market movements in 2022. Following a pension scheme payment and investor payouts, this fell to an estimated 196%, the company said. The company's general insurance gross written premiums increased 8% to 9.7 billion pounds, while its fund arm Aviva Investors reported external net flows of 1.3 billion pounds, down from 3.3 billion the prior year.

☆ L&G looks overseas to fight Brexit discount
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

That’s partly due to its concentration in the life sector – Wilson sold out of general insurance in 2020. L&G’s investment management unit has benefited from an international drive, with non-UK assets accounting for 43% of new money last year. On the life insurance side, some 39% of L&G’s gross premiums were booked overseas in 2022, with the U.S. a particular focus for Brexit-backing Wilson. The less L&G looks like a British company, the more attractive it will be to shareholders. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

☆ Insurer AIG profit shrinks as storm-related costs, weak investment returns hit
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Last month, property and casualty insurer Travelers Companies Inc (TRV.N) also reported a slump in quarterly profit, due to losses arising from the winter storm. AIG's underwriting income climbed 27% to $635 million from $499 million a year earlier, while net premiums written in its general insurance business fell 6%. The general insurance accident year combined ratio improved to 88.4% from 89.8% a year earlier. The metric excludes catastrophe losses, and a ratio below 100 shows the insurer earns more from premiums than it pays out in claims. Reporting by Manya Saini in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini GanguliOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

BENGALURU, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Indian shares reversed earlier gains to close lower on Wednesday, led by a fall in insurance companies after the country's Union budget proposed to limit tax exemptions for insurance proceeds, while Adani Group shares tumbled. This was the worst budget day performance by Nifty 50 (.NSEI) in three years, since the 2.51% fall in 2020. Reuters Graphics Reuters GraphicsMeanwhile, Indian bond yields dropped after the government announced gross borrowing at 15.43 trillion rupees ($188.75 billion) for the next financial year. A Reuters poll had pegged gross borrowing at 16 trillion rupees. Indian insurance companies were top losers post budget, with HDFC Life (HDFL.NS), SBI Life Insurance (SBIL.NS), ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Co (ICIR.NS), Life Insurance of India (LIFI.NS), General Insurance Corp (GENA.NS) and Max Financial (MAXI.NS) tumbling between 8.5% to 12.5%.

☆ Indian shares fall as insurance companies drag; Adani Group stocks tumble
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BENGALURU, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Indian shares reversed earlier gains to trade lower on Wednesday, led by a fall in insurance companies after the country's Union budget proposed to limit tax exemptions for insurance proceeds, while Adani Group shares tumbled. The indexes rose as much as 2% after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman raised the rebate limit for personal income tax to 700,000 rupees from 500,000 rupees. Indian insurance companies were top losers post budget, with HDFC Life (HDFL.NS), SBI Life Insurance (SBIL.NS), ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Co (ICIR.NS), Life Insurance of India (LIFI.NS), General Insurance Corp (GENA.NS) and Max Financial (MAXI.NS) tumbling between 4.5% to 11%. Shares of Nifty 50-listed Adani Enterprises (ADEL.NS) plunged 15% while Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSE.NS) tumbled 10% on a broader selloff in Adani Group firms, which has now swelled to $82 billion since the Hindenburg report. Reporting by Bharath Rajeswaran and Nallur Sethuraman in Bengaluru; editing by Eileen Soreng, Savio D'Souza and Janane VenkatramanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

BENGALURU, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Indian shares reversed earlier gains to close lower on Wednesday, led by a fall in insurance companies after the country's Union budget proposed to limit tax exemptions for insurance proceeds, while Adani Group shares tumbled. The bluechip Nifty 50 index (.NSEI) closed down 0.26% at 17,616.30, its biggest slide on budget day since a 2.51% fall in 2020. HDFC Life (HDFL.NS), SBI Life Insurance (SBIL.NS), ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Co (ICIR.NS), Life Insurance of India (LIFI.NS), General Insurance Corp (GENA.NS) and Max Financial (MAXI.NS) tumbled between 8.5% to 12.5%. Metal stocks (.NIFTYMET) closed down 4.5%, mostly dragged by the slump in Adani Enterprises. ($1 = 81.8680 Indian rupees)Reporting by Bharath Rajeswaran and Nallur Sethuraman in BengaluruOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ AIG Terminates Interim Finance Chief Mark Lyons
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Kathryn Hardison | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

American International Group Inc. said it terminated Mark Lyons from his position as the interim chief financial officer and executive vice president, global chief actuary and head of portfolio management after the company became aware that he violated his confidentiality and nondisclosure obligations. AIG said it entered into a settlement agreement with Mr. Lyons. Mr. Lyons joined the company in 2018 and previously served as the CFO. Mr. Lyons couldn’t immediately be reached for comment. AIG said Sabra Purtill has been named interim CFO and Turab Hussain has been named the interim global chief actuary.

☆ Aviva keeps dividend, capital returns guidance after UK's December cold snap
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Jan 25 (Reuters) - British insurer Aviva (AV.L) on Wednesday maintained its dividend guidance and capital returns outlook as it reported a positive end to trading for the year in its general insurance unit. The company said it expects the group's full-year combined operating ratio to be around 94.6%, in line with guidance given at its third-quarter update. One of Britain's biggest motor and home insurers, Aviva estimated December's adverse weather conditions in the UK to cost around 50 million pounds ($61.65 million), and said it was continuing to support customers following the cold snap. Over the course of 2022, it said its weather experience in its UK & Ireland business was only marginally above long-term averages whilst its Canadian business actually recorded lower than long-term averages with no fourth quarter weather events. ($1 = 0.8110 pounds)Reporting by Simon Jessop, editing by Sinead CruiseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Japan govt asks insurers to retain marine war insurance for LNG shippers in Russian waters
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

TOKYO, Dec 27 (Reuters) - The Japanese government has requested insures to take on additional risks to continue providing marine war insurance for liquefied natural gas (LNG) shippers in Russian waters, a senior official at the industry ministry said. The Financial Services Agency and Agency for Natural Resources and Energy made the request in a letter to the country's general insurance association. Tokyo wants to ensure Japan will continue to import LNG from the Sakhalin-2 project in Russia, the official told Reuters. Three Japanese insurance companies that are set to halt marine coverage of risks related to the war in Ukraine starting next month are in talks with reinsurers to resume those operations, they said on Monday. read moreReporting by Yuka Obayashi Editing by Shri NavaratnamOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Nov 14 (Reuters) - Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ.AX) on Monday said it would contribute A$42 million ($28.10 million) to settle a class action lawsuit brought by law firm Slater & Gordon (SGH.AX) in 2020 over the sale of three consumer credit insurance products. The class action was filed against ANZ, QBE Insurance Australia (QBE.AX), OnePath Life, and OnePath General Insurance alleging that the entities made customers believe their policy payments were "compulsory or provided value to them", according to the law firm's website. ANZ said the settlement contribution is covered by a provision held as of Sept. 30. QBE Insurance, and OnePath Life and OnePath General Insurance, which are indirectly held by Swiss firm Zurich Insurance Group (ZURN.S), did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. ($1 = 1.4948 Australian dollars)Reporting by Sameer Manekar in Bengaluru; editing by Diane CraftOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Nov 14 (Reuters) - Three of Australia's 'big four' banks settled separate class action lawsuits for A$126 million ($84.51 million) with Slater & Gordon (SGH.AX), who took the banks to court two years ago over sale of credit insurance products, the companies said on Monday. Law firm Slater & Gordon in 2020 filed class action lawsuits against Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA.AX), Westpac Banking Corp (WBC.AX), and Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ.AX) on behalf of around one million customers. ANZ, along with QBE Insurance, and OnePath Life and OnePath General Insurance, indirect units of Swiss firm Zurich Insurance Group (ZURN.S), will pay a total of A$47 million to their customers under the settlement, with ANZ contributing A$42 million, Slater & Gordon said. Westpac would pay A$29 million, subject to court's approval. ($1 = 1.4910 Australian dollars)Reporting by Sameer Manekar in Bengaluru; editing by Diane Craft and Rashmi AichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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