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☆ BMW Is a Surprise Winner in Electric Vehicles
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-09 | by ( Jack Ewing | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The German automaker’s electric vehicles are made on the same assembly line as gasoline cars and look similar from the outside. The company sold 376,000 electric vehicles last year, including some under its Mini brand, a 75 percent increase from the previous year. Electric vehicles accounted for 15 percent of BMW sales in 2023, up from 9 percent the previous year. The company’s growth comes as sales of electric vehicles have risen at a slower pace overall around the world. What is even more surprising is that BMW, unlike General Motors or Ford Motor, made a profit on the electric vehicles it sold.

Organizations: BMW, Tesla, General Motors, Ford Locations: Munich

☆ The world hasn't been this warm in 100,000 years
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-11 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Data from ancient ice cores and tree rings suggest the world hasn't been this warm in 100,000 years. But climate scientists who track these trends were still shocked by how high temperatures soared. Europe's Copernicus Climate Change Service made the official call this week. Carlo Buontempo, the service's director, said evidence suggests the world hasn't been this warm in 100,000 years, meaning no cities, farms, or other parts of modern society have ever endured this heat. AdvertisementBut the Copernicus climate scientists said that these weren't the only factors and that some required more research.

Persons: Carlo Buontempo, Buontempo, Copernicus, El Niño, Niño, Samantha Burgess, Burgess Organizations: Service, UN Locations: Business, Munich, Tonga, Paris

☆ Record thunderstorm losses and deadly earthquakes cost $250 billion in damages in 2023, report says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-09 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Destructive thunderstorms in North America and Europe and a series of devastating earthquakes last year cost the world around $250 billion in damages, according to a new report from the world's largest reinsurance company. In Europe, thunderstorm losses amounted to $10 billion, of which $8 billion was insured. It said such high thunderstorm losses were unprecedented for the U.S. and Europe. Munich Re said that while the economic and insured losses from 2023 may not appear extraordinary, it marks another year of "extremely high" damages even without any so-called mega-disasters in industrialized countries. In 2022, for example, Hurricane Ian was found to have resulted in overall economic losses of a whopping $100 billion and insured losses of $60 billion.

Persons: Hurricane Ian, Ernst Rauch, Rauch Organizations: Munich Re, U.S, CNBC, videoconference Locations: North America, Europe, Munich

☆ Senate committee investigating Florida’s state-backed home insurance company as private insurers flee
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Ella Nilsen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —The US Senate Budget Committee is launching an investigation into whether Florida’s state-backed home and property insurance company has enough money in the bank to withstand future disasters, as scientists warn warming oceans and sea level rise are making storms more destructive. Citizens Property Insurance Corporation exists as a so-called insurer of last resort - if owners cannot convince a private insurance company to cover their property, Citizens will step in. If that were to happen, the Senate Budget Committee is worried Florida might turn to the federal government looking for a bailout, Whitehouse said. State insurers of last resort were originally intended as a stopgap for consumers, ensuring their coverage wouldn’t be interrupted. Florida isn’t alone; some major private insurers have either pulled out or stopped writing new policies in wildfire-prone California.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, “, Sen, Sheldon Whitehouse, ” Whitehouse, Michael Peltier, Whitehouse, ”, Benjamin Keys, ” Keys, ’, Keys, “ It’s Organizations: CNN, Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, Republican Gov, Citizens, Democrat, ”, Munich Re, Swiss, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Senate, FAIR, Florida’s Citizens, Budget Locations: After Florida, Rhode Island, Florida, Miami, Tampa, “ Florida, Munich, riskiest, California

☆ Munich Re CFO: Plenty of room for growth
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailMunich Re CFO: Plenty of room for growthChristoph Jurecka, CFO of Munich Re, says the company has plenty of room for growth because risk cover is still highly needed.

Persons: Christoph Jurecka Locations: Munich

☆ German startup Fernride raises $50 mln for self-driving freight trucks
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Nick Carey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Sept 20 (Reuters) - German self-driving startup Fernride said on Wednesday that it has raised $50 million in Series A funding to increase the use of its "human-assisted" autonomous freight trucks in customer's logistics yards. The Munich-based startup had initially closed the funding round with $31 million, but had extended it due to high investor interest, the company said. New investors include Munich Re's venture capital arm Munich Re Ventures, Bavarian venture capital firm Bayern Kapital and former Siemens Klaus Kleinfeld, who will become chairman of the board at Fernride. Existing investors, including strategic investors HHLA (HHFGn.DE) and Deutsche Bahn (DBN.UL) unit DB Schenker also participated in the funding round. Fernride's trucks currently operate autonomously around 80% of the time, then remote human operators to step in to help the remainder of the time.

Persons: Siemens Klaus Kleinfeld, Hendrik Kramer, DB, Kramer, Nick Carey, David Evans Organizations: Munich Re Ventures, Bayern Kapital, Siemens, Deutsche Bahn, DB Schenker, Volkswagen, Thomson Locations: Munich, Bavarian, Fernride, Hamburg

The U.S. homeowner’s insurance industry has had three straight years of underwriting losses, according to credit rating agency AM Best. Record numbers of Americans are now insured through state-affiliated “insurers of last resort” like California’s FAIR Plan, or Louisiana or Florida’s Citizens property insurance companies. These programs were designed to insure properties where private insurance companies have refused to insure or the price for private insurance is too expensive. In Florida, Citizens Property Insurance Corp. now has 1.4 million homeowners’ policies in effect, nearly triple in five years. “It used to be homeowner's insurance was an afterthought when you are looking at buying a property.

Persons: you’re, ”, California Sen, Bill Dodd, Jeremy Porter, Fannie Mae, Todd Bevington, “ I’ve, Jen Goodlin, ‘, ’ ”, “ We’ve, ” Dodd, Dodd, Porter, Guy Carpenter, Lara Mowery, Mowery, ” Mowery, That’s, ” Bevington, Adam Beam, Janie Har Organizations: First Street Foundation, Bank of America, Treasury Department, Paradise, FAIR, Citizens Property Insurance Corp, Farm, Allstate, National Flood Insurance, Swiss, Munich Re, Hurricane Locations: California, Florida, Louisiana, Lahaina, Vermont, Maine, New York, U.S, “, Paradise, Northern California, Colorado, Munich, New Orleans, Gulf, Asheland, N.C, Sacramento, Calif, San Francisco

Thermal coal insurance rates rose more than 20% last year, it said, above the 7.3% rise in the benchmark Marsh Global Insurance Market Index. Insurance companies can be active in both primary insurance and reinsurance and have differing commitments on ESG for different parts of their business. "Establishing a mutual fund for the coal industry is a matter for the coal industry," a spokesperson for the Australian Department of Treasury said. "I'm talking about going beyond your normal UK-based markets and looking into Asia for funders and insurance cover," she added. Coal prices hit record highs in September last year as European countries scrambled to replace Russian gas, sending coal miners' profits soaring.

Persons: Philip Mostert, Seriti, Doug Gain, Gain, Ben Davis, Willis Towers Watson, Thungela, China's, Russia's, Switzerland's Chubb, Chubb, Russia's SOGAZ, Peter Bosshard, Nombasa Tsengwa, Tsengwa, Exxaro, Clara Denina, Sarah McFarlane, Nelson Banya, Elaine Hardcastle, Daniel Flynn Organizations: REUTERS, Seriti, Thungela Resources, International Energy Agency, Reuters, Marsh Global Insurance, Whitehaven Coal, Whitehaven, Allianz, Swiss, Germany's Allianz, Insuramore, Australian Department of Treasury, South, Thomson Locations: American, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa, South, Ukraine, Whitehaven, Munich, Australia, Asia, Europe

☆ Lending startup Captain raised $107 million in the boom times. Now it's up for sale amid layoffs and a capital drought.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Melia Russell | Rob Price | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Captain, a startup that aimed to quicken home repairs after natural disasters, is winding down. The Louisville-based company had previously raised $107 million across venture and debt equity. CartaMany early-stage startups such as Captain, which had raised $107 million across equity and debt capital, have struggled to raise new funding as a drought in venture capital spreads through Silicon Valley. Liabilities pile upThe company relies on debt financing to pay contractors upfront for materials, supplies, and labor costs. In his email, Gray said prospective buyers were aware of the outstanding liabilities and the sale price would be used to satisfy those liabilities, "with wages being the most paramount," he said.

Persons: Demetrius Gray, Gray, Captain, Red Swan, Pete Flint, Flint, PATRICK T, FALLON, Talent, Melia Russell, Rob Price Organizations: quicken, Carta, TechCrunch, GGV, fintech, Munich Re, San Francisco Superior Court Locations: The Louisville, Silicon Valley, Carta, Louisville , Kentucky, NFX, CoVenture, Munich, Maui

☆ Turkey earthquake contributed to $43 billion in first-half insurance losses, Munich Re says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, July 27 (Reuters) - A deadly earthquake in Turkey and Syria as well as tornadoes and hailstorms in the United States contributed to losses covered by insurance of $43 billion in the first half of 2023, Munich Re (MUVGn.DE) said in a report released on Thursday. The figure is slightly lower than the $47 billion in insured losses incurred in the first half of 2022, but higher than the 10-year average of $34 billion, according to Munich Re, the world's largest reinsurer. Including uninsured losses, the figure came to $110 billion in the first half of the year - also significantly above the 10-year average. The earthquake in Turkey and Syria, in which some 58,000 people were killed, was the largest contributor to insured and uninsured losses incurred in the first half of 2023 at $40 billion. A series of severe thunderstorms in the U.S. brought destructive tornadoes and hailstorms that resulted in $35 billion in insured and uninsured losses, according to Munich Re.

Persons: Rauch, Alexander Huebner, Friederike Heine, Rachel More Organizations: Munich Re, El, Thomson Locations: BERLIN, Turkey, Syria, United States, Munich, U.S

☆ Barclays says hot seas will lead to a severe hurricane season and names one stock to benefit
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

As oceans warm, Barclays now anticipates a worse-than-expected hurricane season — and sees one stock that could be a good investment by the shift in outlook. Despite early expectations for a mild hurricane season given the El Niño weather pattern , Barclays analyst Craig Rye said the season should now be more severe than previously anticipated in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Beyond the human and economic costs of severe hurricane seasons, however, Rye said property and casualty insurance data provider Verisk Analytics could benefit from a more severe season as a result of higher claims. VRSK YTD mountain Verisk's 2023 It's already been a strong year for Verisk stock, with shares up more than 34% since 2023 began and reaching new all-time highs twice in July. Elsewhere, Rye noted reinsurers tend to outperform in hurricane season with little impact from the actual strength of that season.

Persons: Craig Rye, Rye, Verisk's, Tracy Benguigui, It's, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Barclays, Atlantic, Colorado State University, CSU, Cyclone Energy, Munich Re Locations: Florida, Manatee Bay , Florida, Florida , Texas, Louisiana, Rye, California, Munich, Lancashire

☆ Green alliance crisis is more than just a US drama
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Pamela Barbaglia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Back in March the Net-Zero Insurance Alliance (NZIA) boasted 30 members, representing about 15% of global premium volume. Now the NZIA, a key financial forum for insurers to set decarbonisation targets and a part of the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), has shrunk to just 13 companies. Even those who choose to stay in the NZIA risk losing business due to state politicians pursuing a “war on woke”. NZIA, part of the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero set up by U.N. climate envoy Mark Carney, requires members to commit to reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. In rapid succession Japanese insurers Sompo Holdings, MS&AD and Tokio Marine as well as Australia’s QBE Insurance quit the net-zero alliance in late May.

Persons: Beneva, Mark Carney, French reinsurer Scor, Lloyd’s, John Neal, George Hay, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, Global, United Nations, Zero Insurance, Glasgow Financial Alliance, Zero Banking Alliance, Alliance, European Union, Reuters Graphics Reuters, ”, Zurich Insurance, Munich Re, Hannover Re, Allianz, Axa, French, Sompo Holdings, Tokio Marine, QBE Insurance, Thomson Locations: United, United States, Germany, NZIA, Munich, Tokio, London

☆ We're exceeding guidance expectations after only one quarter, Munich Re CFO says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWe're exceeding guidance expectations after only one quarter, Munich Re CFO saysChristoph Jurecka, CFO at the German multinational insurance company, discusses its first-quarter results and how claims inflation will affect the business.

☆ Our pricing was 'more or less' unaffected by the pandemic, says Munich Re CFO
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailOur pricing was 'more or less' unaffected by the pandemic, says Munich Re CFOChristoph Jurecka, CFO at the German multinational insurance company, discusses pricing trends in the insurance market in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

☆ This former Tesla developer is reinventing the home electrical panel
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

One major component of that, however, is not very smart at all: the electric panel. The Span panel is capable of measuring every circuit in your home and giving you, as the homeowner, control over the dials. "The Span panel is increasingly becoming a default solution when paired with resiliency products." Buyers of the Span panel are eligible for tax incentives that apply to both the product and its installation. Some homebuilders are adopting the Span panel because it reduces the costs for new builds.

[1/2] The landfall facilities of the 'Nord Stream 1' gas pipeline are pictured in Lubmin, Germany, March 8, 2022. Russia has a 51% stake in Nord Stream 1 through a subsidiary of state-owned energy group Gazprom (GAZP.MM). While the import of Russian crude oil and oil products is banned under European Union (EU) sanctions, Russian gas imports are allowed. In September 2022, several unexplained underwater explosions ruptured the Nord Stream 1 and newly-built Nord Stream 2 pipelines, each more than 1,200-km-long, that link Russia and Germany across the Baltic Sea. Gazprom and Swiss-based Nord Stream AG did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

LONDON, March 31 (Reuters) - A member of a United Nations-backed coalition of insurance firms and pension funds seeking to tackle climate change told Reuters it was considering quitting after disagreements about curbing investment in the oil and gas sector split the group. The row is the latest in a string of policy splits among major climate coalitions of financial firms. AkademikerPension wanted the position paper to state that NZAOA members should only invest in public equities or corporate bonds when the companies involved are no longer investing in exploration for new oil and gas. German insurer Munich Re (MUVGn.DE) said earlier on Friday it was withdrawing from another alliance of insurers focused on reducing carbon emissions to avoid antitrust risks. "I think it's going to be extremely difficult for a plaintiff, even a government enforcer, to prevail on an antitrust theory of harm," said Mitnick.

☆ Larry Fink: BlackRock is not the 'environmental police'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Laurence "Larry" Fink, chairman and chief executive officer of BlackRock Inc., pauses as he speaks during the BlackRock Asia Media Forum in Hong Kong, China. Justin Chin | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesAsset managers like BlackRock are not "the environmental police," Larry Fink said in his annual chairman's letter to investors, which was published on Wednesday. In fact, it's hard to find a part of our ecology – or our economy – that's not affected," Fink wrote. Blackrock has customers who want to invest in the energy transition and others who do not, Fink said, and Blackrock serves both types. BlackRock is investing in natural gas pipelines, with efforts made to mitigate methane emissions from those natural gas pipelines, Fink said.

☆ Munich Re expects further growth and higher margins next year, CFO says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailMunich Re expects further growth and higher margins next year, CFO saysChristoph Jurecka, CFO of German reinsurer Munich Re, breaks down the company's fourth-quarter results and how it achieved a 74% year-on-year profit increase.

☆ Munich Re Q4 profit up 74%, surpasses full-year target
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

FRANKFURT, Feb 23 (Reuters) - The German reinsurer Munich Re (MUVGn.DE) on Thursday said it posted a 74% rise in net profit in the fourth quarter, helping it surpass a full-year earnings target despite claims related to the war in Ukraine. 2022 was a challenging year for insurers, which also faced claims from Hurricane Ian in Florida, pandemic losses and high inflation. Net profit in the fourth quarter of 1.516 billion euros ($1.61 billion) compares with 871 million euros a year ago. 2022 profit of 3.419 billion euros was up from 2.932 billion a year earlier and greater than the 3.294 billion euros that analysts had expected. Munich Re had targeted 3.3 billion euros.

☆ Insurers Avoid Picking Up Businesses’ Covid-19 Pandemic Costs
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Richard Vanderford | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +6 min

“If they assumed incorrectly, the mom-and-pop restaurants shouldn’t be penalized.”Federal appeals courts so far have rejected cases like Consolidated Restaurant’s. In January, the federal appeals court in Philadelphia ruled against a range of businesses. With that decision, businesses had seen losses in 11 federal appeals courts, whose jurisdictions span nearly the entire country. Business interruption insurance policies are typically written to address harm to property: For instance, if a water-main break floods a sales floor, or a fire forces a business to close. In June, a Boston federal appeals court rejected a Covid insurance claim by a group of restaurants.

Losses from natural catastrophes covered by insurance totalled around $120 billion last year, similar to 2021, though short of 2017's record damages, Munich Re (MUVGn.DE), the world's largest reinsurer, said. Annual insured losses of $100 billion appear to be "the new normal", he said. Total losses from natural catastrophes, including those not covered by insurance, were $270 billion in 2022. The United States once again accounted for a big portion of the losses with Hurricane Ian, which hit Florida in September, causing $60 billion of insured damages and $100 billion in total losses. Floods in Australia early in the year and again in October resulted in $4.7 billion in insured damages and $8.1 billion overall.

☆ Ship insurers to cancel war cover for Russia, Ukraine from Jan 1
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Dec 28 (Reuters) - Ship insurers said they are cancelling war risk cover across Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, following an exit from the region by reinsurers in the face of steep losses. P&I (protection and indemnity) clubs American, North, UK and West are no longer able to offer war risk cover for liabilities in the region from Jan. 1, they said in recent notices on their websites. The clubs are among the biggest P&I insurers who cover around 90% of the world’s ocean going ships. "The Club's reinsurers are no longer able to secure reinsurance for war risk exposure to Russian, Ukrainian or Belarus territorial risks," it said. Ships typically have P&I insurance, which covers third party liability claims including environmental damage and injury.

☆ Soccer-In year of drama, World Cup shines spotlight on growth in the sport
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Manasi Pathak | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Dec 20 (Reuters) - Lionel Messi's World Cup fairytale lit up the year in soccer as heroics and heartbreak at the finals captivated fans and highlighted the growth of the world's most popular sport despite the criticism of host country Qatar's human rights record. With matches played in air-conditioned stadiums to cope with the heat of the desert state and no beer on tap in stadiums, spectators experienced a World Cup like never before. Playing in a fifth World Cup for Argentina, the incomparable Messi once again left everyone in awe of his magical powers on the field as he smashed records and delivered on the hopes of a nation, bringing the World Cup home after 36 years. The South American giants were handed a shock defeat by Saudi Arabia in their first group game, which statisticians Gracenote credited as the biggest upset in World Cup history. With every continent represented in the World Cup last 16, the most diverse knockout stage in the tournament's history was evidence of the sport's expanding reach.

☆ Hot Market for Cyber Insurance Begins to Stabilize
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Richard Vanderford | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +6 min

The market for cyber insurance has begun to stabilize after a surge in ransomware attacks in recent years propelled a steep rise in premiums, observers say. Cyber insurance can pay ransoms to hackers who lock company technology systems, or it can help offset the cost of responding to data breaches. The insurance itself remains relatively niche—insurer Munich Re Group estimated the global value of cyber insurance premiums at $9.2 billion at the outset of 2022, compared with hundreds of billions of dollars spent in the U.S. alone for commercial insurance, according to the Insurance Information Institute—but events spurring premium increases have become familiar. But not all companies can, as some must have cyber insurance to work with partners, Mr. McNicholas said. “The cyber insurance community has to be fairly nimble and flexible in how it looks at risk.”Write to Richard Vanderford at Richard.Vanderford@wsj.com

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