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The top 50 US reinsurance buyers

25 November 2009

AM Best data reveal the largest cedants and reinsurers in the US.

Read more: AM Best reinsurance buyers cedants reinsurers US

Primary perspective

US cedants used slightly more reinsurance in 2008 as cessions to nonaffiliated carriers increased by 3.8%, compared with a scant increase of 0.2% in 2007. The primary drivers for this increase are catastrophe losses piercing reinsurance layers, the addition of quota-share reinsurance coverages with large carriers and increased ceded losses related to insurance products that were directly affected by the financial crisis.

With sizable reductions of primary capacity left in the wake of the worst financial market crisis of a lifetime, many predicted an increase in cedant demand for reinsurance coverages for surplus relief purposes. However, with reinsurance renewals largely completed for 2009, the demand for reinsurance did not rise as much as previously anticipated.

Instead, cedants typically faced an orderly market with reinsurance capacity largely available to fill placements. The lone exceptions of note are catastrophe-exposed risks and lines of business such as directors’ and officers’...


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For more catastrophe reports, data and news, click through to the RMS/Reactions Catastrophe Centre.

Poll

Catastrophe bond issuance was $4.3bn in 2011. How much new issuance will there be in 2012?

Less than $3bn
0%
$3bn-$4bn
43%
$4bn-$5bn
29%
$5bn-$6bn
14%
$6bn-$7bn
14%
More than $7bn
0%

Quote

If last year was the year of the cat, then this year could be the year of the debt crisis.

Mike Van Slooten, head of international market analysis at Aon Benfield