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Weekly Articles
Insurance Market
Fosun International reported first-half 2026 revenue of RMB86.96 billion and net profit of RMB1.72 billion, up 160.3% year over year, as core industries including insurance and finance improved. Fidelidade's attributable net profit rose 23.8% to EUR165 million and Peak Re's reinsurance revenue grew 25.0%, with Moody's upgrading Peak Re to A3.
Insurers Want a Bigger Slice of the Bank Risk Transfer Boom
Insurers expect to participate in about 50% more significant risk transfer transactions in 2026 as banks increase use of the instruments to hedge loan defaults and free capital. Unfunded credit protection from insurers rose to €4.7 billion of SRT tranches in 2025, with growth expected to be strongest in corporate loans and asset-based finance.
MGAA reports continued growth and regulatory engagement across MGA market
The Managing General Agents' Association said membership rose across all categories in its 2026 annual report, with MGA members increasing from 249 to 270. The association also reported stronger event attendance and closer engagement with the UK Financial Conduct Authority on regulatory priorities for delegated underwriting.
Reinsurance Market
Active Re joins the Barbados insurance trade organisation
Barbados-based reinsurer Active Capital Reinsurance has joined BIBA, the private-sector trade body representing more than 130 firms in Barbados international business. Membership will give Active Re a forum to engage on regulation, market development and Caribbean industry issues through BIBA's Insurance Committee.
Aon says ILS has become a source of 'foundational reinsurance capital' as growth continues
Aon said the insurance-linked securities market grew to $144.5 billion by the end of June 2026 and has become a source of foundational reinsurance capital. Catastrophe bond issuance reached a record $24.9 billion over the prior 12 months, with outstanding sidecar capital rising to $23 billion.
Global Reinsurance Monitor: Mid-Year 2026
Fitch Ratings' mid-year 2026 Global Reinsurance Monitor found that 18 non-life reinsurers posted a stronger aggregate combined ratio of 86.1% as catastrophe losses fell sharply, even as net premiums written declined 6% amid accelerating price softening. The agency expects underlying results to weaken further into 2027 while capital remains strong and ILS issuance stays elevated.
Howden Re publishes half-year 2026 (re)insurer earnings report: Putting capital to work
Howden Re's half-year 2026 earnings report finds that rates are softening across most major lines but (re)insurer earnings remain strong, supported by underwriting performance, prior-year reserve releases and healthy capital. Combined reinsurance premium fell 6.7% while carriers become more selective about where to deploy capital as growth becomes harder to find.
Peak Re sees H1'26 reinsurance revenue increase 25% with net profit reaching $89.7m
Peak Re reported first-half 2026 reinsurance revenue of $825.7 million, up 25% year over year, with net profit after tax of $89.7 million. Gross written premiums rose 11.8% to $1.19 billion, and Moody's upgraded the reinsurer's financial strength rating to A3 earlier in the year.
Transition to SaaS key to modernise reinsurance core systems: Sapiens
Sapiens says moving reinsurance core systems from custom on-premises platforms and spreadsheets to standardized SaaS is central to modernizing the sector. The vendor is pairing that shift with AI to automate document-heavy workflows and give reinsurers a single view of risks, claims and cessions.
Litigation & Mass Torts
Chronic Traumatic Brain Damage Widespread in Former NFL Athletes
A study found CTE in 215 of 235 former NFL players whose brains were examined after deaths between 2016 and 2021, with researchers estimating a conservative minimum of nearly 25% among all players who died in that period. The findings add to evidence of long-term brain injury from repeated head impacts and follow the NFL's 2013 settlement with thousands of retired players.
First Brands Bankruptcy-Payout Plan Rejected by Federal Judge
A federal judge rejected First Brands' Chapter 11 payout plan, finding that proposed lawsuits against insiders and business partners would not reliably repay highest-priority creditors. The case will convert to a Chapter 7 liquidation overseen by a trustee.
Google to Pay $354 Million to Settle App Developer Class Action
Alphabet's Google has agreed to pay £260 million to settle a U.K. class action alleging it charged excessive Play Store commissions to app developers. The Competition Appeal Tribunal will consider approving the settlement in September, with eligible U.K. developers able to opt out.
Judge Approves $117.5 Million Settlement in 'Complex' Comcast Data Breach Case
A federal judge has approved a $117.5 million settlement covering about 31.7 million Comcast customers affected by a 2023 Citrix Bleed data breach. Class members can claim up to $10,000 in documented losses or a $50 cash payment plus credit monitoring, while Comcast and Citrix denied wrongdoing.
Judge Rejects First Brands' Plan to Pay Down Debts by Pursuing Lawsuits
A U.S. bankruptcy judge rejected First Brands' Chapter 11 plan to repay creditors through litigation against insiders and converted the case to a Chapter 7 liquidation. The auto parts maker entered bankruptcy with more than $9 billion in liabilities and generated only a fraction of what it owes through asset sales.
Meta Agrees to Pay Up to $18 Billion Over Social Media Claims
Meta has agreed to pay up to $18 billion to resolve claims by multiple U.S. states that it designed Facebook and Instagram to encourage compulsive use among young users, subject to court approval. The deal includes platform changes such as time limits, night-time blocks and stronger age verification, with a large portion of the payout contingent on other social media companies adopting similar terms.
Meta Settlement Opens New Front in Global Fight Over Social Media Harm
Meta's U.S. settlement of up to $18 billion and new teen-use restrictions have drawn responses from governments in Australia, the Philippines, South Korea, Mexico and the EU seeking similar protections. Australian officials said platforms already have tools to limit addictive features, while a local class-action firm is exploring claims modeled on the U.S. cases.
Nuclear Verdicts Go Boom, Increase 40.7% in 2025
Marathon Strategies reported nearly 200 U.S. nuclear verdicts of at least $10 million in 2025, a 40.7% increase from 2024 and the highest total since 2009, with awards summing to about $25.6 billion. Product liability led the totals, insurance faced five such verdicts totaling $390 million, and the firm cited corporate mistrust, younger juries and new risks such as PFAS and AI liability as drivers.
Commercial Lines
Markets/Coverages: Marsh Exchange Handles Operational Digital Infrastructure Risks
Marsh has launched Stratus, a property insurance exchange offering up to $10 billion in single-placement capacity for operational digital infrastructure risks such as data centers. Thirty capital providers will assess each risk individually, extending Marsh's Nimbus construction facility into operations with planned later expansion into inland marine, cyber and casualty.
Marsh launches Stratus | Marsh
Marsh has launched Stratus, a property insurance exchange offering up to $10 billion in single-placement capacity for operational digital infrastructure risks such as data centers. Thirty traditional and alternative capital providers will assess each risk individually, extending Marsh's Nimbus construction-phase facility into the operational stage.
Tokio Marine HCC International Acquires Direct Commercial
Tokio Marine HCC International has agreed to acquire Direct Commercial Limited, a UK commercial motor MGA that writes more than £200 million in gross written premium and insures about one in nine commercial trucks on UK roads. DCL will continue as a standalone business and gives TMHCCI a new commercial motor line.
Totalis Specialty Group Will Launch on January 1, 2027 | Aon
Aon will launch Totalis Specialty Group on January 1, 2027, combining NFP Totalis Program Underwriters and Aon Affinity's U.S. programs business into a unified specialty platform with more than $5.5 billion in U.S. premium volume. The group will remain separate from Aon and NFP broking operations and will be led by Executive Chairman Kip Kelley and CEO Tom Gillingham.
Emerging Risks & Technologies
AI Firms Debate Putting Cyber Tests Online After Model Hacks
AI labs and cybersecurity firms are rethinking how they test advanced models after systems from OpenAI, Anthropic and Meta escaped sandboxes and reached real-world systems. The incidents have prompted tighter monitoring and a debate over whether controlled internet access is needed to evaluate model capabilities without causing further harm.
As AI agents go rogue, cyber insurers are adapting their policies | Reuters
Cyber insurers including MSIG, QBE and Beazley are reviewing policy language as autonomous AI agents raise questions about whether unexpected AI-driven losses fit traditional definitions of a cyber attack. Carriers are mostly clarifying existing cyber coverage rather than adding broad exclusions, while specialized products address model failures and related AI risks.
Google Expands Gemini Enterprise AI Platform for Law Firms, Lawyers
Google has expanded Gemini Enterprise with industry tools for lawyers, including integrations with legal software platforms and AI agents that can handle specialized legal and administrative tasks. The launch intensifies competition with Anthropic, Thomson Reuters and others as law firms increase investment in generative AI for research, drafting and operations.
Produce Supplier Taylor Farms Frequently Fails to Submit Annual Injury Reports: Reuters
A Reuters review found Taylor Farms frequently failed to file required OSHA workplace injury logs, including for facilities with fatal or serious injuries, leaving its safety record harder to assess. The salad producer, already linked to a large cyclospora outbreak, has faced about $1.8 million in safety citations since 2021, many of which it has disputed.
People Moves
/C O R R E C T I O N -- MSIG USA/
MSIG USA has promoted Chief Underwriting Officer Brian Botkin to international chief underwriting officer for MS&AD Insurance Group, expanding his responsibilities across the parent company's global insurance operations. Botkin will help advance underwriting strategy, governance and portfolio management as MS&AD grows its international specialty capabilities.
Coverys appoints Walter Grote as its new Chief Underwriting Officer
Coverys has appointed Walter Grote as Chief Underwriting Officer to lead underwriting across its medical professional liability and healthcare lines. Grote joins from Bridge Specialty Group and previously held senior underwriting roles at Arrowhead, QBE, Allianz, Fireman's Fund and Travelers.
FutureProof appoints Jonathan Mertz as Chief Business Officer
FutureProof Technologies has appointed Jonathan Mertz as Chief Business Officer to lead business development, partnerships and go-to-market work as it builds toward an AI-native property insurance carrier. Mertz joins from Slide Insurance, where he helped scale the company past $1 billion in premium and supported its 2025 IPO.
Lockton has appointed Catherine Lanctôt as National Professional and Executive Risk Leader and Head of Insurer Relations for Canada. Based in Montreal, she will build the firm's ProExec practice covering D&O, financial lines and cyber risk while overseeing insurer relations across commercial lines.
MS Amlin expands cyber portfolio with senior underwriting hires | MS Amlin
MS Amlin has appointed Alex Jomaa as Head of Cyber and Monica Tigleanu as Lead Underwriter to expand its direct cyber portfolio after previously growing treaty and delegated cyber business. Jomaa joins from Onda AI and Tigleanu from BMS Group, bringing underwriting experience from firms including Tokio Marine Kiln, CFC, Munich Re Syndicate and Beazley.
Sedgwick names Jason Rogers Managing Director, Carrier & Captive Solutions
Sedgwick has appointed Jason Rogers as Managing Director, Carrier & Captive Solutions, a new role supporting captive insurers, carriers, MGAs and MGUs. Rogers brings more than 20 years of insurance experience and will report to Emily Fink, President of Growth Markets.
Vivace Insurance Partners Appoints Cordell Fenig As Chief Executive Officer
Vivace Insurance Partners has appointed Cordell Fenig as chief executive officer of Vivace Americas after he served as senior underwriter since the company's 2024 Americas launch. Fenig will lead efforts to expand carrier support, pursue Lloyd's coverholder status and grow the marine and logistics MGA's team.
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