Market Brief
Daily market intelligence from the reinsurance and ILS markets — what happened, what it means, and what to watch.
Saturday, June 6, 2026
Growth in Catastrophe Bonds and Leadership Changes
Swiss Re has appointed Hazel Etherington as Head of Underwriting for Life & Health in Hong Kong and Taiwan, aiming to enhance its High Net Worth business. Meanwhile, Chilean pension funds are increasingly allocating to catastrophe bonds, indicating a growing institutional interest in insurance-linked securities. Additionally, CCRIF has raised its coverage by 9% to $1.57 billion, reflecting significant growth in its Caribbean and Central American portfolios.
Friday, June 5, 2026
Leadership changes in reinsurance firms
Ashley Hirst will return to Swiss Re as Head Portfolio Strategy & Steering on June 8, 2026, aiming to improve financial performance and sustainability. Additionally, Cedar Trace has appointed Chris Wilson as Managing Director of Capital Management to strengthen its insurance-linked securities platform. Meanwhile, Moody's has issued a warning about potential $375 billion uninsured flood losses in the U.S., indicating a significant protection gap.
Thursday, June 4, 2026
Cyber Insurance and Catastrophe Bonds
Munich Re has appointed Marco Petrovic and Johanna Roman as Cyber Heads for Asia and Africa, respectively, to enhance its cyber insurance strategy in these regions. Additionally, Gothaer is launching a €100 million catastrophe bond, Yardstick Re DAC, specifically targeting German flood risks, which could influence the reinsurance landscape for flood exposure. These developments highlight a growing focus on niche markets and emerging risks in the insurance sector.
Wednesday, June 3, 2026
Market developments in reinsurance and ILS
BMS Group has appointed Catarine Xavier Silva as Operations Manager for BMS Re Brazil to enhance its Premium and Claims department, aiming to strengthen its operational framework in the Brazilian market. Additionally, AM Best upgraded FuSure Re's Financial Strength Rating to A, citing improved capital strength and support from Tencent, which suggests a positive outlook for the reinsurer's growth in the Asia-Pacific region. Meanwhile, cat bond yields increased to 9.42% in May, indicating a softening market despite a year-over-year decline of nearly 14%.
Tuesday, June 2, 2026
Leadership Changes in Reinsurance Sector
Marsh has appointed Ana Gonzalez Felgueroso as the Europe Nuclear Growth Leader to support the nuclear sector amid increasing investments in low-carbon power. HCMA has also strengthened its Insurance-Linked Securities team by hiring Adil Imani from Verisk, while Willis Re has enhanced its analytics capabilities by bringing on Tina Thomson from Gallagher Re. These strategic hires indicate a focus on improving market capabilities and client solutions in the evolving reinsurance landscape.
Monday, June 1, 2026
Increased demand for catastrophe reinsurance
The California Earthquake Authority has raised its target for the Sutter Re 2026-1 cat bond to $425 million, indicating robust market demand for earthquake reinsurance. Additionally, SEADRIF and FAO have launched a drought parametric insurance pilot in Lao PDR to address significant drought risks, further highlighting the evolving landscape of insurance solutions in response to climate-related challenges.
Sunday, May 31, 2026
Strong performance in ILS and reinsurance
Aspen Insurance reported a significant Q1 2026 underwriting income of $79.1 million, driven by a combined ratio improvement to 89.1% and lower catastrophe losses. Additionally, Aspen Capital Markets saw an 11% rise in fee income to $50.6 million, supported by a 23% increase in assets under management to $2.73 billion. Meanwhile, Jamaica issued a $200 million catastrophe bond, indicating strong investor confidence in the ILS market.
Saturday, May 30, 2026
Strengthening Florida reinsurance market
The Florida property catastrophe reinsurance market has reached record strength, with statutory surplus levels increasing from $4.5 billion to over $9.2 billion in five years, reflecting solid underwriting performance. Additionally, Palomar Insurance has expanded its earthquake reinsurance tower to $3.92 billion, supported by a $1.28 billion catastrophe bond issuance, enhancing its financial positioning for growth.
Friday, May 29, 2026
Strategic Reinsurance Agreements and Innovations
MassMutual and Nationwide have entered a strategic reinsurance agreement where Nationwide will reinsure nearly $16 billion in fixed Universal Life insurance policies from MassMutual, enhancing its reserves by $6 billion. Additionally, Universal Insurance has raised its reinsurance tower to $2.623 billion with Nephila Capital as a key participant, while Gallagher has launched a new parametric flood insurance product for golf courses, offering up to $10 million in coverage.
Thursday, May 28, 2026
Leadership changes in insurance sector
Enrico Bertagna has been appointed CEO of Arrow MGA Solutions to drive European expansion in specialist non-catastrophe insurance. Additionally, Somalia received a $5.5 million drought parametric payout from ARC, addressing urgent humanitarian needs amid significant food insecurity. Price Forbes also announced Andrew Thompson as the new Director of their Accident, Health & Contingency team, focusing on strategic growth.
Wednesday, May 27, 2026
Catastrophe bond adjustments and pricing trends
Allstate has returned a portion of the principal from its Sanders 2022-1 catastrophe bond to investors while extending the maturity on the remaining amount, following significant pre-tax catastrophe losses nearing $4 billion. Additionally, property catastrophe reinsurance pricing is reported to be declining in the mid-teens for mid-year 2026 renewals, reflecting ongoing market adjustments.
Tuesday, May 26, 2026
State Farm's $1.5bn Cat Bond Issuance
State Farm has issued a $1.5 billion catastrophe bond through Merna Re Enterprise Ltd. (Series 2026-1), marking a significant move in the cat bond market and reflecting strong investor demand for insurance-linked securities (ILS). Concurrently, Allstate has projected $870 million in catastrophe losses for April 2026, primarily due to severe weather events, which may impact reinsurance pricing and capacity.