Analysis

• Alternatives shine for Lloyd's syndicates

  05 April 2017

  Following the insights gleaned on rising manager fees and falling yields for Lloyd's syndicates, David Walker shines light on the well-performing fraction of alternative investments made by the sector in 2015.

  

• The Solvency II mandate race

  29 March 2017

  Solvency II has turbo-boosted the move to insurance asset outsourcing. Asset managers are beefing up their capabilities to win market share—but what can you do to make yourself stand out from the crowd? Sarfraz Thind reports

  

• Wraps - a gift to infrastructure investment?

  24 March 2017

  Insurance 'wraps' can boost the credit rating on infrastructure debt to make the asset more attractive to investors, especially underwriters grappling with Solvency II. Christopher Cundy reports

  

• Yes, no, maybe: the PRA responds to industry's Solvency II reform agenda

  17 March 2017

  The UK regulator has made a point-by-point rebuttal to the Association of British Insurers' agenda for Solvency II reforms and confirmed its priority to review the reporting requirements. Christopher Cundy reports

  

• The insurance asset management gold rush

  15 March 2017

  Enticed by lucrative revenues, insurers are pushing into the asset management business like never before. Insurer-affiliated managers are currently some of the fastest growing in the world. With regulations and low rates driving increased insurer third-party asset outsourcing, the industry is in a prime position to pick up more business. Sarfraz Thind reports

  

• Premiums 4 Good: QBE's unique approach to responsible investment

  10 March 2017

  Insurance Asset Risk this month will feature a number of analysis and thought leaderships on responsible investment. In this article, Tom Herbstein and Andrew Voysey from the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership discuss QBE's initiative that allows its customers to have up to 25% of their premiums invested responsibly.

  

• Insurers need to heed their own ESG experience when investing

  08 March 2017

  Jessica Ground, global head of stewardship at Schroders, argues insurers are a natural fit for ESG investing – if they can harness pricing expertise on the investment side.

  

• UK student loan book: a political risk worth taking?

  03 March 2017

  The UK government has structured a tranche of the 2002 to 2006 student loan book to make it attractive to insurance investors. Insurers are wary of political risks, however. Callum Tanner reports

  

• Is the relationship between insurer and asset manager facing disruption?

  01 March 2017

  The relationship between asset manager and insurer could be entering a new era, as WTW attempts to bring investors and managers into a single marketplace via its Asset Management Exchange. Asa Gibson talks to the man hoping to create the Amazon of investment, Oliver Jaegemann.

  

• The machine learning revolution

  24 February 2017

  Machine learning is seen as the next stage of evolution in the asset management world. While still in its infancy, asset managers are examining how to use machines in everything from investment making to operational efficiency. So will it really change the way that insurers invest? Sarfraz Thind reports