Rating Firm Likes European Market

The European life insurance market has suffered through 3 tough years, but it should do better in the future.[@@]

Hans Wright, a credit analyst at Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services, New York, gives that assessment in a review of the European insurance market.

The European life and property-casualty markets both reached their low points in 2002, Wright says.

“Life results and capital were negatively affected by investment losses, the consequent reduction in savings appetite, and the cost of mispriced guarantees,” Wright says.

Since 2002, “the response from industry has been encouraging,” Wright says. “Management teams have rebuilt capital, reduced costs and focused more keenly on appropriate pricing and risk selection.”`