logo
AM Best Removes From Under Review With Negative Implications and Affirms Credit Ratings of The Pie Insurance Company and Pie Casualty Insurance Company

AM Best Removes From Under Review With Negative Implications and Affirms Credit Ratings of The Pie Insurance Company and Pie Casualty Insurance Company

Yahoo27-03-2025

OLDWICK, N.J., March 27, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AM Best has removed from under review with negative implications and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of "a-" (Excellent) of The Pie Insurance Company (Columbus, OH) and its pooled affiliate, Pie Casualty Insurance Company (Chicago, IL), collectively referred to as Pie Insurance Group (Pie). The outlook assigned to these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.
The ratings reflect Pie's balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, limited business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management.
The ratings were initially placed under review with negative implications on March 8, 2024, following the organization's 2023 results, which included material underwriting losses brought on by adverse reserve development in its New York book of business (see related press release). The reserves have stabilized since third-quarter 2023 and management has derisked the balance sheet significantly through commutation of their reserves.
The ratings have been removed from under review with negative implications as AM Best has completed its assessment of the impact of the commutation on the rated entities and consolidated risk-adjusted capitalization. Post-commutation, Pie's risk-adjusted capitalization for year-end 2024, as measured by Best's Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), was at the strongest level and is expected to remain at the strongest level for the next couple years. Sufficient capitalization and liquidity are expected at the consolidated level in the near to midterm, supporting Pie's very strong balance sheet assessment. Pie achieved profitability in fiscal-year 2024 and expects to remain profitable in the coming years. The ratings also consider the execution risk inherent in startup organizations and the potential challenges management faces to execute on the business plan. As is customary, AM Best will monitor Pie's actual results relative to its plan.
The stable outlooks reflect AM Best's expectation that Pie will maintain its current balance sheet strength assessment, supported by its strongest level of risk-adjusted capitalization. as well as sufficient capitalization and liquidity at the consolidated level, while meeting its operating performance targets.
This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Best's website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Best's Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Best's Credit Ratings. For information on the proper use of Best's Credit Ratings, Best's Performance Assessments, Best's Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Best's Ratings & Assessments.
AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.
Copyright © 2025 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250327561826/en/
Contacts
Yizhou Hong Senior Financial Analyst +1 908 882 1692 yizhou.hong@ambest.com Edin Imsirovic Director +1 908 882 1903 edin.imsirovic@ambest.com Christopher Sharkey Associate Director, Public Relations +1 908 882 2310 christopher.sharkey@ambest.com Al Slavin Senior Public Relations Specialist +1 908 882 2318 al.slavin@ambest.com

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

AM Best Affirms Credit Ratings of Blue Whale Re Ltd.
AM Best Affirms Credit Ratings of Blue Whale Re Ltd.

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

AM Best Affirms Credit Ratings of Blue Whale Re Ltd.

OLDWICK, N.J., June 06, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of "a+" (Excellent) of Blue Whale Re Ltd. (Blue Whale) (Burlington, VT). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable. The ratings reflect Blue Whale's balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its strong operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management (ERM). The ratings also reflect Blue Whale's function as the only captive insurer for Pfizer Inc. (Pfizer) [NYSE: PFE], a global pharmaceutical company. As Blue Whale insures or reinsures Pfizer's global property exposures, it plays a strategic and critical role in Pfizer's overall ERM in protecting the Pfizer enterprise's assets. Blue Whale provides substantial retentions in coverages for Pfizer, augmenting significant reinsurance capacity. In recent years of hard market conditions, Blue Whale also has opted to participate in small slices of its catastrophe tower as an economic efficiency for the Pfizer enterprise. It also offers capacity for cyber liability coverage when required by hard market pricing. The reinsurance program is appropriate and diverse, providing ample coverage for all its lines of business. AM Best recognizes the quality of the reinsurers and the substantial financial resources and assistance available to the captive as part of Pfizer. The captive covers low frequency/high severity exposures in which the losses have not compromised its strong operating performance nor profitability of the company. The stable outlooks reflect AM Best's view that the company will continue to generate operating results that engender supportive capitalization for the ratings. Additionally, AM Best expects Pfizer's ability and willingness to support Blue Whale, an integral part of Pfizer's corporate ERM infrastructure and program, will not change. AM Best remains the leading rating agency of alternative risk transfer entities, with more than 200 such vehicles rated in the United States and throughout the world. For current Best's Credit Ratings and independent data on the captive and alternative risk transfer insurance market, please visit This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Best's website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Best's Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Best's Credit Ratings. For information on the proper use of Best's Credit Ratings, Best's Performance Assessments, Best's Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Best's Ratings & Assessments. AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit Copyright © 2025 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. View source version on Contacts Kourtnie Beckwith Senior Financial Analyst +1 908 882 1649 Daniel Teclaw Director +1 908 882 2390 Christopher Sharkey Associate Director, Public Relations +1 908 882 2310 Al Slavin Senior Public Relations Specialist +1 908 882 2318 Connectez-vous pour accéder à votre portefeuille

Chambers USA 2025 Ranks Ifrah Law for National Gaming & Licensing Practice
Chambers USA 2025 Ranks Ifrah Law for National Gaming & Licensing Practice

Business Wire

time5 hours ago

  • Business Wire

Chambers USA 2025 Ranks Ifrah Law for National Gaming & Licensing Practice

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ifrah Law is pleased to announce that Chambers USA 2025 has once again ranked the firm as a leader in Nationwide: Gaming & Licensing. Additionally, every firm partner is individually ranked this year, representing multiple practice areas including gaming and licensing, white collar and government investigations, and insurance law. 'Chambers is the gold standard for evaluating legal excellence worldwide, and we are proud to have all four partners of the firm ranked and be recognized alongside other leading U.S. law firms and practitioners,' stated Jeff Ifrah, Ifrah Law's founding member. 'We are grateful to do what we love for amazing clients who have entrusted us with their businesses.' Firm Members ranked in Chambers USA 2025: Jeff Ifrah – Nationwide Gaming & Licensing, Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations (District of Columbia). Jeff is also ranked among Global Market Leaders for Gaming & Gambling in Chambers 2025 Global guide. George R. Calhoun - Insurance: Insurer (District of Columbia) Michelle W. Cohen – Nationwide Gaming & Licensing James M. Trusty - Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations (District of Columbia) Chambers & Partners publishes the annual prestigious Chambers USA guide and conducts rigorous research, including interviews with clients and other attorneys, to evaluate and rate the best lawyers and law firms. Chambers evaluates the technical legal ability of the lawyers and firms it rates, as well as their reputations for professional conduct, client service, and results obtained. About Ifrah Law Led by founding member Jeff Ifrah, Washington, DC-based Ifrah Law has been at the center of every significant court case affecting online gaming. Ifrah Law operates at the cutting edge of technology, innovation, and regulation. Its lawyers represent industry players throughout the entire business cycle, from the formation of a corporation or licensing relationship, through marketing, partnering, growth, and disputes, to profitable exits. The firm serves a global clientele that stretches across the most progressive areas of the gaming industry and ancillaries such as sports betting, eSports, blockchain, online sweepstakes and lotteries, mobile gaming, and crypto. Ifrah lawyers handle all aspects of licensing, structure partnerships and joint ventures, guide acquisitions and financings, negotiate contracts, and help mitigate risk. The firm's lawyers also are vigorous advocates for clients facing regulatory investigations and litigations. For more information on Ifrah Law, please visit

AM Best Affirms Credit Ratings of Ansvar Insurance Limited
AM Best Affirms Credit Ratings of Ansvar Insurance Limited

Business Wire

time5 hours ago

  • Business Wire

AM Best Affirms Credit Ratings of Ansvar Insurance Limited

SINGAPORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of 'a-' (Excellent) of Ansvar Insurance Limited (Ansvar) (Australia). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable. The ratings reflect Ansvar's balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its marginal operating performance, limited business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management. In addition, Ansvar's ratings factor in rating enhancement to reflect its ownership, integration and support from Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc (EIO). Ansvar's balance sheet strength assessment is underpinned by its risk-adjusted capitalisation, as measured by Best's Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), which was at the strongest level as of fiscal year-end 2024, and is expected to remain at this level over the medium term. Ansvar is viewed to have prudent capital management, with a track record of financial flexibility to support its regulatory solvency position and risk-adjusted capitalisation. Ansvar's liability portfolio has a significant exposure to physical and sexual abuse (PSA) claims, predominantly arising from legacy exposures. In fiscal-year 2024, Ansvar continued to experience higher-than-expected volume of PSA claims, with a high level of uncertainty surrounding the adequacy of booked reserves. However, any adverse reserve development is limited by a loss portfolio transfer reinsurance arrangement provided by EIO. In addition, Ansvar has a PSA excess-of-loss cover with EIO that limits its exposure to any newly reported PSA claims. Other balance sheet considerations include the company's low-risk investment portfolio and high reinsurance dependence to support the underwriting of large limit property risks and long-tail liability exposures. AM Best assesses Ansvar's operating performance as marginal. The company's gross performance metrics exhibited heightened volatility over the last five years, predominantly as a result of weather-related events and PSA claims. Positive net operating earnings reported by Ansvar in recent years are primarily driven by recoveries arising from the stop loss reinsurance programme with EIO. Investment income remains a key contributor to overall earnings, with the company reporting a net investment return of 3.1% in fiscal-year 2024. Ansvar is a niche insurer that provides commercial property and casualty products to its target customer groups in Australia, including care, community, faith, education, heritage and property owners. Ansvar has a long-established presence in its target niche sectors where it leverages its strong expertise and brand recognition. This advantage is offset partially by the company's limited control over distribution, due to its reliance on non-affiliated intermediary channels. Ansvar's ratings incorporate rating enhancement from EIO, a U.K.-based insurance group that specialises in providing commercial insurance to the faith, heritage, charity, education and real estate sectors. EIO is a member of the specialty insurance, investment, broker and advisory group, Benefact Group plc. The rating enhancement reflects explicit support from EIO, which includes a series of historical capital injections and significant intra-group reinsurance protection to Ansvar. These reinsurance arrangements are expected to remain in place in the medium term, substantially limiting downside risk to Ansvar's operating performance and balance sheet strength fundamentals. Prospectively, AM Best expects group support to remain available if Ansvar's performance volatility persists. Ratings are communicated to rated entities prior to publication. Unless stated otherwise, the ratings were not amended subsequent to that communication. This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Best's website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Best's Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Best's Credit Ratings. For information on the proper use of Best's Credit Ratings, Best's Performance Assessments, Best's Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Best's Ratings & Assessments.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store