Lower cat losses boost Asia-Pacific reinsurance results

Major Asia-Pacific reinsurance companies saw their composite’s return on equity surge to 9.2% from 0.1% under IFRS 17, supported by a more stable investment environment and benign catastrophe activity, according to a new AM Best report.

The credit ratings agency report – Asia-Pacific Reinsurers Achieve Strong Results in Improved Investment Environment – finds that Asian reinsurers, with a more traditional property line focus, as well as a relatively large book of proportional treaties, have benefited less directly from global reinsurance rate hardening.

Nevertheless, AM Best says that the stability of operating performance of Asia’s reinsurers over the years has been notable, and they are working to improve profitability by expanding business overseas. China still faces distinct challenges, though, as the country’s post-Covid recovery remains weak, notes the agency.

AM Best’s composite of Asia-Pacific reinsurers in aggregate posted a combined ratio of 91.6% in 2023, a 2.9 percentage point improvement from the previous year.

The significantly higher return on equity in 2023 was mainly due to the recovery of realised unrealised investment losses and higher investment income in a higher interest rate environment, except for in China, as well as improved underwriting results.

“Asian reinsurers’ underwriting strategies for 2024 are diverse and depend on their ability to secure retrocession capacity, as well as their ability to manage the underwriting cycle,” said Christie Lee, senior director, head of analytics, AM Best based in Hong Kong.

“The large Asian reinsurers have adjusted their catastrophe capacity offerings in their home markets to shrink their catastrophe exposure accumulation, while others have deployed a mature market growth strategy to capture the benefits of material rate increases,” she added.

The capital position of the major reinsurers in the Asia-Pacific composite remains robust, according to the report.

AM Best believes that diversification will remain the business philosophy and strategy for Asia’s large reinsurers. In addition to geographic expansion, diversifying their lines of business from traditional property treaties to building liability, life/health and specialty books of business will allow reinsurers to better manage the reinsurance cycle, concludes the report.

“Reinsurance renewals throughout the first half of the year have been more orderly than in 2023, generally aligning with market expectations,” said Chris Lim, associate director, analytics, AM Best.

“Renewed interest has emerged for lower-layer reinsurance coverage in South and Southeast Asia in 2024, reflecting reinsurers’ growing confidence in prevailing rate adequacy. This shift in sentiment underscores the cyclical nature of the reinsurance market. However, reinsurers’ acute awareness of the ongoing challenges posed by climate risks indicates that the players will likely maintain a vigilant approach to risk assessment and pricing,” he added.