AM Best Affirms Credit Ratings of Palms Insurance Company, Limited and Palms Specialty Insurance Company, Inc.

OLDWICK, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) of “a” (Excellent) of Palms Insurance Company, Limited (Palms) (George Town, Cayman Islands). Concurrently, AM Best has affirmed the FSR of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term ICR of “a-” (Excellent) of Palms Specialty Insurance Company, Inc. (Palms Specialty) (Delaware). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.

The ratings of Palms reflect its balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as strongest, as well as its adequate operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management (ERM).

The ratings of Palms Specialty reflect its balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, limited business profile and appropriate ERM.

Both companies are wholly owned by NextEra Energy Capital Holdings, Inc. (NEECH), which, in turn, is wholly owned by NextEra Energy, Inc. (NextEra) [NYSE: NEE]. Palms is a single-parent insurer, which underwrites insurance risks of NextEra and its affiliates, providing specialized direct and assumed property, casualty, workers’ compensation, automobile liability and employers’ liability coverages.

The ratings reflect Palms’ strongest risk-adjusted capitalization, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), consistent positive operating performance and conservative balance sheet strategies, as well as its strong management and significant role within the risk management structure of its parent, NEECH. The ratings also recognize Palms’ history of maintaining sufficient capital and financial resources to support its ongoing obligations.

Palms Specialty was formed in 2022 as a specialty insurer focusing on the U.S. excess and surplus lines accounts, providing coverage for specialty property, professional lines and other specialty lines with manageable gross limits. The ratings reflect Palms Specialty’s strategic importance to its parent company.

The very strong balance sheet assessment is based on Palms Specialty’s supportive risk-adjusted capital that meets AM Best’s guidelines for newly formed organizations. AM Best expects that Palms Specialty will continue to maintain supportive risk-adjusted capital levels throughout its start-up phase, based on balance sheet projections provided by Palms Specialty’s management. AM Best assesses Palms Specialty’s operating performance as adequate, based on its clearly defined business plan and income statement projections that contemplate a level of implementation and execution risk for a newly formed entity. AM Best views Palms Specialty’s business profile as limited, given the execution risk associated with a start-up entity and the degree of competition in its selected market. This risk is mitigated somewhat by the management team’s experience in the targeted business class, along with the parent company’s brand and track record of success. Palms Specialty is expected to benefit from the parent company’s established and tested ERM framework.

Negative rating action could occur if Palms Specialty’s actual operating performance or balance sheet strength materially differ to the downside from its initial business plan.

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 www.ambest.com/captive.

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 © 2023 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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Fred Eslami
Associate Director

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Christopher Sharkey
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Daniel Teclaw
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Al Slavin
Senior Public Relations Specialist

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Source: AM Best