AM Best Affirms Credit Ratings of Sigurd Rück AG

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of B++ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “bbb+” (Good) of Sigurd Rück AG (Sigurd) (Switzerland). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.

The ratings reflect Sigurd’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. The ratings also factor, in the form of drag, Sigurd’s association with its parent company, Saipem S.p.A. (Saipem). Sigurd is a captive reinsurer of Saipem and a key element of the group’s risk management framework.

Sigurd’s very strong balance sheet strength assessment is underpinned by its risk-adjusted capitalisation at the strongest level, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR). AM Best expects Sigurd’s risk-adjusted capitalisation to remain at the strongest level, supported by the captive’s conservative reserving policies, its moderate exposure to catastrophe losses and its comprehensive retrocession programme with well-rated retrocessionaires.

Sigurd has a material exposure to credit risk driven by a cash-pooling agreement with the Saipem group, which acts as a partially offsetting factor in the assessment. As of 31 December 2022, the funds Sigurd allocated to the cash-pooling with Saipem represented 47.7% and 70.3% of the company’s total assets and capital and surplus, respectively, down from 59.8% and 78.6% in 2021.

Sigurd has a record of strong operating performance, evidenced by a five-year (2018-2022) weighted average return-on-equity and combined ratio of 10.4% and 67.8%, respectively (as calculated by AM Best). Profitability has been supported by a low and stable expense ratio and a good, albeit volatile, loss ratio. While operating profitability declined in 2022 as a result of a large claim incurred during the year, with the company’s combined ratio increasing to 97.7%, profitability is expected to remain strong prospectively.

Sigurd’s business profile benefits from geographic and product diversification derived from Saipem’s wide-ranging commercial activities.

AM Best remains the leading rating agency of alternative risk transfer entities, with more than 200 such vehicles rated 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 specialising 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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Romeo Berti, ACA, CMA

Senior Financial Analyst

+44 20 7397 0267

romeo.berti@ambest.com

Christopher Sharkey
Associate Director, Public Relations

+1 908 882 2310

christopher.sharkey@ambest.com

Tim Prince
Director, Analytics

+44 20 7397 0320

timothy.prince@ambest.com

Al Slavin
Senior Public Relations Specialist

+1 908 882 2318

al.slavin@ambest.com

Source: AM Best