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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OLDWICK - AUGUST 14, 2019 04:47 PM (EDT)
AM Best has assigned a Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A- (Excellent) and a Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) of “a-” to Clear Spring Property and Casualty Company (Clear Spring). Concurrently, AM Best has removed from under review with negative implications and downgraded the FSR to A- (Excellent) from A (Excellent) and the Long-Term ICRs to “a-” from “a” of Lackawanna Casualty Company and its subsidiaries, Lackawanna American Insurance Company and Lackawanna National Insurance Company. The outlook assigned to these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable. Clear Spring is domiciled in Dallas, TX, while the three Lackawanna companies are domiciled in Wilkes-Barre, PA. The companies are collectively referred to as Lackawanna Insurance Group (Lackawanna).
The ratings reflect Lackawanna’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best categorizes as strongest, as well as its adequate operating performance, limited business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management.
The ratings assigned to Clear Spring reflect the company’s role as a member of the group. Factors supporting this relationship include common ultimate ownership and management. Explicit support is provided through Clear Spring’s participation in the inter-company pooling agreement.
The rating downgrades reflect a revision in AM Best’s assessment of the group’s operating performance to adequate from strong. This rating action is in response to less favorable comparisons with peer companies assessed as having strong operating performances over the most recent five-year period in metrics such as loss and loss adjustment expense ratio and operating ratio. This places the group more in line with companies in the composite assessed as having adequate operating performances. The assessment also takes into consideration the execution risk associated with the blending of the distinct lines of business and geographic delineation of the member companies, which may affect prospective operating performance.
Negative rating actions would occur with a decline in the group’s risk-adjusted capitalization, operating performance well outside expected ranges, or business profile modifications that fail to gain traction.
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 Understanding Best’s Credit Ratings. For information on the proper media use of Best’s Credit Ratings and AM Best press releases, please view Guide for Media - Proper Use of Best’s Credit Ratings and AM Best Rating Action Press Releases.
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