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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
LONDON - FEBRUARY 25, 2020 11:32 AM (EST)
AM Best has assigned a Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent) and a Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a” to Jacana Re Limited (Jacana Re) (Guernsey). Jacana Re is a subsidiary of BHL Holdings Limited (BHL), the non-operating holding company of the BHL group. The outlook assigned to these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.
The ratings reflect Jacana Re’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best categorises as very strong, as well as its strong operating performance, limited business profile, and appropriate enterprise risk management. In addition, the ratings consider, in the form of lift, Jacana Re’s strategic importance to its parent company, BHL, as the group’s internal reinsurer.
Jacana Re’s balance sheet strength is underpinned by the strongest level of risk-adjusted capitalisation, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio. In addition, balance sheet strength assessment reflects the company’s conservative investment portfolio, which supports an excellent liquidity position, and the absence of retrocession dependence, as all the risks are fully retained. The assessment also incorporates the potential for volatility in Jacana Re’s risk-adjusted capitalisation from its catastrophe exposed property book given the company’s relatively small capital base.
The company has a track record of strong operating performance, evidenced by a five-year average (fiscal years 2015-2019) combined ratio and return on equity of 89.5% and 17.2%, respectively. Jacana Re’s performance benefits from a strong focus on underwriting discipline across the underlying books of business. Investment income makes a small, albeit positive, contribution to overall earnings.
Jacana Re was established in Bermuda in March 2004 as an internal reinsurer of the BHL group and re-domiciled to Guernsey in 2013. The majority of the risks underwritten by Jacana Re stem from South Africa, with a smaller portion derived from Australia. The entity is used by BHL as a risk management tool, retaining 100% of risks ceded from related insurance companies of the BHL group. Given its role in the group, Jacana Re’s business profile is constrained by the operations and strategic decisions of the BHL group in terms of geographic diversification, premium volume and lines of business.
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 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.
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 New York, London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City.