Best’s News & Research Service - May 21, 2021 02:44 PM (EDT)
AM Best Affirms Credit Ratings of Reaseguradora America SPC Ltd.
- May 21, 2021 02:44 PM (EDT)
Mexico City //BestWire// - AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a-” (Excellent) of Reaseguradora America SPC Ltd. (RAM Re) (Cayman Islands). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.
RAM Re is a subsidiary of ASSA Compañía Tenedora, S.A. and owned ultimately by Grupo ASSA, S.A., a financial services holding company publicly traded on the Panama Stock Exchange.
The ratings reflect RAM Re’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, limited business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management (ERM).
RAM Re is registered as a segregated portfolio company, licensed as a Class B(iii) insurer under the Cayman Islands’ insurance law, which allows large clients to place proprietary risks through underlying cells. AM Best recognizes the strategic role that RAM Re aims to achieve in the group’s overall regional strategy; however, RAM Re’s business profile is considered limited given its accessibility to markets when compared with other commercial reinsurers.
The ratings reflect RAM Re’s very strong risk-adjusted capitalization, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), sound operating performance and its affiliation to Grupo ASSA, S.A., which provides synergies and operating efficiencies, as well as parental support and an appropriate ERM framework.
AM Best expects RAM Re to maintain risk-adjusted capitalization levels supportive of its ratings amid material changes in its business profile, driven by ongoing developments in its segregated portfolio cells.
Concerns regarding business volume growth and new portfolio integration, which historically have pressured the company´s capital base, continue to be offset through the successful implementation of RAM Re’s strategy.
Factors that could lead to positive rating actions include sustained improvements in RAM Re’s capital base while maintaining risk-adjusted capitalization at a very strong level, supported by the successful materialization of developments concerning RAM Re’s business profile, including its strategy driven by the integration of a new segregated portfolio cell. A deterioration in risk-adjusted capitalization levels, driven by an unsuccessful materialization of developments concerning RAM Re’s business profile, including the failed adoption of its strategy attempting the integration of a new segregated portfolio cell, along with diminished parent commitment, could lead to negative rating action.
The methodology used in determining these ratings is Best’s Credit Rating Methodology, which provides a comprehensive explanation of AM Best’s rating process and contains the different rating criteria employed in the rating process. Best’s Credit Rating Methodology can be found at www.ambest.com/ratings/methodology .
Key insurance criteria reports utilized:
- Available Capital & Holding Company Analysis (Version Oct. 13, 2017)
- Alternative Risk Transfer (ART) (Oct. 13, 2017)
- Evaluating Country Risk (Version Oct. 13, 2017)
- Scoring and Assessing Innovation (March 5, 2020)
- Understanding Universal BCAR (Version March 11, 2021)
View a general description of the policies and procedures used to determine credit ratings. For information on the meaning of ratings, structure, voting and the committee process for determining the ratings and monitoring activities, please refer to Guide to Best’s Credit Ratings.
- Previous Rating Date: June 17, 2020
- Date Range of Financial Data Used: Dec. 31, 2015-Dec. 31, 2020
This press release relates to rating(s) that have been published on AM Best’s website. For additional 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.
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