Best’s News & Research Service - November 05, 2021 02:38 PM (EDT)
AM Best Revises Issuer Credit Rating Outlook to Positive for Starr International Company Inc.’s Insurance Subsidiaries
- November 05, 2021 02:38 PM (EDT)
Oldwick //BestWire// - AM Best has revised the outlook to positive from stable for the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term ICR of “a” (Excellent) of the insurance subsidiaries of Starr International Company, Inc. (SICO) (Switzerland), a private investment holding company. The outlook of the FSR is stable. These Credit Rating (rating) actions apply to the members of Starr International Group (SIG) and Starr Insurance & Reinsurance Limited (SIRL) (Bermuda).
The ratings of the members of SIG reflect their balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as strongest, as well as their marginal operating performance, favorable business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management (ERM). Members of the SIG include Starr Indemnity & Liability Company, Starr Surplus Lines Insurance Company and Starr Specialty Insurance Company. These companies are domiciled in Dallas, TX.
The ratings of SIRL and its members reflect their balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as strongest, as well as their marginal operating performance, favorable business profile and appropriate ERM. Members of SIRL include Starr Property & Casualty Insurance (China) Company, Limited; Starr International Insurance (Asia) Limited (Hong Kong); Starr International Insurance (Singapore) Pte. Ltd; Starr International (Europe) Limited (United Kingdom); Starr International Insurance (Switzerland) AG (Switzerland) and Starr Europe Insurance Limited (Malta).
The positive Long-Term ICR outlook reflects the improved operating performance of the SICO subsidiaries, which continue to benefit from improving rate trends and underwriting initiatives. Additionally, SIG and SIRL continue to report strong growth trends in their key markets. A continuation of these improvements will likely result in an improved Long-Term ICR in the near to medium term.
The operations of SIG and SIRL support a business profile that is well-diversified internationally and by product exposures. The groups have sustained the strongest levels of capitalization on a consolidated and per-entity basis, which is supported further by favorable liquidity metrics. AM Best also notes that each group maintains above-average allocations to alternative asset classes, relative to composite peers, including private equity and debt funds, hedge funds and real estate funds, which are managed by affiliated investment management companies.
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 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.