Best’s News & Research Service - December 17, 2019 04:51 PM (EST)
AM Best Affirms Credit Ratings of MAPFRE México, S.A.
- December 17, 2019 04:51 PM (EST)
Mexico City //BestWire// - AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent), the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a+” and the Mexico National Scale Rating of “aaa.MX” of MAPFRE México, S.A. (MM) (Mexico City, Mexico). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.
The ratings reflect MM’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best categorizes as very strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management (ERM).
The stable outlooks reflect the underwriting strategy and results reported by the company since year-end 2017 to September 2019. Capital generation, along with capital sufficiency, will remain key to maintaining the stable outlooks. The ratings also reflect MM’s strategic importance to, and strategic alignment with, MAPFRE INTERNACIONAL, S.A., as well as the synergies and operating efficiencies derived from being a group member of MAPFRE S.A., the leading insurer in Spain.
MM’s ratings are derived from its solid risk-adjusted capitalization, its competitive position in Mexico’s insurance industry and appropriate ERM practices. Partially offsetting these positive rating factors are uncertain prospective opportunities for growth in an unwinding economy that has been slowing since last year.
MM operates as a composite insurer of life and non-life business and ranks among Mexico’s five-largest insurers based on written premiums. MM’s written premiums in 2018 presented stable growth after adjusting for the biannual property-
liabilities policy of Petróleos Mexicanos (PEMEX), a state-owned oil and gas company that MM started underwriting in 2015 and renewed in 2019 for USD 502 million of premium.
Technical income during 2018 and through September 2019 reflects company adjustments in claims controls and pricing done within its main segments; however, creation of catastrophic reserves limited net income during 2018. Financial income positively influenced the net result, which ended up at MXN 114 million (USD 5.8 million). As of September 2019, the company has improved its operating performance, posting a combined ratio slightly below 100%.
The very strong assessment for the company’s balance sheet strength reflects its risk-adjusted capitalization, which decreased slightly in 2018, in comparison to 2017 due to dividend payments to its holding company. In the medium term, AM Best expects changes in underwriting strategy to continue generating better net results and therefore in a more robust capital base that could give way to a stronger risk-adjusted capitalization, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR).
ERM practices are well-established and implemented throughout the company and closely follow those set by MAPFRE S.A. This integration has benefited the company’s implementation of Mexico’s Solvency II-type regulations.
Positive rating actions on its ultimate parent, MAPFRE S.A., also could result in further positive rating actions for MM. Factors that may lead to negative rating actions include weakened risk-adjusted capitalization, either by significant capital outflows or by deterioration of its underwriting quality in subsequent years. In addition, negative rating actions for its ultimate parent would result in a downward movement of MM’s ratings.
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:
- Evaluating Country Risk (Version Oct. 13, 2017)
- Understanding Universal BCAR (Version May 23, 2019)
- Catastrophe Analysis in AM Best Ratings (Oct. 13, 2017)
- Available Capital & Holding Company Analysis (Version Oct. 13, 2017)
- AM Best Ratings on National Scale (Version Oct. 13, 2017)
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: Dec. 14, 2018.
- Date Range of Financial Data Used: Dec. 31, 2014-Sept. 30, 2019.
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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AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data provider specializing in the insurance industry. The company does business in more than 100 countries. Headquartered in Oldwick, NJ, AM Best has offices in cities around the world, including London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City.