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Best’s News & Research Service - November 19, 2020 02:47 PM (EST)

AM Best Affirms Credit Ratings of El Águila, Compañía de Seguros, S.A. de C.V.

  • November 19, 2020 02:47 PM (EST)
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Mexico City //BestWire// - AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A- (Excellent), the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) of “a-”, and the Mexico National Scale Rating of “aaa.MX” of El Águila, Compañía de Seguros, S.A. de C.V. (El Aguila) (Mexico City, Mexico). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.

The ratings reflect El Aguila’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best categorizes as strong, as well as its marginal operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management.

The ratings also reflect El Aguila’s support from its parent company, Great American Insurance Company, which currently has an FSR of A+ (Superior) and a Long-Term ICR of “aa-”, each with a stable outlook, and continued improvements in El Aguila’s underwriting quality as of 2019. Offsetting these positive rating factors are the company’s low levels of profitability and investment yield when compared with the average performance indicators in Mexico’s insurance segment, and the company’s relatively small size.

El Aguila was established in Mexico in 1994 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Great American Insurance Company. Since 2015, El Aguila has underwritten auto insurance exclusively, but introduced coverages in other property/casualty (P/C) lines in October 2016. The new P/C division targets small- and medium-size enterprises in the commercial segment through an independent network of local distribution partners. The product offering includes a combination of packaged and monoline insurance coverages. In line with company expectations, the P/C portfolio grew by 32% in 2019 compared with the previous year, which mitigated the administrative expenses generated by the new operation. These administrative expenses also were mitigated by a good technical result from the auto line of business and an improved loss ratio in the P/C division, reducing the overall combined ratio to 97.5%.

The company has benefited historically from its parent company’s capital contributions in support of its growth and strategy. The last contribution took place in November 2017 and totaled MXN 57.6 million, representing 35% of reported 2016 year-end capital. This contribution helped strengthen the company’s risk-adjusted capitalization.

Historically, El Aguila has struggled to report premium sufficiency given its high expense ratio, which is a consequence of maintaining a direct sales distribution and infrastructure in tandem with large marketing efforts. Distribution in Mexico’s auto insurance segment typically occurs through agents, car agencies, and more recently, through bancassurance alliances. In 2019, the company’s combined ratio stood below the 100% threshold, driven by a successful consolidation of the P/C business and continued improvements in auto underwriting.

El Aguila’s risk-adjusted capitalization is strong, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), with underwriting risk standing as the main component for required capital. The company’s profitability indicators historically have remained below the auto segment’s average, mainly as a result of higher acquisition expenses derived from its focus on developing its direct sales force. Conversely, this strategy has resulted in higher renewal rates than those registered by its main peers, and has partially mitigated pressure on underwriting in Mexico’s highly competitive auto insurance segment. Given its small size, the company shows a greater geographic concentration than its peers, making it more vulnerable to soft market conditions in its main regional markets within Mexico. As of December 2019, the company’s auto business presented a 11.6% growth rate, and a technical result of MXN 29 million.

Fixed-rate bonds comprise an important part of the company’s investment portfolio, which provide a financial yield below that of Mexico’s P/C market as a result of the low interest rate environment. This further limits El Aguila’s profitability as it provides little buffer for deviations in technical results.

Positive rating actions could occur if El Aguila sustains improvements in underwriting results, while maintaining risk-adjusted capital at a level that supports the ratings. Negative rating actions could occur if extreme premium growth or deteriorating underwriting results erode the company’s capital base and reduce risk-adjusted capitalization to a level that no longer supports the ratings. A change in AM Best’s perception regarding the actual or perceived level of El Aguila’s strategic importance to the Great American Insurance Company group also could impact the company’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:


  • AM Best’s Ratings On a National Scale (Version Oct. 13, 2017)

  • Available Capital & Holding Company Analysis (Version Oct. 13, 2017)

  • Catastrophe Analysis in AM Best Ratings (Version Oct. 13, 2017)

  • Evaluating Country Risk (Version Oct. 13, 2017)

  • Scoring and Assessing Innovation (Version March 5, 2020)

  • Understanding Universal BCAR (Version June 11, 2020)

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: Nov. 14, 2019

  • Date Range of Financial Data Used: Dec. 31, 2014- Sept. 30, 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.

AM Best does not validate or certify the information provided by the client in order to issue a credit rating.

While the information obtained from the material source(s) is believed to be reliable, its accuracy is not guaranteed. AM Best does not audit the company’s financial records or statements, or otherwise independently verify the accuracy and reliability of the information; therefore, AM Best cannot attest as to the accuracy of the information provided.

AM Best’s credit ratings are independent and objective opinions, not statements of fact. AM Best is not an Investment Advisor, does not offer investment advice of any kind, nor does the company or its Ratings Analysts offer any form of structuring or financial advice. AM Best’s credit opinions are not recommendations to buy, sell or hold securities, or to make any other investment decisions. View our entire notice for complete details.

AM Best receives compensation for interactive rating services provided to organizations that it rates. AM Best may also receive compensation from rated entities for non-rating related services or products offered by AM Best. AM Best does not offer consulting or advisory services. For more information regarding AM Best’s rating process, including handling of confidential (non-public) information, independence, and avoidance of conflicts of interest, please read the AM Best Code of Conduct. 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.



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