Best’s News & Research Service - October 14, 2021 12:49 PM (EDT)
AM Best Affirms Credit Ratings of MAPFRE México, S.A.
- October 14, 2021 12:49 PM (EDT)
Mexico City //BestWire// - AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent), the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a+” (Excellent), and the Mexico National Scale Rating of “aaa.MX” (Exceptional) of MAPFRE México, S.A. (MM) (Mexico City, Mexico). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.
MM is a member of the MAPFRE S.A., which on a consolidated basis has a balance sheet strength that AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its strong operating performance, favorable business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management (ERM).
MM’s ratings also reflect its strategic importance to and 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 and underwriting strategy, as well as 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 Mexico’s unwinding economy that has been slowing since 2018.
MM operates as a composite insurer of life and non-life business and ranks among the top 10 largest insurers in Mexico, based on written premium.
MM’s written premium has 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 and 2021 for USD 502 million and USD 550 million of premium, respectively.
Technical income in 2020 reflects continued adjustments in claims controls and pricing done within its main segments, in conjunction with contained acquisition expenses, and the pandemic positively impacting property/casualty lines. Financial income continued to influence the net result positively, which for 2020 was MXN 497 million (USD 25 million). The company showed improvement in its operating performance at year-end 2020, posting a combined ratio below 100%.
The very strong assessment for MM’s balance sheet strength, as measured on a consolidated basis, remains slightly dependent upon dividend payments to its holding company. In the medium term, AM Best expects continued fine-tuning in underwriting strategy to enhance net results, and therefore, the continued expansion of its capital base.
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.
If there are negative rating actions on the MAPFRE group, as a result of a sustained decline in operating performance below AM Best’s expectation for the strong assessment level, or a sustained deterioration in MAPFRE S.A.’s consolidated risk-adjusted capitalization, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), the ratings of MM would mirror those same actions.
A change in AM Best’s perception regarding the actual or perceived level of MM’s strategic importance to the MAPFRE group also could impact the company’s ratings.
The methodology used in determining these ratings is Best’s Credit Rating Methodology (Version Nov. 13, 2020), 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 Ratings on 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 Global BCAR (Version July 22, 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: Oct. 21, 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.
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.
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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.