Conning: U.S. Corporate Pension Funding Levels Improved in 2018, but Hurdles Loom

06/25/2019

Leading global investment management firm Conning reports that overall U.S. corporate defined benefit (DB) pension plans improved their plan funding status in 2018, but continued increases in federal pension insurance premiums and heightened market volatility will likely drive more plan sponsors to seek de-risking strategies.


Property-Casualty Industry Loss Reserve Position Improved, But Redundancy is Concentrated in Just Two Areas

06/24/2019

Conning’s annual study of the property-casualty industry’s loss reserves find that the overall reserve position appears to be redundant, after again improving in 2018.


Conning’s Latest State of the States Report Provides a Retrospective on the Past Decade and the Outlook Ahead for State Credit Quality

06/05/2019

Conning maintains its stable outlook on overall U.S. state credit quality in the latest report of our ongoing analysis and ranking of all 50 states. The report also examines how conditions have evolved in the 10 years since the financial crisis and, among other findings, looks at how well individual states might weather another economic downturn should one strike in the near future.


Rising Life Insurance Expenses Impact on Profitability

05/07/2019

Life insurers face a challenging environment of low interest rates, higher reserve requirements, poorer claims experience, and sluggish organic premium growth. Insurers may try to reduce costs to achieve profitability but that may not drive long-term success, according to a new study by Conning.


Competition Ramps Up in Small Business Insurance Market

05/03/2019

The small business insurance market has grown at a faster rate than the commercial insurance market between 2015 and 2017, and several major carriers have shown a renewed interest in small commercial insurance, creating a more crowded marketplace, according to a new study by Conning.


Clear Path Analysis - Pension Plan De-Risking, North America 2019

05/02/2019

Conning is the sole sponsor of the Pension Plan De-Risking, North America 2019 report published by Clear Path Analysis. The report explores pension plan de-risking tactics amid market volatility and changes in regulation, and features a foreword from Sean Kurian, Head of Institutional Solutions at Conning.


2018 Insurance Distribution and Services Mergers and Acquisitions Push the Pace

04/11/2019

Global insurance distribution mergers and acquisition counts in 2018 surpassed the record setting prior year, keeping the consolidation phenomenon full steam ahead according to a new study by Conning. 


Convertible Securities a Growth Opportunity for Insurers During Periods of Market Volatility

04/08/2019

Leading global investment management firm Conning has issued a primer to help insurance companies better understand how convertible securities may offer the upside potential of equities, but with a bond’s downside protection, a valuable combination of benefits in a volatile investment environment.


Global Insurer Mergers & Acquisitions in 2018: Focusing on the Core

03/12/2019

Insurers and reinsurers executed mergers and acquisitions in 2018 to shed non-core business operations or acquire complementary entities, according to a new study by Conning.


Positive Workers' Compensation Insurance Performance Will Face Challenges

02/13/2019

The extremely favorable workers' compensation insurance results of recent years are poised for change, according to a new study by Conning.