Gold Coast, 24/09/13 –  Aon Benfield, the global reinsurance intermediary and capital advisor of Aon plc (NYSE:AON), today launches its annual Evolving Criteria report, which reviews the latest developments in rating agency protocol and impact for the insurance industry in the Asia Pacific region.

The report highlights that the Asia Pacific insurance markets have slowly recovered from the significant losses they incurred following the series of natural disasters that impacted the region in 2011. The incidence of large scale catastrophes has since decreased, allowing insurers’ balance sheets to rebuild.

Strong economic growth is also contributing to an increasingly stable environment for insurers in Asia Pacific, albeit with growth rates in some regions that are below expectations.

This stability is further supported by high premium growth expectations in regions with low insurance penetration rates, market liberalization, and an inflow of investments resulting from risk diversification from existing mature insurance markets to the developing markets.

However, offsetting these strengths are factors including a persistent low interest rate environment, tightened regulatory solvency requirements – which continue to put pressure on firms’ capitalization levels – and the possibility of an economic slowdown in China, which could affect many markets in the region.

Rade Musulin, Chief Operating Officer of Aon Benfield Analytics Asia Pacific, said: “These offsetting factors are evident in Standard and Poor’s five-year view of ratings actions across Asia Pacific, and create a level of uncertainty for the Asia Pacific insurance markets which makes operating conditions somewhat more difficult.  However, whereas 2012 was dominated by ratings downgrades as a result of the 2011 catastrophic losses, 2013 has seen a rebound in upgrades, reflecting the re-strengthening of companies’ balance sheets.”

To view the full Evolving Criteria Asia Pacific report, please click on the link below:

http://bit.ly/17WWRop  

To view Aon Benfield’s recent report on Asia Pacific solvency regulation, please follow the link below:

http://bit.ly/16Bm58U

For information on rating agency protocol for the Europe, Middle East and Africa regions, please visit Aon Benfield’s Evolving Criteria EMEA report at the link below:

http://bit.ly/1cMudbg

Aon Benfield’s Evolving Criteria U.S. report will be released on Monday, October 21.

                                                                              --ENDS--