Europe’s asset management industry is expected to enter a period of fresh consolidation as companies seek the scale required to compete in a complex investment landscape, offering insurers a chance to free up capital and simplify their business models.

Howden Re has appointed Aon's Thomas Kroely as managing director for continental Europe.

Everest has secured regulatory approval to expand its European footprint into the Italian market, trading as Everest Insurance (Ireland) DAC, Succursale Italiana.

While recent floods in Spain's Valencia and Malaga regions have caused damage totalling several billion euros, insurers have been shielded by the country's state-backed disaster backstop, highlighting the role such initiatives can play in the event of major losses.

Vienna Insurance Group (VIG) has reported a P&C net combined ratio of 94.3 percent for the first nine months of 2024, with the group confirming a positive outlook for the financial year with profit before tax expected to be at the upper end of its target range.

Generali's share price rose by around 1 percent on Monday following reports that the Italian insurer was in early-stage talks to merge Generali Investments, its asset management business, with Natixis Investment Managers.

Allianz UK has appointed Isabella Von Mesterhazy as managing director for the specialty business, succeeding Kieran O'Keeffe, who is set to retire at the end of the year.

Chubb leads the DHL aviation cargo insurance program that is likely to be triggered after a SwiftAir-operated Boeing plane crashed this morning near Vilnius International Airport in Lithuania, The Insurer understands.

Cyber risks and escalating geopolitical conflicts have the potential to pose investment risks and potentially ratings actions for European insurers, according to S&P Global Ratings’ Volker Kudszus.

There is growing interest among US investors in European reinsurance stocks following the strong performance of the sector over the past two years and a continuing hard market for reinsurance, according to analysts at Berenberg.

Conflict-affected areas now represent 4.6 percent of the entire global landmass – a 65 percent increase since 2021, according to Verisk Maplecroft.

European P&C insurers are expected to see unchanged solid margins heading into 2025, according to S&P’s latest outlook, with progressive dividends and share buybacks among listed insurers actively reducing capital surplus.

Baloise is likely to generate enough cash in 2024 to launch a CHF100mn ($113mn) buyback, analysts at Berenberg have said following the company’s third quarter trading update on Wednesday.

MGA Optio Group has completed its previously announced acquisition of Den Hartigh Beheer & Exploitatie BV, an MGA based in the Netherlands and Brussels.

Proposals by the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (Eiopa) to introduce capital surcharges on fossil fuel-related assets will not have an impact on European insurers' credit ratings, Fitch Ratings has said.