Flagstone Reinsurance Holdings, S.A. (NYSE: FSR) today commented on the
recent decision by Moody’s Investors Service to place the ratings of
Flagstone Reinsurance Holdings, S.A. (Baa3 longer-term issuer rating)
and its principal subsidiary Flagstone Reassurance Suisse S.A. (A3
insurance financial strength) under review.
Flagstone has communicated to Moody’s the Company’s desire to work
closely with the agency in its review to provide additional information
about Flagstone’s financial position. Despite the level of industry-wide
losses as a result of events during the first quarter, the Company
believes its financial position remains strong. Accordingly, Flagstone
is disappointed in Moody’s decision to place the Company’s ratings under
review and believes the action is unwarranted. Furthermore, the Company
does not believe Moody’s rationale accurately reflects Flagstone’s
overall risk exposure. Finally, Flagstone also believes that Moody’s has
not adequately assessed the Company’s limited exposure to future events
and the significant reinsurance protection it has in place.
Unfortunately, Flagstone believes that the Moody’s decision to review
its ratings relies too much on subjective criteria rather than the
modeled financial strength of the Company and Moody’s subjective
approach has been an ongoing concern of the Company.
Flagstone maintains its "A-” (Excellent) rating by A.M. Best and "A-”
(Stable) rating by Fitch Ratings and notes that the AM Best rating in
particular is its principal rating for the assessment of financial
strength and the ability to conduct business in the insurance and
reinsurance market.
As previously announced, along with the entire industry, Flagstone is
currently assessing the financial impact of the Japan events. While it
remains too early to make a reasonable estimate of the Company’s losses,
Flagstone does have significant reinsurance protection covering this and
subsequent events, particularly should the size of the industry losses
increase.
About Flagstone Reinsurance Holdings, S.A.
Flagstone Reinsurance Holdings, S.A., through its operating
subsidiaries, is a global reinsurance and insurance company that employs
a focused and technical approach to the Property Catastrophe, Property,
and Specialty reinsurance and insurance businesses.
The Company is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol
"FSR" and the Bermuda Stock Exchange under the symbol "FSR BH".
Additional financial information and other items of interest are
available at the Company's website located at http://www.flagstonere.com.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This report may contain, and the Company may from time to time make,
written or oral "forward-looking statements” within the
meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws, which are made pursuant to
the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform
Act of 1995. All forward-looking statements rely on a number of
assumptions concerning future events and are subject to a number of
uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside the Company’s
control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from such
statements. In particular, statements using words such as
"may”,
"should”, "estimate”, "expect”, "anticipate”, "intend”, "believe”,
"predict”, "potential”, or words of similar import generally involve
forward-looking statements.
Important events and uncertainties that could cause the actual results
to differ include, but are not necessarily limited to: market conditions
affecting the Company’s common share price; the possibility of severe or
unanticipated losses from natural or man-made catastrophes; the
effectiveness of our loss limitation methods; our dependence on
principal employees; the cyclical nature of the reinsurance business;
the levels of new and renewal business achieved; opportunities to
increase writings in our core property and specialty reinsurance and
insurance lines of business and in specific areas of the casualty
reinsurance market; the sensitivity of our business to financial
strength ratings established by independent rating agencies; the
estimates reported by cedents and brokers on pro-rata contracts and
certain excess of loss contracts where the deposit premium is not
specified in the contract; the inherent uncertainties of establishing
reserves for loss and loss adjustment expenses, our reliance on industry
loss estimates and those generated by modeling techniques; unanticipated
adjustments to premium estimates; changes in the availability, cost or
quality of reinsurance or retrocessional coverage; changes in general
economic conditions; changes in governmental regulation or tax laws in
the jurisdictions where we conduct business; the amount and timing of
reinsurance recoverables and reimbursements we actually receive from our
reinsurers; the overall level of competition, and the related demand and
supply dynamics in our markets relating to growing capital levels in the
reinsurance industry; declining demand due to increased retentions by
cedents and other factors; the impact of terrorist activities on the
economy; and rating agency policies and practices.
These and other events that could cause actual results to differ are
discussed in more detail from time to time in our filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company undertakes no obligation
to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as
a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as
required by U.S. federal securities laws. Readers are cautioned not to
place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak
only as of the date on which they are made.
