OLDWICK, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A.M. Best has upgraded the Financial Strength Rating to B+ (Good) from B (Fair) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating to “bbb-” from “bb+” of Repwest Insurance Company (Repwest) (Phoenix, AZ). The outlook for these Credit Ratings (ratings) has been revised to stable from positive. Repwest is a wholly owned subsidiary of AMERCO [NASDAQ: UHAL], a publicly traded holding company that is also the parent of U-Haul International, Inc. (U-Haul).
The rating upgrades reflect Repwest’s strong risk-adjusted capitalization, several years of improved operating results and A.M. Best’s expectation of stabilized underwriting performance prospectively. The expectation of improved future performance reflects the favorable results of the group’s core business, which has produced a five-year average pure loss ratio that outperforms its industry composite average.
Offsetting these positive rating factors is the adverse loss reserve development associated with Repwest’s discontinued excess workers’ compensation business, which was particularly substantial in 2011 and had a significant negative impact on the group’s calendar-year underwriting results for that year. The substantial reserve strengthening that took place in 2011 resulted in a decline in risk-adjusted capitalization and significant deterioration in results that year. Further impacting Repwest is its historically high-cost structure, mainly driven by commission expense.
Future positive rating movement could result from a demonstration of stabilized underwriting results over several consecutive years. Negative rating actions could result if there is deterioration in Repwest’s underwriting performance or a significant erosion of its capital base.
This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on A.M. Best’s website. For all 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 A.M. Best’s Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Understanding Best’s Credit Ratings.
A.M. Best is the world’s oldest and most authoritative insurance rating and information source. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.
Copyright © 2016 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
