AM Best Affirms Credit Ratings of Seguros Inbursa, S.A. Grupo Financiero Inbursa

MEXICO CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent), the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a+” (Excellent) and the Mexico National Scale Rating (NSR) of “aaa.MX” (Exceptional) of Seguros Inbursa, S.A. Grupo Financiero Inbursa (Seguros Inbursa) (Mexico). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.

The ratings reflect Seguros Inbursa’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as strongest, as well as its strong operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management.

Seguros Inbursa’s balance sheet strength is underpinned by its risk-adjusted capitalization at the strongest level, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR). The ratings also reflect its strong operating performance, driven by consistent profitability, mainly supported by a stable flow of investment income, as well as low underwriting leverage, a diversified business profile and the company’s affiliation with Grupo Financiero Inbursa S.A.B. de C.V. (Grupo Financiero Inbursa), one of the largest financial groups in Mexico.

Seguros Inbursa underwrites life and non-life business, and remains one of the largest domestic insurance companies in Mexico. In 2020, earthquake insurance, which represented 10.7% of total gross premium written, was the company’s most profitable line of business. The company has shown disciplined underwriting in a highly competitive market, consistently reporting sufficient premium levels that compare positively with its closest competitors. This discipline also is reflected in its stable combined ratio, which has remained in line with historical trends at close to 95%, with little volatility in its components. In addition, investment results continue to be an important source of profitability for the company.

As of June 2021, the company posted MXN 1.3B in net income, showing resilience against current market conditions with no significant deviations from past operating performance metrics. The increase in the loss ratio is offset by the efficiencies achieved in the operating expenses.

Historically, Seguros Inbursa has operated with low underwriting leverage. The company’s risk-adjusted capitalization remains supportive of its current ratings. Adjusted capital has grown at a compound annual growth rate of 5.9% during the past five years, and AM Best expects this trend to continue as a result of sound underwriting, conservative reserving and prudent dividend and investment policies, as well as an effective cost containment strategy. Furthermore, Seguros Inbursa continues to benefit from significant operating efficiencies afforded by Grupo Financiero Inbursa’s vast financial and system networks.

Partially offsetting these positive rating factors is the strong competition in Mexico’s insurance market, which AM Best believes could pressure the company’s profitability and market share, as well as the challenging state of the economy and volatile capital markets.

Key rating drivers that could lead to negative rating actions include sustained deterioration in operating results, or a significant weakening of its risk-adjusted capitalization, as measured by BCAR. Positive rating movements are unlikely in the near term.

This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM 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 AM Best’s Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Best’s Credit Ratings. For information on the proper use of Best’s Credit Ratings, Best’s Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Best’s Ratings & Assessments.

AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

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