AM Best Affirms Credit Ratings of RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. and Its Main Subsidiaries

OLDWICK, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A+ (Superior) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings (Long-Term ICR) of “aa-” (Superior) of Renaissance Reinsurance Ltd. (RenaissanceRe), Renaissance Reinsurance U.S. Inc. (Maryland), RenaissanceRe Specialty U.S. Ltd., Renaissance Reinsurance of Europe Unlimited Company (Dublin, Ireland) and RenaissanceRe Europe AG (Zurich, Switzerland) (formally named Tokio Millennium Re AG). Additionally, AM Best has affirmed the Long-Term ICR of “a-” (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings (Long-Term IR) of RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. [NYSE: RNR]. AM Best also has affirmed the FSR of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term ICR of “a+” (Excellent) of DaVinci Reinsurance Ltd. (DaVinci) and the Long-Term ICR of “bbb+” (Good) of DaVinciRe Holdings Ltd. Concurrently, AM Best has affirmed the FSR of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term ICR of “a+” (Excellent) of Vermeer Reinsurance Ltd. (Vermeer). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable. All aforementioned companies are domiciled in Bermuda unless otherwise specified. (See below for a detailed listing of the Long-Term IRs.)

The ratings of RenaissanceRe reflect the group’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as strongest, as well as its adequate operating performance, favorable business profile and very strong enterprise risk management (ERM).

AM Best’s assessment of RenaissanceRe’s overall balance sheet strength considers the superior consolidated risk-adjusted capitalization of its ultimate parent, RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd., which typically maintains significant capital at the holding company level that is available to be down-streamed into its underwriting companies as needed.

RenaissanceRe’s ratings also benefit from the strength and depth of the company’s management team and ability to deliver strong, long-term profitability over the course of the market cycle. While RenaissanceRe remains a leader in the property catastrophe reinsurance segment, the company has gained significant traction in specialty property/casualty lines, which now comprise more than half of its underwriting premiums. RenaissanceRe is also widely recognized for its leadership in ERM, modeling capabilities and as a pioneer in third-party capital management, where it maintains a strong reputation in evaluating risk and effectively deploying capital. As a result, it has attracted capital from outside investors to form several successful joint ventures, including DaVinci, Top Layer Reinsurance Ltd., Vermeer, and most recently, Fontana Holdings L.P., its first third-party reinsurance capital-backed joint venture focused on casualty and specialty risks.

Partially offsetting these strengths is RenaissanceRe’s exposure to high severity losses associated with global catastrophe events, although the company’s underwriting results and overall operating performance has grown increasingly less volatile, as diversifying business lines have mitigated the impact of catastrophe losses. Looking forward, RenaissanceRe appears well-positioned to benefit from ongoing broad-based pricing improvement in most of its key product lines.

The ratings of DaVinci reflect its balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, neutral business profile and very strong ERM. DaVinci’s profile is enhanced due to its affiliation to RenaissanceRe. Additionally, DaVinci’s catastrophe-stressed Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR) analysis contemplated its USD500 million capital raise on Jan 1, 2022.

The ratings of Vermeer reflect its balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, neutral business profile and very strong ERM.

The following Long-Term IRs have affirmed with stable outlooks:

RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd.
-- ­“bbb” (Good) on $250 million 5.75% non-cumulative fixed rate Series F perpetual preferred stock

RenaissanceRe Finance Inc. (guaranteed by RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd.)
-- “a-” (Excellent) on $300 million 3.7% senior unsecured notes, due 2025
-- “a-” (Excellent) on $300 million 3.45% senior unsecured notes, due 2027

The following indicative Long-Term IRs under the shelf registration have been affirmed with stable outlooks:

RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd.
-- “a-” (Excellent) on senior unsecured
-- “bbb+” (Good) on subordinated
-- “bbb” (Good) on preferred stock

RenaissanceRe Capital Trust II
-- “bbb” (Good) on trust preferred securities

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 Performance Assessments, Best’s Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Best’s Ratings & Assessments.

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