Capturing the insurance market’s rare window of opportunity, Howden Re takes a closer look at ‘Who dares wins’ in Intelligent Insurer
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“In softening cycles where organic growth decelerates, structuring and capital optimisation become the differentiator.”
Intelligent Insurer hosted a roundtable with Leo Beckham, Head of UK & Europe, Howden Capital Markets & Advisory, Sébastien Bamsey, Managing Director, Howden Capital Markets & Advisory, David Flandro, Head of Industry Analysis and Strategic Advisory, Howden Re, and Alexander Roth, Head of Capital & Operational Solutions International, Howden Re, to discuss the insurance market’s “rare window of opportunity.”
Flandro starts the discussion by noting that underlying market fundamentals remain robust, with loss ratios low, returns on capital attractive and profitability sustained over multiple years, even as concerns around softening prices, margin pressure and capital volatility persist.
As Roth observes, reports of a pricing collapse “exaggerate the truth.” Reinsurance and casualty lines remain stable, though demand for legacy and earnings-stabilisation solutions is on the rise. Structuring, they agree, is emerging as the fine-tuning mechanism that separates those who thrive from those who endure.
Looking at M&A, Bamsey and Beckham note that strong profitability continues to underpin valuations and attract private equity and private credit investors, particularly in capital-light and service-led models. As the “Class of 2020” Lloyd’s investments reach maturity, they predict a new wave of consolidation as strategic carriers seek diversification and scale.
Participants concluded that, as we enter into the next phase of the market cycle, there remains a window of opportunity for those willing to innovate and act with conviction.
Explore the report: Who dares wins: Innovation in an era of hard market softening