COVID-19 Outbreak: AM Best Analysis and Commentary

To address the effects of COVID-19 on the insurance industry, we are developing stress tests to assess the impact of the pandemic and its secondary effects on our rated insurers. We are closely monitoring the financial impact on rated entities and will continue to provide updates on this rapidly changing situation.

Please visit this page regularly for the latest AM Best analysis and commentary.

For specific inquiries, contact our AM Best Rating Services team.

Latest AM Best's COVID-19 Analysis and Commentary

Access the Latest: Best’s Market Segment Outlooks

Best’s Commentary: Australia Business Interruption Test Case Raises More Questions than Answers for Insurers
NOVEMBER 25, 2020

AM BestTV: COVID Bringing New Challenges to Professional Lines
NOVEMBER 18, 2020

Best’s Special Report: Professional Liability Insurers Navigate Uncertain Terrain Amid Pandemic
NOVEMBER 12, 2020

Register Now: AM Best's Insurance Market Briefing - Europe
NOVEMBER 11, 2020

EMEA (Re)insurance Markets: Rating Trends and Industry Issues from COVID-19
NOVEMBER 11, 2020

Best’s Special Report: AM Best-Rated Debt Issuance Surges Over 30% from 2019 Amid Pandemic
NOVEMBER 10, 2020

AM BestTV: US Economy Rebounds in 3Q; Still Below Pre-COVID-19 Levels
NOVEMBER 10, 2020

Register Now: AM Best's Insurance Market Briefing - SIRC
NOVEMBER 4, 2020

Additional AM Best's COVID-19 Analysis and Commentary

November 2020

Playback: AM Best's Insurance Market Briefing - MENA NOVEMBER 3, 2020
Best’s Market Segment Outlook: Japan Non-Life Insurance Outlook Held at Stable as Carriers Navigate Pandemic Fallout NOVEMBER 3, 2020

October 2020

Best’s Commentary: In Pandemic Response, U.S. Property/Casualty Insurers Returned $8.5 Billion in Premiums in First-Half 2020 OCTOBER 20, 2020
Best’s Market Segment Report: Southeast Asian Reinsurers Look to Life and Health for Growth OCTOBER 19, 2020
AM Best Webinar: Title Industry Market Performance Review and Outlook OCTOBER 19, 2020
Best’s Special Report: U.S. Health Insurers Post Record Profits in Second-Quarter 2020 Despite Pandemic OCTOBER 14, 2020
AM Best Webinar: Pandemic Perspectives - Implications for the US P/C Market OCTOBER 12, 2020
Best’s Special Report: COVID-19 Adds to Challenges for Bahrain’s Fragmented Insurance Market OCTOBER 08, 2020
Best’s Commentary: Hurricane Delta Likely to Exacerbate Mexico Insurers’ COVID-19-Disrupted Claims Handling OCTOBER 07, 2020
Best’s Market Segment Report: Title Insurance Market Perseveres Amid Upheaval and Economic Uncertainty OCTOBER 06, 2020
Best’s Market Segment Report: Nigeria’s Insurance Market Offers Significant Potential Despite Headwinds OCTOBER 05, 2020
Press Release: AM Best to Join COVID-19 Litigation Trends Panel at the Re/Insurance Lounge OCTOBER 01, 2020

September 2020

Best’s Special Report: U.S. Insurers’ Private Placement Assets Double in Decade, Now Face Pandemic Pressure SEPTEMBER 30, 2020
Best’s Market Segment Report: MENA Reinsurers Strive to Adapt to Testing Conditions SEPTEMBER 23, 2020
Best’s Market Segment Report: MENA Reinsurers Strive to Adapt to Testing Conditions SEPTEMBER 23, 2020
Best’s Special Report: COVID-19 Likely Will Pressure Medicaid Managed Care Revenue Streams SEPTEMBER 28, 2020
Best’s Special Report: Credit Rating Changes at First-Half 2020 Mixed as U.S. P/C Insurers Manage Challenging Mark SEPTEMBER 28, 2020
Best’s Special Report: U.S. Life/Health Credit Rating Upgrades Outnumber Downgrades in First-Half 2020 SEPTEMBER 28, 2020
Best’s Market Segment Report: Tough Operating Conditions Present Challenges for Sub-Saharan Reinsurance Markets SEPTEMBER 25, 2020
Best’s Special Report: COVID-19 Highlights Weaknesses in Insurers’ Enterprise Risk Management SEPTEMBER 24, 2020
Best’s Market Segment Report: More Hurdles for Crop Insurers in 2020 Following Poor 2019 SEPTEMBER 23, 2020
Best’s Market Segment Report: MENA Reinsurers Strive to Adapt to Testing Conditions SEPTEMBER 23, 2020
Best’s Market Segment Report: U.S. Mutual Insurance Companies Maintain Premium, Surplus Growth Trends in 2019 SEPTEMBER 21, 2020
Best’s Market Segment Report: Caribbean Property/Casualty Insurers Suffer Double Blow From Rising Reinsurance Rates, COVID-19 SEPTEMBER 18, 2020
Best’s Commentary: UK COVID-19 Business Interruption Court Ruling Brings Greater Clarity but Questions Remain SEPTEMBER 15, 2020
Best’s Market Segment Report: Expanding Opportunities Bolster U.S. Surplus Lines’ Growth and Operating Results SEPTEMBER 10, 2020
AM Best Webinar: Canada 2020 Hot Topics Panel Discussion SEPTEMBER 10, 2020
AM Best's Virtual Insurance Market Briefing: Toronto, Canada SEPTEMBER 9-10, 2020
Best’s Commentary: Insurance Liability Moves to the Head of the Class as School Year Begins SEPTEMBER 09, 2020
AM BestTV: Shifting Market Dynamics Help Spark 'Total Return Reinsurers' SEPTEMBER 09, 2020
Best’s Market Segment Report: COVID-19 Taking Its Toll on Canada’s Economy and Insurance Industry SEPTEMBER 08, 2020
AM BestTV: Market Dislocation Drives Growth for US Surplus Lines SEPTEMBER 03, 2020
AM BestTV: Canada P/C Insurers Well Positioned; Life Writers Face Volatility in 2020 SEPTEMBER 02, 2020
Best’s Market Segment Report: Global Reinsurers Maintain Equilibrium Through COVID-19 Turbulence SEPTEMBER 02, 2020
AM BestTV: Medicare Advantage Earnings Up 11% in 201 SEPTEMBER 01, 2020
Best’s Special Report: AM Best to Sponsor Bermuda Captive Conference’s Virtual Event SEPTEMBER 01, 2020

August 2020

Best’s Special Report: Medicare Advantage Insurance Market Segment’s Strong Earnings Continue AUGUST 31, 2020
Best’s Special Report: Rated Total Return Reinsurers Struggle to Contain Volatility AUGUST 28, 2020
Best’s Commentary: 2020 California Wildfires May Lead to Further Spikes in Reinsurance Rates AUGUST 27, 2020
Best’s Commentary: Hurricane Laura Losses Could Further Stress Insurers’ 2020 Earnings AUGUST 26, 2020
Best’s Commentary: ILS Retrocession Capacity Further Squeezed in the Pandemic Era AUGUST 26, 2020
Best’s Special Report: U.S. Property/Casualty Industry’s Underwriting, Net Income Drop in First-Half 2020 AUGUST 25, 2020
Press Release: AM Best to Join Insurance-Linked Securities Focused Panel at the Re/Insurance Lounge AUGUST 18, 2020
Best’s Special Report: Corporate Bond Holdings Pose Risk to Insurers’ Balance Sheets AUGUST 18, 2020
Register Now: State of the Global Reinsurance Market AUGUST 11, 2020
Best’s Special Report: Understanding Country Risk Evaluation in Best’s Credit Ratings AUGUST 10, 2020
AM BestTV: Low Interest Rates, Potential 'Fallen Angels' Challenge Life/Annuity Writers AUGUST 07, 2020
Best’s Special Report: For U.S. Insurers, Decade of Low Interest Rates Marked by Different Impact Severity, Strategies AUGUST 04, 2020

July 2020

Best’s Market Segment Report: Commercial Insurance Market Dislocation Could Present New Opportunities for Captives JULY 29, 2020
AM BestTV: Profitability Less Certain in U.S. Cyber Insurance Market as New Risks Emerge JULY 29, 2020
AM Best Webinar: AM Best and the Current State of the Cyber Insurance Market JULY 27, 2020
AM BestTV: Pandemic, Economic Issues Dampen Chile Insurance Market JULY 23, 2020
AM BestTV: Pandemic Deals a Wild Card to US Personal Auto Insurers JULY 22, 2020
Best’s Market Segment Report: Profitability Less Certain in U.S. Cyber Insurance Market as New Risks Emerge JULY 21, 2020
AM Best Webinar: German Insurance Life and Non-Life Market Outlooks, Reinsurance Trends and Stress Testing the Impact of COVID-19 JULY 21, 2020
Best’s Market Segment Report: U.S. Personal Auto Line of Business Stuck in Neutral as Fewer Claims Offset Premium Loss JULY 16, 2020
Best’s Commentary: Insurance Capital Raising – Bolstering Existing Firms or Funding Start-Ups? JULY 14, 2020
AM BestTV: Commercial Auto Endures Worst Results in 10 Years JULY 13, 2020
Best’s Market Segment Report: Hardening Reinsurance Market Adds to Florida Property Insurers’ Headaches JULY 06, 2020
AM Best Webinar: The State of the Florida Market JULY 06, 2020
State of the Italian Insurance Market: COVID-19, Outlooks, Reinsurance Trends and Sovereign v Country Risk Impact on Ratings JULY 02, 2020

June 2020

Best’s Market Segment Report: U.S. Commercial Automobile Insurance Segment Records Decade-Worst Underwriting Loss in 2019 JUNE 30, 2020
AM Best APAC Webinar 2020: Understanding the 'New Normal' Insurance Landscape in Asia JUNE 30, 2020
Best’s Special Report: U.S. Insurers’ Private Equity Holdings Continue to Climb JUNE 29, 2020
Best’s Special Report: U.S. Life/Annuity Insurers’ Commercial Mortgage Loan Holdings Increasing; Credit Quality Decreasing JUNE 25, 2020
Best’s Special Report: Performance Bond Demand Spotlights Differences Between Approaches of European and US Models JUNE 25, 2020
AM BestTV: Workers' Comp Writers Brace for COVID-19 Hit JUNE 25, 2020
Rating a Captive: The Interactive Rating Process from Data Analysis to Rating Committee Decision JUNE 25, 2020
Best’s Commentary: Expansion of State Workers’ Comp to Include COVID-19 Exposure Would Be Credit Negative for Insurers JUNE 18, 2020
AM Best Webinar: GCC Insurance Market Trends, Outlook and Impact of Oil Price Movements and COVID-19 JUNE 18, 2020
AM BestTV: D&O Insurance Facing Seismic Shift JUNE 11, 2020
AM BestTV: Fewer Claims Than Expected Mute COVID-19 Impact on Health Insurers' 1Q Earnings JUNE 08, 2020
Best’s Special Report: Pandemic Creates a Severe Test for Municipal Bond Market JUNE 04, 2020
Best’s Special Report: U.S. Life/Annuity Industry Records 34% Rise in Pre-Tax Operating Earnings in 2019 JUNE 04, 2020
Best’s Market Segment Report: AM Best Revises Outlook on GCC Insurance Markets to Negative JUNE 04, 2020
AM Best Webinar: AM Best’s Approach to Country Risk and Sovereign Credit Concerns in the Credit Rating Process JUNE 03, 2020
Best’s Market Segment Report: COVID-19 Throws Spotlight on London Market Modernisation JUNE 02, 2020

May 2020

Best’s Commentary: COVID-19 Impact on U.S. Health Insurance Companies Smaller Than Expected MAY 27, 2020
Best’s Special Report: Reinsurers Brace for Pandemic-Fueled Spate of Mortgage Losses MAY 21, 2020
AM Best Webinar: COVID-19 Stress Testing Results and Next Steps MAY 19, 2020
AM Best Webinar: Market Dislocation Creates Opportunities for Captives MAY 19, 2020
Best’s Special Report: Stress Testing of AM Best-Rated Insurance Companies Indicates Most Can Withstand Pandemic MAY 18, 2020
AM Best's Stress Test: COVID-19 Hitting Life/Health, Smaller Insurers Hardest MAY 18, 2020
Webinar Playback: COVID-19 Implications for US Insurance and Reinsurance Markets MAY 13, 2020
AM BestTV: AM Best Responds to IMF's 'Significant Revision' of 2020 Economic Outlook MAY 13, 2020
Best’s Market Segment Report: Bail Bond Insurance Market Faces Legislative Headwinds MAY 11, 2020
Best’s Commentary: Life/Health Cat Bonds Could Be ILS Market’s Most Loss-Affected Sector in COVID-19 Pandemic MAY 08, 2020
Best’s Commentary: Two Months of Retroactive Business Interruption Coverage Could Wipe Out Half of Insurers' Capital MAY 08, 2020
AM BestTV: BI Insurers Face 'Existential Threat' if Forced to Cover COVID-19 MAY 05, 2020

April 2020

Best’s Market Segment Report: AM Best Maintains Negative Outlook On Brazil’s Reinsurance Industry Amid COVID-19 Pandemic APRIL 30, 2020
Press Release: AM Best to Join Q&A Session on Pandemic’s Insurance Industry Impact at AAIS Virtual 2020 Main Event APRIL 30, 2020
AM Best Webinar: UK and London Market Non-Life Insurance, Trends, Outlook and Impact of COVID-19 APRIL 30, 2020
Best’s Commentary: COVID-19 Impacts Add to Deterioration in Underwriting Results of Singapore’s Non-Life Insurers APRIL 28, 2020
AM Best Webinar: Market Segment Outlooks for Argentina, Guatemala and Bolivia APRIL 28, 2020
AM BestTV: Insurers May Increasingly Look to Tap the Federal Home Loan Bank APRIL 22, 2020
Best’s Market Segment Report: AM Best Maintains Negative Outlook on Argentina’s Insurance Industry Amid COVID-19 Pandemic APRIL 21, 2020
AM Best Webinar: French Life and Non-Life Insurance Market Segments Outlooks APRIL 21, 2020
Best’s Special Report: Hit to Insurers’ Surplus from Equity Exposures Expected APRIL 16, 2020
AM BestTV: Pandemic Devastates World's Economies APRIL 16, 2020
Best’s Market Segment Report: AM Best Maintains UK Non-Life Insurance Market Outlook at Negative APRIL 15, 2020
AM BestTV: COVID-19 May Have Long-Term Implications on Trade Credit Risk APRIL 14, 2020
AM BestTV: Canada Life/Annuity Sector Outlook Changed to Negative APRIL 09, 2020
AM BestTV: Social Inflation May Impact Pandemic BI Claims APRIL 07, 2020
Best’s Market Segment Report: AM Best Revises US Commercial Lines Outlook to Negative; Holds Personal Lines at Stable APRIL 07, 2020
Best’s Market Segment Report: AM Best Revises Outlook on Private Mortgage Insurers to Negative as COVID-19 Hits Housing Market APRIL 07, 2020
Best’s Commentary: Global Reinsurers Resilient in Face of COVID-19-Related AdversityImpact of Low Oil Price and COVID-19 on GCC and Russian Insurers APRIL 07, 2020
AM Best Market Segment Outlooks: Life Insurance (Italy, France and the United Kingdom) APRIL 07, 2020
Best’s Market Segment Report: AM Best Holds Stable Outlook on U.S. Health Industry Amid COVID-19 Pandemic Crisis APRIL 06, 2020
Best’s Commentary: Global Reinsurers Resilient in Face of COVID-19-Related Adversity APRIL 03, 2020
Webinar Playback: AM Best's Latin America's Assessment on Mexican Insurers' Financial Strength in Light of COVID-19 APRIL 03, 2020
AM BestTV: Pandemic May Impact Sovereign Credit, Country Risks APRIL 02, 2020
AM BestTV: Event Cancellation Insurers May Exclude Future Pandemics APRIL 02, 2020
Best’s Market Segment Report: AM Best Revises Canada Life/Annuity Outlook to Negative APRIL 02, 2020

March 2020

Webinar Playback: Impact of Oil Price Movements and COVID-19 on MENA Markets MARCH 31, 2020
Best’s Commentary: Social Inflation May Affect COVID-19 Business Interruption Losses MARCH 31, 2020
Best’s Market Segment Report: AM Best Revises Outlook on Mexico’s Insurance Industry to Negative on COVID-19 Pandemic Impact MARCH 27, 2020
Best’s Commentary: COVID-19 May Have Long-Term Implications on Trade Credit Insurance Market MARCH 27, 2020
AM BestTV: Recession Length Depends on COVID-19 Path MARCH 26, 2020
Best’s Commentary: Event Cancellation Insurance Losses Amid COVID-19 Outbreak May Hinge on Contract Wordings MARCH 25, 2020
AM BestTV: Coronavirus, Pandemics Test Insurers' Enterprise Risk Preparedness MARCH 25, 2020
Best’s Market Segment Report: AM Best Revises U.S. Disability Outlook to Negative on Expected COVID-19 Fallout MARCH 24, 2020
Best’s Commentary: Japanese Insurers Continue to Grapple With Global Market Volatility MARCH 20, 2020
Best’s Commentary: Health Insurers Adjust as COVID-19 Spreads in United States MARCH 19, 2020
AM BestTV: U.S. Health Insurers Adjust to COVID-19 Spread MARCH 18, 2020
Press Release: AM Best to Deploy Pandemic-Related Stress Test for Rated Insurance Companies MARCH 18, 2020
AM BestTV: Market Segment Outlook for US Life/Annuity Revised to Negative MARCH 16, 2020
Best’s Market Segment Report: AM Best Revises U.S. Life/Annuity Market Outlook to Negative MARCH 16, 2020
Best’s Commentary: Further Global Interest Rate Cuts Anticipated as Economic Buffer for Coronavirus Impact MARCH 09, 2020
AM BestTV: Spread of Coronavirus Prompts Closer Scrutiny of Range of Insurers MARCH 06, 2020
Best’s Commentary: U.S. Health Insurers Face Potential Rise in Claims Due to Coronavirus MARCH 06, 2020
Best’s Commentary: European Insurers Well-Positioned to Manage Potential Exposure to Pandemic Risk MARCH 06, 2020

February 2020

Best’s Commentary: Southeast Asian Insurers Demonstrate Corporate Social Responsibility in Response to Coronavirus FEBRUARY 21, 2020
Best’s Commentary: Coronavirus Epidemic Impact on China’s Non-Life Insurance Market Likely to Be Limited FEBRUARY 03, 2020

January 2020

Best’s Commentary: Coronavirus Highlights the Importance of Stress Testing JANUARY 29, 2020

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