The total volume of premiums renewed at 1 January 2010 increases by 3% to EUR 1,315 million, against EUR 1,275 million up for renewal (76% of Treaty P&C annual volume). 

8% (EUR 106 million) of Treaty P&C premiums up for renewal were cancelled, with a further 2% restructured, demonstrating our active policy of portfolio management. 

SCOR Global P&C has compensated for this with new business acquired from existing and new clients (EUR 66 and EUR 34 million respectively) and with increased shares on renewed business (EUR 38 million). 

 

The positive price impact, notably on non-proportional business (slightly above 3%), leads to an increase in premium volume of EUR 32 million. 

Our continued portfolio management and drive for technical profitability generate an improvement in the expected gross pricing UW ratio of approximately 2 percentage points.

 

 

SCOR records a stable business volume in the EMEA zone (Europe, Middle-East and Africa), with written premiums of EUR 1,020 million compared to EUR 1,021 million in 2009. There are, however, significant differences between markets due to local conditions and measures taken by SCOR to ensure that internal profitability targets are achieved. 

In Germany and the UK, business declines by 14% and 29% to EUR 174 million and 

EUR 65 million respectively. The main reasons for this shift are voluntary reductions in German Property and Motor Proportional business and in British Motor Non-Proportional business, partly offset in Germany by some increases in Property Non-Proportional business. 

In the Middle East and Africa, business volume increases by 19% to EUR 135 million, thanks to new developments in the Middle East (e.g. Saudi Arabia) and in South Africa on short-tail business.

 

Significant increases are also recorded in the Americas (+15%), concentrated in the US regional clients target segment. Canada and Central America renew within an unchanged positive profitability environment, whilst a careful stance is taken in the Caribbean and South American markets.

 

In Asia-Pacific, SCOR Global P&C experiences significant growth thanks to our re-established local presence in Australia and new developments in Pakistan. Underwriting in China remains very selective. Bearing in mind that in this region only around 27% of Treaty P&C premiums are up for renewal at 1 January 2010, since Japan, Korea and India will renew their programmes on 1 April 2010, volume increases by 19% to EUR 67 million.

 

 

Proportional reinsurance shows a slight increase from EUR 835 million to EUR 842 million, while non-proportional increases more significantly from EUR 440 million to EUR 472 million. SCOR Global P&C reduces the volume of proportional business in certain markets and lines (e.g. Germany Property and Motor), whilst increasing the non-proportional business volume (e.g. Germany, France and Benelux), applying a disciplined underwriting policy in accordance with its profitability objectives.

 

The natural catastrophe Property book, which represents around 15% of SCOR’s total Treaty P&C volume, shows a significant increase of 9%, rising from EUR 175 million in 2009 to EUR 192 million in 2010 thanks to a positive balance between premium income growth in countries benefiting from a favourable pricing trend (such as France and Spain) and a reduction in territories offering less attractive terms (e.g. the Caribbean & South America).

 

 

SCOR’s franchise is once again fully affirmed and Specialty Treaty business has grown significantly, with premiums up by 20% to EUR 472 million from EUR 394 million up for renewal (62% of annual volume). SCOR’s teams thoroughly compensate for 4% or EUR 17 million of business cancelled, by writing EUR 34 million of additional business with existing clients and EUR 11 million with new clients. New shares on existing programmes increase premium volume by EUR 28 million. Improved prices and market conditions lead to an increase in premium income of EUR 7 million. 

 

The continued portfolio management and drive for greater technical profitability are expected to generate an improvement to the gross pricing UW ratio of almost 6 percentage points, mainly driven by improvements in Credit and Aviation lines.

 

 

SCOR exercises very active cycle management with regard to Specialty Treaty business, taking advantage of the diversification benefits offered by this business segment. 

Credit & Surety business grows strongly from EUR 105 million to EUR 135 million, representing an increase of 29%. This segment is marked by double-digit price increases in Credit combined with a further reduction in acquisition costs. With premiums written in 2010 amounting to EUR 102 million, Engineering records an increase of 23%, driven by continued development in a stable pricing environment, albeit at a more challenging time in view of the worldwide investment slowdown. Transport & Marine and Agriculture lines also record strong premium volume increases (+20% and +18% respectively) to reach EUR 71 million each. 

 

Aviation & Space Treaty business (excluding GAUM) benefits from better pricing, notably on proportional, and increases its volume by 11% to EUR 29 million. 

In a competitive large corporate segment facing price reductions driven by over-capacity, following a year of very low claims activity, Business Solutions maintains the volume of its business (EUR 123 million for the fourth quarter 2009 and January 2010 renewals compared to EUR 120 million for the same period twelve months earlier).