For the fourth consecutive year, STANDARD & POOR's Ratings Services on 21 November 2011 reconfirmed the "A" long-term rating and financial strength rating of the TRIGLAV Group. By doing so, STANDARD & POOR's Ratings Services simultaneously reconfirmed the "A" long-term ratings and financial strength ratings of ZAVAROVALNICA TRIGLAV and its subsidiary POZAVAROVALNICA TRIGLAV Re. Both companies were assigned a stable medium-term outlook.

FITCH Ratings has affirmed Insurance Company of Gas Industry SOGAZ (Russia)'s (SOGAZ) Insurer Financial Strength (IFS) rating at 'BB+' and National IFS rating at 'AA(rus)'. The Outlooks are Stable.

In the third quarter of 2011, ALLIANZ Group recorded total revenues of EUR 24.1 billion, coming just 1.8% below the level from the third quarter of last year. "Operating profit of EUR 1.91 billion was off by 7.3% compared to the year before but remains on target. The decline in the result was largely due to lower investment results in Life and Health insurance compared to 2010. In Property and Casualty insurance operating profit remained stable, while Asset Management continued its successful path and again increased its operating profit", according to the group.

In the first three quarters of the current year, VIENNA INSURANCE Group increased its premiums written by 4.0% to a total of EUR 6.8 billion, compared to the same period of the previous year. The Group gross profit went up by 9.6% to a total of EUR 414.1 million. The combined ratio of the Group amounted to 97.2%, after 98.2% in the respective period of the previous year.

Gross written premium of PZU Group's in 3Q2011 amounted PLN 11.42 billion (aprox. EUR 2.59 billion), 5.8% up as compared to 3Q2010. The main sources of growth were the property insurance segment of the Mass Client division and the life insurance segment, mainly in group insurance and to a lesser extent in individual insurance. In terms of profitability, PZU Group's net financial result for 3Q2011 was of PLN 1.86 billion (about EUR 422 million), 0.9% lower than in the same period of the previous year. 98% of the Groups' GWP comes from the Polish insurance subsidiaries.

In the first nine months of 2011, GENERALI Group registered gross written premiums of EUR 51.33 billion, -4.6% compared to January-September 2010. The non-life business contributed to this result with premiums totaling EUR 16.94 billion (+2.3%). In the life segment, the Group continued to guide production towards products with larger margins and a higher return on invested capital. Premiums amounted to EUR 34.39 billion (-7.7%) with growth in annual premiums (+5%).

In January-September 2011, the total underlying income from the insurance operations increased to EUR 30.25 billion from EUR 28.90 billion in the same period of 2010. At the same time, the gross premium income of ING Insurance decreased by EUR 764 million to EUR 20.74 billion in the first nine months of 2011, from EUR 21.50 billion in the same period last year, announced the company. There were decreases of gross premium income in Benelux (EUR 250 million) and US (EUR 622 million), and increases in Asia (EUR 281 million) and Central & Rest of Europe (EUR 87 million).

KBC Group ended the third quarter of 2011 with an underlying net result of EUR -248 million but excluding one-off items induced by the prevailing and exceptional market circumstances, the net result would have amounted to EUR 222 million. This compares with EUR 528 million in 2Q 2011 and EUR 445 million in 3Q2010. "The underlying result for the first nine months of 2011 amounted to EUR 937 million, compared to EUR 1,542 million for the corresponding period in 2010", according to the earnings statement published by the company.

Difficult economic conditions in financial markets, great fluctuations of the major exchange rates and huge natural disasters in the beginning of the year have left their mark on the results of MUNICH Re. Thus, the German reinsurance company reported an operating profit of EUR 402 million, down by 88% compared to the same period last year, when the company made a profit of EUR 3.37 billion. Natural disasters from the beginning of the year have cost the Germans from MUNICH Re about EUR 3.6 billion. In the third quarter, the company posted a profit of EUR 290 million, compared to EUR 761 million in 3Q/2010.

Nina HIGATZBERGER takes over the position of the Head of Investor Relations at the VIENNA INSURANCE Group (VIG) with effect from 1 January 2012 and succeeds Thomas SCHMEE who as of 1 January 2012 will head the Group Controlling Department of the VIG, announced the Group.

According to preliminary data, the volume of gross written premiums of the 13 insurance companies that are part of the INGO Group totaled, in the first nine months, RUB 59.0 billion or EUR 1.4 billion, up by 15.2 % compared to the same period in 2010; at the same time, claims paid by insurers increased by 3.4%, to RUB 38.9 billion (EUR 919.6 million).

For the first nine months of 2011, AXA's revenues were down 2% to EUR 65.95 billion.
Also, the insurance group reports third quarter 2011 results in line with those observed during the first 6 months of the year: "Our top line trends for the first nine months are generally in line with those observed in the half year, with continued selectivity across all business lines", commented Denis DUVERNE, Deputy CEO of AXA.

Jean AZEMA, the CEO of the French insurer GROUPAMA, has left the company's management, Thierry MARTEL being appointed in his place.

MUNICH Re sustains the introduction of fiscal union and a common budgetary policy at EU level, as a solution to the current macroeconomic situation, caused by the sovereign debt crisis, that threatens to destabilize the entire continent.

MUNICH Re has an active and stable presence in the Central and Eastern Europe, being aware of the potential of this region, told Ludger ARNOLDUSSEN, Member of Munich Re's Board of Management to XPRIMM Insurance Newsletters.

Given the large number of catastrophic events this year, 2011 is proving to be the most expensive year ever in terms of paid claims volume. This already has effects on the reinsurance price, in the current renewals season.

VIENNA Insurance Group announced important changes in the Managing Boards of the companies KOOPERATIVA poistovna, active in the insurance markets in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, respectively.

According to preliminary data, the volume of gross premiums underwritten by insurance companies that are part of the INGO group, in the first six months of the year, amounted to RUB 39.8 billion (EUR 985.4 million), up by 11,3% compared to the same period in 2010; at the same time, the claims paid by insurers fell by 2.6%, to RUB 25.0 billion (EUR 620.3 million).

In the first six months of 2011, RESO Garantia has underwritten premiums worth RUB 21.7 billion (EUR 549.2 million), up by 22% compared to the same period of 2010. During the reported period, the amount of claims paid by the insurance company increased by 18% compared to 1H/2010, reaching RUB 10.7 billion (EUR 271.4 million).

The first half of this year represented for the Polish insurance group PZU SA a net financial result of EUR 391.44 million, representing an absolute value increase of EUR 99.28 million, compared to 1H/2010, according to Interim Consolidated Report published by the Group.