MEXICO CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 15, 2022--

AM Best has revised the outlooks to stable from negative and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a” (Excellent) of Barents Re Reinsurance Company, Inc. (Barents Re) (Cayman Islands) and its affiliate, Barents Reinsurance S.A. (Barents Re Lux) (Luxembourg).

The Credit Ratings (ratings) reflect Barents Re’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as strongest, as well as its strong operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management.

The revised outlooks reflect the reversion of the negative trend in Barents Re’s operating performance metrics, as well as the improvement in the company’s corporate governance framework. While stability is expected, failure to execute strategic plans successfully is likely to result in negative rating actions.

The rating affirmations reflect Barents Re’s risk-adjusted capitalization at the strongest level, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), and geographical diversification. Limiting the ratings is the constantly shifting regional composition of Barents Re’s portfolio and the uncertainty regarding the impact on the company’s level of profitability.

The ratings of Barents Re Lux reflect its strategic importance to and the support it receives from Barents Re. Barents Re Lux is part of the Barents Re rating unit, and it is fundamental to the group’s overall strategy.

Barents Re provides a parental guarantee and reinsurance support to Barents Re Lux. The company is in the course of obtaining their U.K. branch license and is currently operating under the temporary permissions regime until the end of 2023. Failure to obtain the U.K. branch license would put operational pressure on the company.

Barents Re’s business portfolio in 2021 contracted year over year by 17.4%, mainly driven by a premium reduction in specialty lines, albeit partially offset by growth in Barents Re’s other business lines. Overall, Europe-sourced business represents 87% of its portfolio, with Latin America region generating 7% and the Middle East and North Africa region holding the rest. The company is supported by its diversified and comprehensive reinsurance program placed among reinsurers with a good level of security, a key characteristic that Barents Re has adopted to enter new business lines and regions prudently.

Although operating performance have shifted over time toward a different structure, Barents Re’s current metrics still compare favorably with the market. As of June 2022, the company presented a positive bottom-line result of USD 19.9 million, showing resilience to the current market conditions. Although there is volatility present in the company’s premium volume and the composition of the business portfolio, Barents Re has been able to produce consistently positive operating earnings across multiple underwriting cycles.

Barents Re’s risk-adjusted capitalization still reflects capital contributions in 2016 and 2017, along with positive bottom-line results in the past years. The company’s reinsurance program adequately covers exposures, and its net exposures to catastrophe events do not represent a significant portion of its reported surplus.

Positive rating actions are not expected in the medium term. Factors that could lead to negative rating actions are the deterioration in the expected performance of the company in terms of profitability and capital generation. Negative rating actions could also occur as a result of a breakdown in its corporate governance due to regulatory issues or a breach in controlling its operational risks.

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’sRecent Rating Activityweb page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please viewGuide 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 viewGuide to Proper Use of Best’s Ratings & Assessments.

AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visitwww.ambest.com.

Copyright © 2022 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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CONTACT: Olga Rubo, FRM

Senior Financial Analyst

+52 55 1102 2720, ext. 134

olga.rubo@ambest.comChristopher Sharkey

Manager, Public Relations

+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5159

christopher.sharkey@ambest.comSalvador Smith

Senior Financial Analyst

+52 55 1102 2720, ext. 109

salvador.smith@ambest.comAl Slavin

Senior Public Relations Specialist

+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5098

al.slavin@ambest.com

KEYWORD: MEXICO LUXEMBOURG CAYMAN ISLANDS CARIBBEAN CENTRAL AMERICA EUROPE

INDUSTRY KEYWORD: BANKING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES INSURANCE FINANCE

SOURCE: AM Best

Copyright Business Wire 2022.

PUB: 12/15/2022 12:24 PM/DISC: 12/15/2022 12:24 PM

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