HONG KONG--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A+ (Superior) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) of “aa-” (Superior) of Sompo Japan Insurance Inc. (SJ) (Japan) and its subsidiaries. The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable. (See below for a detailed list of companies below).
The ratings reflect SJ’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as strongest, as well as its strong operating performance, favourable business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management (ERM).
SJ’s balance sheet strength assessment reflects the company’s strongest level of risk-adjusted capitalisation, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR). While the company’s financial leverage remains conservative with adjusted debt leverage ratios below 25%, the ratio is relatively high compared with most of the major domestic non-life insurers in Japan.
SJ has a track record of strong operating performance, mainly supported by its consistent premium growth and a five-year average return on equity of 8.4% (fiscal year 2017 – 2021), as calculated based on comprehensive income. SJ continues to maintain a strong domestic non-life insurance business, which has an average five-year combined ratio of 96.3% (fiscal years 2017 – 2021), excluding premiums and losses from its compulsory automobile liability insurance (CALI) business and household earthquake business. In the absence of COVID-19-related losses, SJ’s overseas businesses also recorded significant improvement in both net premium written (NPW) and adjusted profit in fiscal year 2021.
SJ is the core operating unit of SOMPO Holdings, Inc., (SOMPO Holdings), its ultimate parent and one of the largest non-life insurance groups in Japan. The company maintains a leading market position with approximately a 25 percent share of the highly consolidated non-life insurance segment in Japan, in terms of NPW. In addition, the company has a growing book of overseas insurance business, which accounted for 27% of its NPW and 28% of its adjusted profits in fiscal year 2021.
The stable outlooks reflect AM Best’s expectation that SJ will maintain its overall balance sheet assessment, supported by risk-adjusted capitalisation at the strongest level, as measured by BCAR, while ongoing strategic initiatives will help maintain its strong and consistent operating performance over the intermediate term.
Negative rating actions could occur if there is material deterioration in risk-adjusted capitalisation caused by substantial investment losses or a large-scale natural catastrophe. Negative rating actions could also occur if there is significant deterioration in SOMPO Holdings, Inc.’s credit profile, including its risk-adjusted capitalisation, financial leverage or interest coverage levels.
The FSR of A+ (Superior) and the Long-Term ICRs of “aa-” (Superior) have been affirmed with a stable outlook for the following subsidiaries of Sompo Japan Insurance Inc.:
- Endurance Assurance Corporation
- Endurance Specialty Insurance Limited
- Endurance Worldwide Insurance Limited
- Endurance American Specialty Insurance Company
- Endurance American Insurance Company
- Endurance Risk Solutions Assurance Co.
- American Agri-Business Insurance Company
- Sompo America Insurance Company
- Sompo America Fire & Marine Insurance Company
- Lexon Insurance Company
- Bond Safeguard Insurance Company
- SI Insurance (Europe), SA
Ratings are communicated to rated entities prior to publication. Unless stated otherwise, the ratings were not amended subsequent to that communication.
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