Fitch Ratings Lanka has assigned Sri Lanka-based Continental Insurance Lanka Ltd. (CILL) a National Insurer Financial Strength Rating and a National Long-Term Rating of ‘A-(lka)’. The Outlook is Stable.
CILL was established as a non-life insurer in 2010 and by 2013, even though the non-life industry is intensely competitive, it managed to account for a modest 2.5% of the non-life industry’s gross written premiums. CILL’s combined ratio of around 105% for 2013 compares well with its peers’ and is satisfactory, especially given the company’s short operating history. Fitch expects improvements to the ratio to be slow given the intense competition in the non-life industry.
CILL regulatory solvency ratio was 1.7x in 1Q14, comfortably above the regulatory required level of 1x. This ratio is expected to improve with the recent capital infusion, and then trend down with the growth in business. Fitch expects the company to maintain the solvency ratio at above 2x.
The company’s ultimate parent DCSL is a well-established, leading alcoholic beverage manufacturer in Sri Lanka. The company benefits from group business and operational synergies.
Rating sensitivities: Key rating triggers for a downgrade include a sustained weakening in the combined ratio to above 110% or in solvency ratio to below 2x.
A rating upgrade in the short term is unlikely. In the medium to long term, the company’s ratings may be upgraded if it achieves increased scale while maintaining profitability and capitalisation at current levels.
www.ft.lk
Key rating drivers: The ratings reflect CILL’s satisfactory capitalisation in terms of regulatory solvency, relatively short operating history and modest market share. The ratings also reflect the recent capital infusion by its parent, Distilleries Company of Sri Lanka PLC (DCSL; AAA(lka)/Stable). CILL is fully owned by DCSL through holding company Melsta Corp Ltd.
CILL was established as a non-life insurer in 2010 and by 2013, even though the non-life industry is intensely competitive, it managed to account for a modest 2.5% of the non-life industry’s gross written premiums. CILL’s combined ratio of around 105% for 2013 compares well with its peers’ and is satisfactory, especially given the company’s short operating history. Fitch expects improvements to the ratio to be slow given the intense competition in the non-life industry.
CILL regulatory solvency ratio was 1.7x in 1Q14, comfortably above the regulatory required level of 1x. This ratio is expected to improve with the recent capital infusion, and then trend down with the growth in business. Fitch expects the company to maintain the solvency ratio at above 2x.
The company’s ultimate parent DCSL is a well-established, leading alcoholic beverage manufacturer in Sri Lanka. The company benefits from group business and operational synergies.
Rating sensitivities: Key rating triggers for a downgrade include a sustained weakening in the combined ratio to above 110% or in solvency ratio to below 2x.
A rating upgrade in the short term is unlikely. In the medium to long term, the company’s ratings may be upgraded if it achieves increased scale while maintaining profitability and capitalisation at current levels.
www.ft.lk
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