Generali Lebensversicherung A3 IFSR also affirmed but outlook revised to negative
London, 02 October 2017 -- Moody's Investors Service today affirmed the A3 insurance financial strength
rating (IFSR) of Generali Deutschland AG and its various insurance subsidiaries
including Generali Versicherung AG, Generali Lebensversicherung
AG (Generali Leben), AachenMuenchener Lebensversicherung AG and
Cosmos Lebensversicherungs-AG. The outlooks are stable apart
from Generali Leben for which the outlook has been revised to negative
from stable.
A list of all affected ratings is available at the end of this press release.
RATINGS RATIONALE
The rating affirmation follows the planned actions recently announced
by Assicurazioni Generali S.p.A. (Baa1 IFSR,
stable) as part of the launch of the next phase of Generali Deutschland's
industrial transformation. Moody's views these actions as
positive for new business growth. The negative outlook assigned
to Generali Leben reflects the potential constraints on its credit profile
as a result of Generali's intention to place it into run-off
during Q1 2018, with the possibility to dispose this portfolio in
the future.
In terms of the specific actions announced by Generali Deutschland,
Moody's believes that the proposed concentration of ten product
factories into one to deliver simpler and more innovative products should
aid new sales, reduce costs and ultimately simplify the group structure
in Germany. New sales are also likely to benefit from the strengthening
of the Generali brand in traditional channels, the new exclusive
distribution agreement with DVAG involving non-life business,
and the expansion of products offered by CosmosDirekt, Germany's
largest direct insurer. The Group also estimate that Generali Deutschland's
solvency will increase by 26% points as a result of Generali Leben
being placed into run-off.
The negative outlook assigned to Generali Leben reflects Moody's
view that the credit profile of run-off companies is more constrained
than those actively selling new business whose profits can be used to
replenish any potential capital erosion. Furthermore, Moody's
believes that the placing into run-off of Generali Leben,
with the envisaged possibility to sell this portfolio in the future,
reduces the likelihood and/or magnitude of future Group support in extreme
scenarios.
More broadly, the rating affirmation reflects Generali Deutschland's
very strong market position in German life and non-life insurance,
a controlled and extensive distribution capability, a prudent non-life
reserving policy and a high weight of unit-linked and term life
policies in its life portfolio relative to German peers. More negatively,
there is a high exposure to interest rate risk as the balance sheet of
its life companies remains dominated by traditional products with interest
rate guarantees. The rating also factors in the linkages with the
Italian parent company Assicurazioni Generali S.p.A.
WHAT COULD MOVE THE RATINGS DOWN/UP
GENERALI DEUTSCHLAND
In terms of rating drivers going forward, Moody's said that factors
that could lead to an upgrade include: An improvement in the credit
profile of Generali Germany's parent company, Assicurazioni Generali
S.p.A., as evidenced by an upgrade of its insurance
financial strength rating.
Conversely, factors that could lead to a downgrade include:
1) A deterioration in the credit quality of Italy particularly in case
of a more than one notch downgrade of Italy's sovereign rating,
which would exert pressure on the credit profile of Generali Germany's
parent company; 2) deterioration of solvency and operating performance
of the operating companies in Germany.
GENERALI LEBEN
Moody's said that given the negative outlook an upgrade is unlikely.
Conversely, factors that could lead to a downgrade include:
1) deterioration of solvency, operating performance, and asset
quality; 2) a disposal of Generali Leben and/or diminished Group
support in Moody's view; 3) a deterioration in the credit quality
of Italy particularly in case of a more than one notch downgrade of Italy's
sovereign rating, which would exert pressure on the credit profile
of Generali Germany's parent company.
SUMMARY PROFILE OF AFFECTED GROUP
Headquartered in Munich, Germany, Generali in Germany comprises
a holding company, Generali Deutschland AG and several operating
companies.
LIST OF AFFECTED RATINGS
Issuer: Generali Deutschland AG
..Affirmation:
....Insurance Financial Strength Rating,
affirmed A3
..Outlook Action:
....Outlook remains Stable
Issuer: AachenMuenchener Lebensversicherung AG
..Affirmation:
....Insurance Financial Strength Rating,
affirmed A3
..Outlook Action:
....Outlook remains Stable
Issuer: AachenMuenchener Versicherung AG
..Affirmation:
....Insurance Financial Strength Rating,
affirmed A3
..Outlook Action:
....Outlook remains Stable
Issuer: Advocard Rechtschutzversicherung AG
..Affirmation:
....Insurance Financial Strength Rating,
affirmed A3
..Outlook Action:
....Outlook remains Stable
Issuer: Central Krankenversicherung AG
..Affirmation:
....Insurance Financial Strength Rating,
affirmed A3
..Outlook Action:
....Outlook remains Stable
Issuer: Cosmos Lebensversicherungs-AG
..Affirmation:
....Insurance Financial Strength Rating,
affirmed A3
..Outlook Action:
....Outlook remains Stable
Issuer: Cosmos Versicherung AG
..Affirmation:
....Insurance Financial Strength Rating,
affirmed A3
..Outlook Action:
....Outlook remains Stable
Issuer: Dialog Lebensversicherungs-AG
..Affirmation:
....Insurance Financial Strength Rating,
affirmed A3
..Outlook Action:
....Outlook remains Stable
Issuer: Envivas Krankenversicherung AG
..Affirmation:
....Insurance Financial Strength Rating,
affirmed A3
..Outlook Action:
....Outlook remains Stable
Issuer: Generali Deutschland Pensionskasse AG
..Affirmation:
....Insurance Financial Strength Rating,
affirmed A3
..Outlook Action:
....Outlook remains Stable
Issuer: Generali Lebensversicherung AG
..Affirmation:
....Insurance Financial Strength Rating,
affirmed A3
..Outlook Action:
....Outlook changed to Negative from Stable
Issuer: Generali Versicherung AG
..Affirmation:
....Insurance Financial Strength Rating,
affirmed A3
..Outlook Action:
....Outlook remains Stable
PRINCIPAL METHODOLOGIES
The principal methodologies used in rating Generali Deutschland AG were
Global Life Insurers published in April 2016, and Global Property
and Casualty Insurers published in May 2017. The principal methodology
used in rating AachenMuenchener Lebensversicherung AG, Cosmos Lebensversicherungs-AG,
Dialog Lebensversicherungs-AG, Generali Deutschland Pensionskasse
AG and Generali Lebensversicherung AG was Global Life Insurers published
in April 2016. The principal methodology used in rating AachenMuenchener
Versicherung AG, Advocard Rechtschutzversicherung AG, Central
Krankenversicherung AG, Cosmos Versicherung AG, Envivas Krankenversicherung
AG and Generali Versicherung AG was Global Property and Casualty Insurers
published in May 2017. Please see the Rating Methodologies page
on www.moodys.com for a copy of these methodologies.
REGULATORY DISCLOSURES
For ratings issued on a program, series or category/class of debt,
this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation
to each rating of a subsequently issued bond or note of the same series
or category/class of debt or pursuant to a program for which the ratings
are derived exclusively from existing ratings in accordance with Moody's
rating practices. For ratings issued on a support provider,
this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation
to the credit rating action on the support provider and in relation to
each particular credit rating action for securities that derive their
credit ratings from the support provider's credit rating.
For provisional ratings, this announcement provides certain regulatory
disclosures in relation to the provisional rating assigned, and
in relation to a definitive rating that may be assigned subsequent to
the final issuance of the debt, in each case where the transaction
structure and terms have not changed prior to the assignment of the definitive
rating in a manner that would have affected the rating. For further
information please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page for the
respective issuer on www.moodys.com.
For any affected securities or rated entities receiving direct credit
support from the primary entity(ies) of this credit rating action,
and whose ratings may change as a result of this credit rating action,
the associated regulatory disclosures will be those of the guarantor entity.
Exceptions to this approach exist for the following disclosures,
if applicable to jurisdiction: Ancillary Services, Disclosure
to rated entity, Disclosure from rated entity.
Regulatory disclosures contained in this press release apply to the credit
rating and, if applicable, the related rating outlook or rating
review.
Please see www.moodys.com for any updates on changes to
the lead rating analyst and to the Moody's legal entity that has issued
the rating.
Please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com
for additional regulatory disclosures for each credit rating.
Dominic Simpson
VP - Senior Credit Officer
Financial Institutions Group
Moody's Investors Service Ltd.
One Canada Square
Canary Wharf
London E14 5FA
United Kingdom
JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456
Client Service: 44 20 7772 5454
Antonello Aquino
Associate Managing Director
Financial Institutions Group
JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456
Client Service: 44 20 7772 5454
Releasing Office:
Moody's Investors Service Ltd.
One Canada Square
Canary Wharf
London E14 5FA
United Kingdom
JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456
Client Service: 44 20 7772 5454