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Lloyd’s Syndicate
Syndicate 2012
Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended31 December 2024
3
Contents
4
Directors and Administration
Directors of the Managing Agent (As at 6 March 2025)
K. Felisky
M. Hammer-Dahinden
J. Hine
P. Storey
H. Sturgess
K. Valder
Syndicate Secretary
S. Charlton
Managing Agent Registered Number
06948515
Managing Agent Registered Office
60 Great Tower Street
London
EC3R 5AZ
Principal Bankers
Bank of America Merrill Lynch
Citibank NA
Royal Trust Corporation of Canada
Independent Auditors
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditors
7 More London Riverside
London, SE1 2RT
Investment Manager
Payden & Rygel
1 Bartholomew Lane
London, EC2N 2AX
Website
www.insurance.archgroup.com/business/international/london-market
5
Managing Agent’s report
The Directors of Arch Managing Agency Limited (“AMAL” or “the Managing Agent”) present their annual report and audited financial statements of managed Syndicate 2012 (the “Syndicate”) for the year ended 31 December 2024.
The Syndicate is a wholly aligned Syndicate, with underwriting capacity being provided by sole participant Arch Syndicate Investments Ltd (“ASIL”).
Principal Activities
The Syndicate currently underwrites Accident and Health, Marine, Aviation, Transport, Fire and Other Damage to Property, Third Party Liability, Credit and Suretyship and Reinsurance. The Syndicate has operated an 80/20% split stamp agreement with Syndicate 1955 throughout 2024.
Ownership
As at 31 December 2024, the Syndicate was managed by AMAL and the ultimate parent company is Arch Capital Group Ltd (“ACGL”), a publicly listed Bermuda exempted company. ACGL writes insurance, reinsurance and mortgage insurance on a worldwide basis through its wholly owned subsidiaries in Bermuda, the United States of America, Europe, Canada, and Australia. ACGL is listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market and its registered address is Waterloo House, Ground Floor, 100 Pitts Bay Road, Pembroke HM 08, Bermuda.
The address of the Managing Agent’s registered office is 60 Great Tower Street, London, England, EC3R 5AZ.
Directors
The Directors of the Managing Agent who held office during the year were as follows:
K. Felisky
Independent Non-Executive Director
M. Hammer-Dahinden
Group Non-Executive Director
J. Hine
Independent Non-Executive Director
J. Kittinger
Chief Financial Officer
(resigned 16 May 2024)
P. Storey
Independent Non-Executive Director and Chairman
H. Sturgess
President and Chief Executive Officer
K. Valder
Deputy Chief Executive Officer
The Directors are covered by third party indemnity insurance policies.
6
Managing agent’s report: (cont’d)
Review of the Business
Our insurance underwriting strategy is to operate in lines of business where our underwriting expertise can make a meaningful difference to operating results. We seek to operate profitably across all the product lines and, to do so, we aim to attract and retain underwriting talent. We underwrite predominantly in the London wholesale insurance markets, both directly and on a selective delegated underwriting authority basis. To achieve our objectives, our insurance operating principles are to:
capitalise on profitable underwriting opportunities;
centralise responsibility for underwriting;
maintain a disciplined underwriting philosophy using our experience and strategic analytics to drive decisions;
provide superior claims management; and
promote and utilise an efficient distribution system;
Our underwriting philosophy is to generate an underwriting profit through prudent risk selection and adequate pricing across the underwriting cycle. To achieve this, we adhere to uniform underwriting standards across each product line focusing on risk selection; desired attachment point; limits and retention management; due diligence, including financial condition, claims history, management and exposure; underwriting authority and approval limits; and collaborative decision-making.
The rating environment continued to have a positive improvement during 2024, with firmer pricing for many lines of business including Aviation War, Property, Terrorism, Healthcare and Onshore Energy. Reflecting the strengthened rating environment, the Syndicate’s underwriting strategy for 2024 was therefore more offensive, actively seeking out new business and maximising the opportunities for growth in profitable lines of business. Notwithstanding the competitive environment, the Managing Agent has sought to maintain its underwriting discipline and execute its philosophy on superior risk selection. Total gross premium written increased from £556.3 million in 2023 to £635.8 million in 2024. Overall profit is lower this year at £36.6 million (2023: £46.7 million), with a combined ratio of 98.9% (2023: 92.5%).
Net assets of the Syndicate increased by £26.7 million in 2024 to £85.4 million. The majority of this increase is driven by a £36.6 million profit for the year, partly offset by a £9.9 million profit distribution to ASIL in relation to the closed 2021 year of account.
7
Managing agent’s report: (cont’d)
Review of the Business: (cont’d)
The Syndicate recorded an underwriting profit before investment income of £5.1 million (2023: £28.2 million), driven by an increase in net claims to 61.4% (2023: 54.9%). A total comprehensive profit of £36.6 million (2023: £46.7 million) including foreign exchange loss of £2.0 million (2023: loss £7.4 million). The components are described below:
Key performance information and metrics
2024
2023
£m
£m
Gross premiums written
635.8
556.3
Gross premiums earned
591.7
495.1
Premiums earned, net of reinsurance
453.5
380.1
Claims incurred, net of reinsurance
(278.4)
(208.8)
Investment return
33.5
25.9
Operating expenses
(170.0)
(143.1)
38.6
54.1
Balance on the technical account for general business
Non-technical account FX
(2.0)
(7.4)
Result for the period
36.6
46.7
Net Claims ratio
61.4%
54.9%
Net Expense ratio
37.5%
37.6%
Net Combined ratio
98.9%
92.5%
Premiums written
Gross written premium of £635.8 million is £79.5 million higher than 2023. During 2024 the Syndicate continued its strategy of capitalising on profitable underwriting opportunities and benefited from improved rate environment. The following lines of business contributed to the business growth: Terrorism £31.3 million, Management Liability £17.2 million, General Liability £16.3 million, Cyber £15.0 million, Offshore Energy £11.5 million, and Healthcare £9.9 million.
The premium growth has been driven by rate change, increased line size, specific new binder, or underwriting initiatives. We have seen positive rate changes across most lines of business, the largest being Healthcare (8.0%) and Terrorism (7.5%).
8
Managing agent’s report: (cont’d)
Review of the Business: (contd)
Claims incurred
Total losses and loss adjustment expenses amounted to £278.4 million (2023: £208.8 million) with the loss ratio increasing from 54.9% in 2023 to 61.4% in 2024. Total losses include an adverse prior year development of £28.7 million (2023: £2.1 million favourable development). Please refer to Ukraine War section on page 11 and to Ukraine War risk and Macro-economic risk sections on page 14 for more detail.
Operating expenses
Net operating expenses, which include acquisition costs and other operating expenses, increased by £26.9 million to £170.0 million (2023: £143.1 million). Administrative expenses saw an increase of £12.5 million in 2024, while the acquisition costs increased by £14.2 million. The overall expense ratio remained consistent year on year at 37.5% (2023: 37.6%).
Direct costs and Lloyd’s charges are incurred directly by the Syndicate. In addition to this, the Syndicate receives a proportion of the corporate level expenses that are incurred by Arch Europe Insurance Services Ltd (“AEIS”) that are then recharged to AMAL and passed on to the Syndicate.
Non-technical result
Profit of £38.6 million (2023: profit £54.1 million) was achieved on the technical account in the financial year. The non-technical result saw foreign exchange loss of £2.0 million (2023: gain £7.4 million).
9
Managing agent’s report: (cont’d)
Corporate and Social Responsibility
Our success is anchored by our culture of ethics and compliance. The Board recognises the pivotal role it plays in promoting ethical standards and integrity in the conduct of our business and is committed to maintaining a reputation for high standards of business conduct.
Arch Group maintains a Code of Business Conduct (the “Code of Conduct”) which sets expectations and provides guidance to our employees in key areas, including honest and fair dealing, anti-bribery and corruption, potential conflicts of interest, gifts, safety, harassment and discrimination prevention, antitrust and competition and document retention. The Code of Conduct applies to all employees, directors and officers within Arch Group, including the Syndicate, and is reviewed regularly to remain current with changing laws, regulations and industry best practices. To reinforce our commitment to these standards, the Syndicate provides training to all employees on the Code of Conduct and makes other resources available, including a 24-hour ethics hotline.
The Syndicate is committed to providing equal opportunities to all employees and prospective employees in every facet of its operations. Our employment related decisions are made solely on the basis of the individual’s job qualifications and performance and without regard to race, colour, religion, creed, sex, national origin, ancestry, disability, age, genetic information, citizenship status, pregnancy, gender identity or expression, affectional or sexual orientation, atypical cellular or blood trait, marital status, veteran status, membership in the armed services, political affiliation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
Our success also depends on developing our employees so they can grow with the Syndicate. We provide high calibre learning and engagement programs to foster meaningful career development for all employees and encourage employees to execute a personal development plan with their managers.
The Syndicate operates within agreed business conduct guidelines and is focused on customer led outcomes. This includes ensuring products and services, price and value, consumer understanding and consumer support are at the core of our business strategy.
Risk management strategy and risk appetite
The Managing Agent’s Board is responsible for the Syndicate’s Risk Strategy ensuring there is an appropriate and effective framework for managing and overseeing the risks facing the business. The Risk Strategy operates in parallel with its business strategy and to achieve its strategy, the Syndicate:
Seeks out ‘core’ risks with favourable risk / return characteristics which are assumed subject to stated limits.
Is exposed to other ‘non-core’ risks as a by-product of executing this strategy, which are controlled to an acceptable level subject to the cost of mitigation.
Syndicate’s Risk Strategy is to only take risks that are consistent, controlled, understood and profitable.
Risk appetites are an integral part of the Syndicate’s Risk Management Framework as they reflect the amount of risk the Syndicate is willing to accept in the pursuit of its strategic objectives. They provide overarching parameters to the business, agreed by the Board, and establish targets for, and limits on, the amount of risk that should be accepted.
10
Managing agent’s report: (cont’d)
Risk management strategy and risk appetite: (cont’d)
The Syndicate articulates its risk appetites using a balance of quantitative and qualitative measures, whilst recognising the inherent uncertainty in quantifying risk. Qualitative measures are used alone where quantification techniques are not appropriate, for example, for strategic risk.
There are two types of Risk Appetite:
Central Strategic Goal Risk Appetites: represent a high-level qualitative articulation of the Syndicate’s appetite towards risk and are reported to the Executive Risk Committee (“ERC”), the Board Risk Committee (“BRC”) and the Board.
Risk Category Risk Appetites: Risk category level appetite statements underpin the Central Strategic Goal Risk Appetites and are articulated for risk types that would then be associated with the corresponding pillar. These are reported to the ERC and the BRC, and by exception to the Board.
The table below sets out our strategic risk objectives and shows, at a high level, examples of corresponding appetite statements:
Strategic risk objective
Risk appetite statement
Maintain capital adequacy
Target capital level
Deliver stable earnings
Return on Capital
Ensure fair outcomes for customers
Conduct and customer
Maintain robust and effective operations
Operational resilience
Ensure employees behaviour aligns to Arch’s values
Culture
The aim of the risk framework is to provide a robust, proportionate, proactive and forward-looking process for risk management across the Syndicate. A central component of this framework is the Syndicate’s risk management policies, which inform the business as to how it is required to conduct its activities and its risk management processes to remain within risk appetite. The policies cover all key risks to which the Syndicate is exposed. The Syndicate employs a number of risk tools to manage and monitor risk. The output of the syndicate’s risk management activities is thoroughly tested and reported upon both internally and externally.
The Syndicate incorporates the identification, assessment, management, control, reporting and mitigation of risk as part of the syndicate’s daily operations. The strengths of our risk framework are:
Strong culture and risk leadership underpinned by training of our people;
Engagement with the business;
Embedded risk management processes, linking risk and capital;
Quantitative approach to risk analysis through use of a robust economic capital model;
Qualitative risk assessment and management information; and
Influencing decision-making and shaping behaviours, via the provision of accurate, timely and relevant risk challenge and reporting.
The Syndicate’s risk management, internal audit, and compliance processes are coordinated to ensure that their respective activities are effective and complementary.
11
Managing agent’s report: (cont’d)
Risk management strategy and risk appetite: (cont’d)
Ukraine War
The war in Ukraine continues to be closely monitored in line with other large loss events. The Syndicate has exposure to the war in Ukraine, in particular from policies covering political violence and war. This exposure is protected by reinsurance where gross losses are expected to be mitigated, to an extent, by the reinsurance in place.
The current estimate of potential losses included within our net reserves for the war in Ukraine for the year ended 31 December 2024 are £115.0 million (31 December 2023: £41.0 million). The Syndicate has been negatively impacted by adverse development, resulting in strengthening of specific reserves in relation the Ukraine losses during the calendar year, largely on the 2021 year of account, on both a gross and net basis.
The premiums written on a number of classes of business have been impacted following the introduction of international sanctions in 2022.
Principal risks and uncertainties
The Syndicate writes products that are subject to a number of uncertainties and risks. It is a key role of the risk function to ensure that these risks have been identified, measured and considered throughout the business.
Principal risks and uncertainties: (cont’d)
Principal risks
Impact
Strategy, management and mitigation
Strategic risk
The external climate or issues with execution could put at risk our ability to meet our strategic objectives in the areas of distribution, pricing, claims, costs, and international diversification ultimately causing the Syndicate to fail to meet its business plan.
The value of the Syndicate decreases, resulting in a lack of ACGL Group confidence.
Syndicate's strategic ambitions include management of strategic risk in accordance with the ACGL Group premium and profitability plans and targets. We do this through:
Constant monitoring and management of agreed strategic targets;
Monitoring of cost savings to ensure they remain on track; and
Monitoring and reporting of capital levels.
Underwriting and pricing risk
We are subject to the risk that inappropriate business could be written (or not specifically excluded) and inappropriate prices charged.
This includes, but is not limited to, catastrophe risk arising from losses due to unpredictable natural and man-made events affecting multiple covered risks.
We are subject to the risk that inappropriate business could be written (or not specifically excluded) and inappropriate prices charged.
Adverse loss experience impacting current year and future year business performance.
Syndicate’s insurance risk strategy is to maintain an acceptable level of underwriting exposure within preferred business lines, across a diverse range of distribution channels, products and geographies. We do this through:
Underwriting guidelines for all business transacted, restricting the types and classes of business that may be accepted;
Exception reports and underwriting monitoring tools;
Internal quality assurance programmes;
Pricing policies by product line;
Analysis of comprehensive data to refine pricing;
Quarterly line of business reviews to monitor performance and adequacy of pricing;
Monthly monitoring and reporting of natural and man-made catastrophe risk against appetite;
Purchase of reinsurance to limit exposures; and
Analysis of all property portfolios to determine expected maximum losses.
12
Managing agent’s report: (cont’d)
Principal risks and uncertainties: (cont’d)
Principal risks and uncertainties: (cont’d)
Principal risks
Impact
Strategy, management and mitigation
Reserving risk
Due to the uncertain nature and timing of the risks to which we are exposed, we cannot precisely determine the amounts that we will ultimately pay to meet the liabilities covered by the insurance policies written leading to a risk that reserves may not be adequate for the risks underwritten.
Adverse development in prior year reserves resulting in significant deviations in earnings.
Syndicate’s reserve risk strategy is to book best estimate reserves being adequate compared to the independent actuaries’ best estimate. Technical reserves are estimated by:
A range of actuarial and statistical techniques, with projections of ultimate claims cost involving assumptions across a range of variables, including estimates of trends in claims frequency and average claim amounts based on facts and circumstances at a given point in time;
Making assumptions on other variable factors including; the legal, social, economic and regulatory environments. Other factors considered include business mix, consumer behaviour, market trends, underwriting assumptions, risk pricing models, inflation in medical care costs, future earnings inflation and other relevant forms of inflation, the performance and operation of reinsurance assets and future investment returns;
Stress and scenario testing; and
We assess the expected impact of inflation on the booked reserves using a multi-year cash flow approach. Our approach estimates the impact of economic inflation on the expected claims frequency and severity of the in-force business, recognising that different insurance classes are affected differently by economic inflation. The expected impact on reserves is compared to an independent actuarial review to ensure our reserve surplus versus said independent actuarial remains within our risk appetite.
Ceded reinsurance risk
The risk to the Syndicate arises where reinsurance contracts put in place to reduce gross insurance risk do not perform as anticipated.
Adverse impact on the financial results.
The Syndicate’s reinsurance programmes are determined from the underwriting team business plans and seek to protect Syndicate capital from an adverse volume or volatility of claims on both per risk and per event basis.
The Syndicate aims to establish appropriate retention levels, limits of protection with clear policy wordings that are consistent with keeping within the Board’s risk tolerance and achieving the target rates of return;
Provide stable, sustainable core capacity for each product line with non-core reinsurance purchased when market conditions allow;
Comply with the guidance from the ACGL Security Committee after review by Syndicate management; and
The Syndicate also benefits from an internal quota share with Arch Reinsurance Ltd., the level of which is set at 15%.
13
Managing agent’s report: (cont’d)
Principal risks and uncertainties: (cont’d)
Principal risks and uncertainties: (cont’d)
Principal risks
Impact
Strategy, management and mitigation
Operational risk
The risks of direct or indirect losses resulting from inadequate or failed internal processes, fraudulent claims or from systems and people, or from external events including changes in the competitor, regulatory or legislative environments.
Adverse events with potential financial, reputational, legal and customer impacts.
Syndicate recognises that certain operational risks are unavoidable and seeks to limit exposure to operational risks through ensuring that an effective infrastructure, robust systems and controls and appropriately experienced and qualified individuals are in place throughout the organisation.
We have enhanced many of our operational processes. This includes enhancing our Risk Management framework to integrate risk, business and capital strategies;
We maintain a robust internal control environment;
We maintain a robust risk capture, management and reporting system; and
We recognise the value of our human resources and have appropriate Human Resources (“HR”) policies to develop and retain our staff.
Investment risk
Market risk the risk of adverse financial impact due to changes in fair values of future cash flows of instruments held in the investment portfolio as a result of changes in interest rates, credit spread and foreign exchange rates.
Credit risk the risk of exposure if another party fails to perform its financial obligations, including failing to perform them in a timely manner.
Liquidity risk the risk of maintaining insufficient financial resources to meet business obligations as and when they fall due.
Adverse movements due to asset value reduction, mismatch in assets and liabilities, and default of third parties.
Inability to meet cash flows under stress.
Syndicate’s investment strategy is to protect the value of capital, focusing on assets that we consider are capable of producing a consistent and recurring flow of income over time.
Syndicate’s liquidity management ensures that a minimum percentage of consolidated investments are held in liquid, short-term money market securities, to ensure that there are sufficient liquid funds available to meet obligations to policyholders and other creditors as they fall due.
Our investment portfolio is managed and controlled through:
The Investment Committee receives advice from external Investment Advisors;
Investment strategy and guidelines are proposed to the Board by the Investment Committee and monitored by the Investment Committee;
Diverse holding of types of assets including geographies, sectors and credit ratings; and
Stress testing and scenario analysis.
Counterparty credit risk
We partner with many suppliers and the failure of any of these to perform their financial obligations or perform them in a timely manner could result in a financial loss.
The principal area of counterparty risk is our use of inter-company quota share reinsurance as a capital management tool.
Loss due to default of banks, reinsurers, brokers or other third parties.
Syndicate’s strategy is to avoid risk of large losses from counterparty failures through prudent counterparty selection and review of credit exposures.
Credit limits are set for counterparties, particularly reinsurers;
Requirement for minimum credit ratings for reinsurers;
Broker credit exposures are monitored by the business; and
The credit risk arising out of the inter-company quota share is managed through use of a trust fund arrangement.
14
Managing agent’s report: (cont’d)
Principal risks and uncertainties: (cont’d)
Principal risks and uncertainties: (cont’d)
Principal risks
Impact
Strategy, management and mitigation
Regulatory and legal risk
Changes in law and regulations are not identified, understood, or are inappropriately and incorrectly interpreted, or adopted, or business practices are not efficiently modified.
Further, there is a risk that current legal or regulatory requirements are not complied with.
Customer impact, financial loss and regulatory censure. Regulatory sanction, legal action or revenue loss.
Syndicate’s regulatory risk strategy is to comply with all laws and regulations.
Robust compliance framework and internal compliance function;
Continued focus on key regulatory issues, including pricing and reserving adequacy during both soft and hard market conditions;
We have a constructive and open relationship with our regulators; and
We continue to monitor all regulatory changes as and when they are required by our regulators.
Conduct risk
The risk of failing to deliver the appropriate treatment for our customers throughout all stages of the customer journey and that our people fail to behave with integrity.
Potential customer detriment, financial loss and regulatory censure and sanction.
Syndicate’s conduct risk strategy is to ensure good customer outcomes:
Our organisational culture prioritises a consistent approach towards customers, including vulnerable customers, and the interests of customers are at the heart of how we operate; and
We have developed a robust customer conduct risk management framework to minimise our exposure to conduct risk.
Group and reputational risk
We are dependent on the strength of our Group, our reputation with customers and distributors in the sale of products and services. We have entered into various strategic partnerships that are important to the marketing, sale and distribution of our products.
Loss of Group value negatively impacts our ability to retain and write new business.
Syndicate derives benefits from being part of the ACGL Group. Group risk is primarily managed at the executive level, through building strong relationships with all parties.
Syndicate’s reputational risk strategy is to protect our brand and reputation. We do this through:
Our brand and reputation risk are regularly reviewed by various governance committees; and
We seek to offer a superior service to customers.
Ukraine war risk
On 24 February 2022, the Ukraine war commenced. In particular the following areas are exposed to increased risk as a result of the war:
Loss exposure and reserve adequacy; and
International Sanctions.
The Syndicate’s capital may be negatively impacted.
The Syndicate has evaluated / addressed these risks as follows:
Continuous review of Ukraine war loss development and subsequent relevant developments; and
Consideration of any impact from sanctions and policy review completed.
Macro-economic risk
The volatility experienced within inflation, interest rates and foreign exchange rates during 2023 and 2024 exposed the Syndicate to increased risk as follows.
Increased future claims costs
Increased operational costs
Impact to financial performance.
The Syndicate’s capital may be negatively impacted.
The Syndicate has evaluated and assessed the impact of inflation across all areas of the operation.
Review of all future claims’ inflation exposure;
Assessment of future operational costs included in revised forecasts;
Investment portfolio and strategy reviewed amid financial market developments and volatility; and
Review of currency and duration matching of the investment portfolio to the Syndicate technical provisions.
15
Managing agent’s report: (cont’d)
Outlook and Future Developments
The Syndicate had a successful financial year, with total profits of £36.6 million (2023: profit £46.7 million). The Syndicate grew in existing lines of business in 2024 due to increased rates and new business initiatives.
Looking to 2025, we look to achieve continued growth and profitability observed across the market with the aim of improving the combined ratio to achieve a greater return on capital to the Member of the Syndicate.
The Syndicate is not anticipating to write any new lines of business in 2025 but profitable growth is expected across most lines of business which include General Liability, Cargo, Fine Art & Specie and Terrorism. Whilst growth continues to be a focus, the Syndicate’s governance and underwriting controls continue to place strong emphasis on risk selection and price adequacy, contributing to overall underwriting discipline with the aim of placing profitable business.
Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”)
ACGL introduced its group-wide ESG strategic framework in 2019, detailing important goals for integrating ESG considerations into its businesses, including the Syndicate. The framework maps across five key impact areas that support and drive our ESG initiative: Business, Operations, Investments, People and Communities. Organized under these pillars, ACGL tracks sustainable progress across the enterprise. ESG considerations are integral to our business operations and daily operations. We take a measured approach to ESG as we strive to drive our purpose Enable Possibility across our business. We work with our clients to provide services and insurance coverage that help them safeguard their future in a world where uncertainty touches every aspect of their lives. Our business is built on long-term thinking and an established history of delivering reliable risk management expertise to our markets.
The Syndicate developed an ESG framework and associated policies in 2022 to: 1) incorporate the ESG framework into its existing management and committee structure; 2) embed decision making, with consistent application and appropriate reporting mechanisms; and 3) ensure alignment to ACGL’s ESG programme.
Among other things, the Syndicate’s ESG programme includes efforts to manage our impact on the environment. We support our clients with insurance products and investment solutions to help address climate change, and we provide a range of customer-oriented solutions. We seek to encompass Arch’s collaborative ESG successes and sustainability progress across our operations and to engage with stakeholders and help them plan, build and grow into a sustainable future.
The Syndicate’s ESG efforts are overseen by the ESG Committee, which is chaired by the CEO and which regularly reports to the management of the Syndicate and the Board of Directors of the Managing Agency.
In addition, the directors have made an assessment of the specific risk of climate change to the Syndicate and have identified potential risks relating to underwriting and investment risks, each of which has been set out in further detail below. The Syndicate has embedded management of climate change risks into its standard approach for risk management. In line with the PRA’s expectations in SS3/19 and PS11/19, a framework has been put in place considering governance, risk management, scenario analysis and disclosure of financial risks arising from climate change.
16
Managing agent’s report: (cont’d)
Outlook and Future Developments (cont'd)
Underwriting risks
This is a fast-changing area and both the Syndicate, and the wider insurance market will continue to develop approaches to better understand and manage potential risks from climate change.
The Syndicate manages the financial risks from climate change under the following categories, which are described further below:
1.Underwriting Risks (including Physical risks and Liability risks)
2.Investment risks (including transition risks)
The Syndicate has a well-established exposure management framework, used to measure and manage catastrophe loss probability. The exposed policies are modelled by country and peril to estimate loss probabilities from natural catastrophe events, such as cyclones, windstorms, earthquakes, floods, bushfires and other hazards.
The whole portfolio is reassessed on a quarterly basis and the assessment includes modelling of historic events and probabilistic extremes of events across relevant geographic regions. Climate change signals, such as warming of sea surface temperatures are incorporated into the parameterisation of the model used.
The Syndicate’s models are tested for sensitivity and stress tested against the Syndicate’s historic claims experience. The key metric used is the 1 in 250-year stress test performed on a gross and net basis, which are tracked quarterly.
A number of investigations have been undertaken based on the Prudential Regulation Authority’s (“PRA”) Climate Biennial Exploratory Scenarios (CBES) exercise, which show that there could be a long-term impact to modelled losses relating to US Windstorm exposures and Wildfire exposures, although noted that the trends in these loss costs are relatively small year-on-year, and we are constantly able to update our underwriting approach in light of changing risk exposures. Therefore, it is anticipated that we would remain within current risk appetites.
As part of ACGL, the Syndicate benefits from extensive investment into research and validation of climate and hazard models that allows informed risk assessments using the latest scientific views.
Arch recognises the potential for new types of insurance loss to emerge as novel legal challenges are brought against companies, including our insureds (e.g., liability claims relating to the attribution of responsibility for climate change, or D&O claims relating to insured companies’ approach to energy transition and new disclosure requirements). The Syndicate includes consideration of these risk factors in its underwriting approach for relevant individual risks and lines of business and is continuing to develop its approaches to examine specific exposures.
17
Managing agent’s report: (cont’d)
Outlook and Future Developments (cont'd)
Underwriting risks: (cont’d)
The Managing Agency, on behalf of the Syndicate, is looking at all aspects of the potential new underwriting environment that may emerge with the advent of various aspects of climate change. Both first and third party underwriters are working to continually assess the impact of various climate change scenarios on the existing and future portfolio, including but not limited to changing weather pattern and changing sea levels and their impact on risk selection and aggregation; to novel litigation against various companies or their directors and officers for their alleged fault in enabling such change, which may impact risk selection and policy structure; to the opportunities generated by a changing economy. Arch is an underwriter of renewable energy business; of companies developing and manufacturing electric vehicles and insurers of various projects and research which both enable and profit from a new economy; this develops as the opportunity itself develops and has in itself challenges around pricing and policy form, in which we invest our own intellectual property.
Investment risk
The Syndicate has an investment portfolio worth £639.9 million (2023: £474.2 million) consisting mainly of holdings in collective investment schemes and debt securities and other fixed income securities. The investment portfolio was managed by Payden & Rygel (“P&R”) who in turn are overseen by Arch Investment Management (“AIM”).
The Investment Committee, which has been delegated oversight of the Syndicate’s investment portfolio by the Board of Directors is aware of the importance of stewardship and sustainability alongside integrating ESG into the overall governance structure, which involves the inclusion of Environmental, Social and Governance factors into wider investment analysis. At the ACGL level, ESG scores are incorporated into the overall portfolio analysis on a regular basis, the outcome of which is made available to the Investment Committee.
Arch has conducted analysis to investigate the potential materiality of investment losses under adverse climate change scenarios and has concluded that the exposures to this risk are not material reflecting the diversified, low risk and short duration nature of the syndicate’s investments.
Arch is fully cognisant of the emerging importance of climate change as a fundamental societal issue and is actively investigating opportunities in underwriting, investments and its operational organisation and supply chains to act responsibly and to support the trend towards a sustainable transition to the post-Carbon society. In line with the PRA’s expectations in SS3/19 and PS11/19, an initial plan has been put in place considering governance, risk management, scenario analysis and disclosure. Arch has conducted analysis to investigate the potential materiality of investment losses under adverse climate change scenarios and has concluded that the exposures to this risk are not material reflecting the diversified, low risk and short duration nature of the syndicate’s investments.
Donations
The Syndicate made no political or charitable contributions during the year (2023: £nil).
18
Managing agent’s report: (cont’d)
Outlook and Future Developments (cont'd)
Financial Risk management
The Syndicate’s mission is to generate positive contribution to the growth in the Tangible Book Value of our ultimate parent company. We do this by maximising our return on equity within a defined ‘risk appetite’. It is essential that we understand the risks the Syndicate is exposed to, namely strategic risk, insurance risk, operational risk, market risk, credit risk, liquidity risk, counterparty risk, regulatory risk, conduct risk, reputation risk and capital risk. Note 4 expands on these risks, including the Syndicate’s management of these risks.
Independent auditors
The Managing Agent’s independent auditors, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, have indicated their willingness to continue in office and they will be re-appointed by the Directors of the Managing Agent for the forthcoming year.
Approved by the Board and signed on behalf of the Board by:
Hugh Sturgess
President & Chief Executive Officer
Arch Managing Agency Limited
6 March 2025
19
Statement of Managing Agent’s responsibilities
The Directors are responsible for preparing the Syndicate annual report and annual accounts in accordance with applicable law and regulations, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 “The Financial Reporting Standard Applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland” (“FRS 102”), and Financial Reporting Standard 103 “Insurance Contracts” (“FRS 103”).
In accordance with The Insurance Accounts Directive (Lloyd’s Syndicate and Aggregate Accounts) Regulations 2008, managing agents are required to prepare Syndicate annual accounts for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Syndicate and of its profit or loss for that year.
In preparing the Syndicate annual accounts, the Managing Agent is required to:
Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
State whether applicable UK accounting standards, including FRSs 102 and 103 have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the annual accounts; and
Prepare the annual accounts on the basis that the Syndicate will continue to write future business, unless it is inappropriate to presume that the Syndicate will do so.
The Managing Agent confirms it has complied with the above requirements in preparing the annual accounts.
The Managing Agent is responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Syndicate and enable it to ensure that the Syndicate annual accounts comply with the 2008 Regulations. It is also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Syndicate and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
The Directors of the Managing Agent are responsible for the preparation and review of the iXBRL tagging that has been applied to the Syndicate Accounts in accordance with the instructions issued by Lloyd’s, including designing, implementing and maintaining systems, processes and internal controls to result in tagging that is free from material non-compliance with the instructions issued by Lloyd’s whether due to fraud or error.
Statement of Disclosure of Information to Auditors
Each of the persons who are Directors of the Managing Agent at the date of approval of this report confirms that:
So far as the Director is aware, there is no information relevant to the audit of the Syndicate’s annual accounts for the year ended 31 December 2024 of which the auditors are unaware; and
Each Director has taken all the steps that they ought to have taken in their duty as a Director of the Managing Agent in order to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the Syndicate’s auditors are aware of that information.
20
Independent auditors’ report to the member of Syndicate 2012
Report on the audit of the syndicate annual accounts
Opinion
In our opinion, Syndicate 2012’s syndicate annual accounts:
give a true and fair view of the state of the syndicate’s affairs as at 31 December 2024 and of its profit and cash flows for the year then ended;
have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including FRS 102 “The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland”, and applicable law); and
have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of The Insurance Accounts Directive (Lloyd’s Syndicate and Aggregate Accounts) Regulations 2008 and the requirements within the Lloyd’s Syndicate Accounts Instructions 2.0 as modified by the Frequently Asked Questions issued by Lloyd’s 1.1 (“the Lloyd’s Syndicate Instructions”).
We have audited the syndicate annual accounts included within the Annual Report and Accounts, which comprise: the Balance Sheet as at 31 December 2024; the Statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income: Technical account General business, the Statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income: Non-technical account General business, the Statement of changes in member’s balances, and the Statement of cash flows for the year then ended; and the notes to the syndicate annual accounts, which include a description of the significant accounting policies.
Basis for opinion
We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (“ISAs (UK)”), The Insurance Accounts Directive (Lloyd’s Syndicate and Aggregate Accounts) Regulations 2008, the Lloyd’s Syndicate Instructions and other applicable law. Our responsibilities under ISAs (UK) are further described in the Auditors’ responsibilities for the audit of the syndicate annual accounts section of our report. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.
Independence
We remained independent of the syndicate in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the syndicate annual accounts in the UK, which includes the FRC’s Ethical Standard, as applicable to other entities of public interest, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements.
To the best of our knowledge and belief, we declare that non-audit services prohibited by the FRC’s Ethical Standard were not provided.
Other than those disclosed in note 7, we have provided no non-audit services to the syndicate in the period under audit.
21
Independent auditors’ report to the member of Syndicate 2012: (cont’d)
Conclusions relating to going concern
Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the syndicate’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the syndicate annual accounts are authorised for issue.
In auditing the syndicate annual accounts, we have concluded that the Managing Agent’s use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the syndicate annual accounts is appropriate.
However, because not all future events or conditions can be predicted, this conclusion is not a guarantee as to the syndicate's ability to continue as a going concern.
Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the Managing Agent with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.
Reporting on other information
The other information comprises all of the information in the Annual Report other than the syndicate annual accounts and our auditors’ report thereon. The Managing Agent is responsible for the other information. Our opinion on the syndicate annual accounts does not cover the other information and, accordingly, we do not express an audit opinion or, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in this report, any form of assurance thereon.
In connection with our audit of the syndicate annual accounts, our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the syndicate annual accounts or our knowledge obtained in the audit, or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify an apparent material inconsistency or material misstatement, we are required to perform procedures to conclude whether there is a material misstatement of the syndicate annual accounts or a material misstatement of the other information. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact. We have nothing to report based on these responsibilities.
With respect to the Managing agent’s report (the “Managing Agent’s Report”), we also considered whether the disclosures required by The Insurance Accounts Directive (Lloyd’s Syndicate and Aggregate Accounts) Regulations 2008 have been included.
Based on our work undertaken in the course of the audit, The Insurance Accounts Directive (Lloyd’s Syndicate and Aggregate Accounts) Regulations 2008 requires us also to report certain opinions and matters as described below.
22
Independent auditors’ report to the member of Syndicate 2012: (cont’d)
Managing Agent’s Report
In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit, the information given in the Managing Agent’s Report for the year ended 31 December 2024 is consistent with the syndicate annual accounts and has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.
In light of the knowledge and understanding of the syndicate and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we did not identify any material misstatements in the Managing Agent’s Report.
Responsibilities for the syndicate annual accounts and the audit
Responsibilities of the Managing Agent for the syndicate annual accounts
As explained more fully in the Statement of Managing Agent’s Responsibilities, the Managing Agent is responsible for the preparation of the syndicate annual accounts in accordance with the applicable framework and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view. The Managing Agent is also responsible for such internal control as they determine is necessary to enable the preparation of syndicate annual accounts that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
In preparing the syndicate annual accounts, the Managing Agent is responsible for assessing the syndicate’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless it is intended for the syndicate to cease operations, or it has no realistic alternative but to do so.
Auditors’ responsibilities for the audit of the syndicate annual accounts
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the syndicate annual accounts as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditors’ report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these syndicate annual accounts.
Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud, is detailed below.
Based on our understanding of the syndicate and industry, we identified that the principal risks of non-compliance with laws and regulations related to breaches of regulatory principles, such as those governed by the Prudential Regulation Authority and the Financial Conduct Authority, and those regulations set by the Council of Lloyd’s, and we considered the extent to which non-compliance might have a material effect on the syndicate annual accounts. We also considered those laws and regulations that have a direct impact on the syndicate annual accounts such as The Insurance Accounts Directive (Lloyd’s Syndicate and Aggregate Accounts) Regulations 2008 and the Lloyd’s Syndicate Instructions.
23
Independent auditors’ report to the member of Syndicate 2012: (cont’d)
Auditors’ responsibilities for the audit of the syndicate annual accounts: (cont’d)
We evaluated management’s incentives and opportunities for fraudulent manipulation of the syndicate annual accounts (including the risk of override of controls), and determined that the principal risks were related to posting of inappropriate journals and management bias in accounting estimates. Audit procedures performed by the engagement team included:
discussions with the Audit Committee, management and internal audit, including consideration of known or suspected instances of non-compliance with laws and regulation and fraud;
evaluation and testing of the operating effectiveness of management's controls designed to prevent and detect irregularities;
reviewing, and challenging where appropriate, the assumptions and judgements made by management in their significant accounting estimates, in particular in relation to the estimation of gross (and net) outstanding claims reserves;
identifying and testing journal entries based on selected fraud risk criteria, in particular journal entries with unusual account combinations;
evaluating the business rationale for any significant transactions identified outside the normal course of business; and
designing audit procedures to incorporate unpredictability around the nature, timing or extent of our testing.
There are inherent limitations in the audit procedures described above. We are less likely to become aware of instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations that are not closely related to events and transactions reflected in the syndicate annual accounts. Also, the risk of not detecting a material misstatement due to fraud is higher than the risk of not detecting one resulting from error, as fraud may involve deliberate concealment by, for example, forgery or intentional misrepresentations, or through collusion.
A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the syndicate annual accounts is located on the FRC’s website at: www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditors’ report.
Use of this report
This report, including the opinions, has been prepared for and only for the syndicate’s member in accordance with part 2 of The Insurance Accounts Directive (Lloyd’s Syndicate and Aggregate Accounts) Regulations 2008 and for no other purpose. We do not, in giving these opinions, accept or assume responsibility for any other purpose or to any other person to whom this report is shown or into whose hands it may come save where expressly agreed by our prior consent in writing.
24
Independent auditors’ report to the member of Syndicate 2012: (cont’d)
Other required reporting
Under The Insurance Accounts Directive (Lloyd’s Syndicate and Aggregate Accounts) Regulations 2008 we are required to report to you if, in our opinion:
we have not obtained all the information and explanations we require for our audit; or
adequate accounting records have not been kept by the Managing Agent in respect of the syndicate; or
certain disclosures of Managing Agent remuneration specified by law are not made; or
the syndicate annual accounts are not in agreement with the accounting records.
We have no exceptions to report arising from this responsibility.
Other matter
We draw attention to the fact that this report may be included within a document to which iXBRL tagging has been applied. This auditors’ report provides no assurance over whether the iXBRL tagging has been applied in accordance with section 2 of the Lloyd’s Syndicate Instructions 2.0.
Sean Forster (Senior statutory auditor)
for and on behalf of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditors
London
6 March 2025
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25
Statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income:
Technical account – General business
For the year ended
31 December 2024
Note
2024
£000
2023
£000
Gross premiums written
635,770
556,302
Outwards reinsurance premiums
(148,054)
(131,757)
Premiums written, net of reinsurance
487,716
424,545
Changes in unearned premium
18
Change in the gross provision for unearned premiums
(44,042)
(61,237)
Change in the provision for unearned premiums reinsurers’ share
9,788
16,766
Net change in provisions for unearned premiums
(34,254)
(44,471)
Earned premiums, net of reinsurance
453,462
380,074
Allocated investment return transferred from the non-technical account
33,536
25,862
Claims paid
18
Gross amount
(179,483)
(153,243)
Reinsurers’ share
32,695
44,674
Net claims paid
(146,788)
(108,569)
Change in the provision for claims
18
Gross amount
(207,007)
(138,848)
Reinsurers’ share
75,435
38,649
Net change in provisions for claims
(131,572)
(100,199)
Claims incurred, net of reinsurance
(278,360)
(208,768)
Net operating expenses
(170,044)
(143,108)
Balance on the technical account – general business
38,594
54,060
26
Statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income: (cont’d)
Non-technical account – General business
For the year ended 31 December 2024
All results are attributable to continuing operations.
There are no other comprehensive income or expense other than those reported in the Income Statement, thus no Statement of Comprehensive Income has been prepared.
The accompanying notes from page 31 to form an integral part of these financial statements.
Note
2024£000
2023£000
Balance on the technical account – general business
38,594
54,060
Investment income
14,112
15,000
Realised gains/(losses) on investments
5,481
(7,868)
Unrealised gains on investments
14,972
19,270
Investment expenses and charges
(1,029)
(540)
Total investment return
33,536
25,862
Allocated investment return transferred to the general business technical account
(33,536)
(25,862)
(Loss) on foreign exchange
(2,036)
(7,373)
Profit for the financial year
36,558
46,687
Total comprehensive income for the year
36,558
46,687
27
Balance sheet – Assets
As at 31 December 2024
Note
2024£000
2023£000
Financial investments
639,894
474,170
Deposits with ceding undertakings
362
249
Investments
640,256
474,419
Provision for unearned premiums
79,429
70,210
Claims outstanding
293,876
219,709
Reinsurers’ share of technical provisions
18
373,305
289,919
Debtors arising out of direct insurance operations
77,145
71,554
Debtors arising out of reinsurance operations
14
80,811
74,411
Other debtors
15
1,420
2,575
Debtors
159,376
148,540
Cash at bank and in hand
23
3,471
3,904
Other
123,506
119,684
Other assets
126,977
123,588
Deferred acquisition costs
16
62,857
57,470
Other prepayments and accrued income
6,443
6,516
Prepayments and accrued income
69,300
63,986
Total assets
1,369,214
1,100,452
28
Balance sheet (cont’d) – Liabilities
As at 31 December 2024
Note
2024£000
2023£000
Member’s balances
85,415
58,716
Total capital and reserves
85,415
58,716
Provision for unearned premiums
294,369
254,717
Claims outstanding
892,396
697,927
Technical provisions
18
1,186,765
952,644
Creditors arising out of direct insurance operations
1,328
841
Creditors arising out of reinsurance operations
21
49,445
46,777
Other creditors including taxation and social security
22
26,767
23,060
Creditors
77,540
70,678
Accruals and deferred income
19,494
18,414
Total liabilities
1,283,799
1,041,736
Total liabilities, capital and reserves
1,369,214
1,100,452
The financial statements on pages 25 to 30 were approved by the Board of Arch Managing Agency Limited on 4 March 2025 and were signed on their behalf by:
Hugh SturgessPresident & Chief Executive Officer
6 March 2025
29
Statement of changes in member’s balances
For the year ended 31 December 2024
2024£000
2023£000
Member’s balances brought forward at 1 January
58,716
31,972
Total comprehensive income for the year
36,558
46,687
Payments of profit to member’s personal reserve fund
(9,859)
(19,943)
Member’s balances carried forward at 31 December
85,415
58,716
30
Statement of cash flows
For the year ended 31 December 2024
Note
2024£000
2023£000
Cash flows from operating activities
Profit for the financial year
36,558
46,687
Adjustments:
Increase in gross technical provisions
252,420
222,653
(Decrease) in reinsurers’ share of gross
technical provisions
(85,525)
(57,441)
(Decrease) in debtors
(26,959)
(30,761)
Increase in creditors
8,494
16,069
Movement in other assets/liabilities
(6,220)
(14,340)
Investment return
(33,536)
(25,862)
Other
(2,603)
7,210
Net cash flows from operating activities
142,629
164,215
Cash flows from investing activities
Purchase of equity and debt instruments
(400,057)
(706,157)
Sale of equity and debt instruments
251,284
535,768
Investment income received
5,481
1,364
Net cash flows from investing activities
(143,292)
(169,025)
Cash flows from financing activities
Distribution of profit
(9,859)
(20,788)
Other
9,859
21,635
Net cash flows from financing activities
-
847
Net (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents
(663)
(3,963)
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year
3,904
7,664
Foreign exchange on cash and cash equivalents
230
203
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year
3,471
3,904
31
Notes to the financial statements – (forming part of the financial statements)
1.General Information
The Syndicate transacts in the underwriting of general insurance and reinsurance business at Lloyd’s with underwriting capacity being provided by ASIL. The address of the Managing Agent registered office is 60 Great Tower Street, London, EC3R 5AZ.
2.Statement of Compliance
The financial statements of the Syndicate have been prepared in compliance with United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102, The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (“FRS 102”), Financial Reporting Standard 103, Insurance Contracts (FRS 103), The Insurance Accounts Directive (Lloyd’s Syndicate and Aggregate Accounts) Regulations 2008, the Companies Act 2006 and the Lloyd’s Syndicate Accounts Instructions Version 2.0 as modified by the Frequently Asked Questions Version 1.1 issued by Lloyd’s.
The Syndicate financial statements have been prepared in compliance with the provisions of The Large and Medium-sized Companies and Groups (Accounts and Reports) Regulations relating to insurance groups.
3.Significant accounting policies
The significant accounting policies applied in the preparation of these financial statements are set out below. These policies have been consistently applied to all the years presented, unless otherwise stated.
A.Basis of Preparation
These financial statements are prepared on a going concern basis, under the historical cost convention, as modified by the revaluation of certain financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value through profit and loss.
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with FRS 102 requires the use of certain critical accounting estimates. It also requires management to exercise its judgement in the process of applying the Syndicate’s accounting policies. The areas involving a higher degree of judgement or complexity, or areas where assumptions and estimates are significant to the financial statements are disclosed in Note 5.
B.Restatement of Comparative Information
During 2024, Lloyd's introduced changes to the syndicate accounts process to rationalise and standardise financial reporting across the market. As a result, certain comparative information has been restated to ensure consistency with current year presentation and compliance with the Lloyd's Syndicate Accounts Instructions. The changes comprise:
Reclassification change
Certain financial statement line items have been reclassified whilst the underlying amounts remain unchanged. The principal changes the re-classification of overseas deposits previously shown as a separate balance sheet item, to form part of other assets, the comparative in note 4 and 12 have also been re-presented to align with the current period presentation.
32
Notes to the financial statements (cont’d)
3. Significant accounting policies (cont’d)
B. Restatement of Comparative Information (cont’d)
Aggregation changes
To align with Lloyd's reporting requirements whilst maintaining FRS 102 compliance, certain items have been aggregated or disaggregated within the financial statements and related notes. This includes:
Aggregated the realised gains and losses on investments into one line on the Statement of profit or loss. The comparative balances in note 10 remain unchanged.
Aggregated Shares and other variable yield securities, Debt securities and other fixed-income securities and Participation in investment pool into one-line Financial Investments on Balance Sheet Assets. The comparative balances in note 12 remain unchanged.
C.Going Concern
The Directors of the Managing Agent have assessed the Syndicate’s ability to continue as a going concern by considering, amongst other things, the Syndicate’s reserve strength, available capital, future business plan and any expected material changes to its operations. Based on the assessment, they continue to adopt the going concern basis in preparing the financial statements.
D.Insurance Contracts
i. Classification
Contracts under which the Syndicate accepts significant insurance risk from another party (the policyholder) by agreeing to compensate the policyholder if a specified uncertain future event (the insured event) adversely affects the policyholder are classified as insurance contracts.
ii. Recognition and measurement revenue
Revenue
Premiums written relate to business incepted during the year, together with any differences between booked premiums for prior years and those previously accrued and include estimates of premiums incepted but not yet received or notified to the Syndicate. Premiums written are shown gross of commission payable to intermediaries, and exclude taxes and duties levied on premiums.
The earned proportion of premiums is recognised as revenue. Premiums are earned from the date of inception of risk mostly on a time apportionment basis. In the opinion of the Directors of the managing agent the resulting earned portion is not materially different from one based on the pattern of incidence of risk. For lines of business where the earned proportion would be materially different a pattern based on incidence of risk is applied.
Outwards Reinsurance
Outward reinsurance premiums are accounted for in the same accounting year as the premiums for the related direct insurance or inwards reinsurance business. Reinsurance contracts that operate on a ‘losses occurring’ basis are accounted for in full over the year of coverage, whilst ‘risk attaching’ policies are expensed using the same earnings year as the underlying premiums on a daily pro rata basis. The reinstatement premium is contingent on the claim amount. If no insured event occurs, no reinstatement premium is charged.
33
Notes to the financial statements (cont’d)
3. Significant accounting policies (cont’d)
D. Insurance Contracts (cont’d)
ii. Recognition and measurement revenue (cont’d)
Reinsurance commission income
Commissions on reinsurance premiums are earned in a manner consistent with the recognition of the costs of the reinsurance, generally on a pro-rata basis over the terms of the policies reinsured.
Unearned premium provision
Unearned premiums represent the proportion of premiums written in the year that relate to unexpired terms of policies in force at the balance sheet date calculated on a time apportionment basis. In the opinion of the Directors of the managing agent the resulting provision is not materially different from one based on the pattern of incidence of risk. For lines of business where the earned proportion would be materially different a pattern based on incidence of risk is applied.
Claims
Claims incurred comprise notified claims and related expenses in the year together with changes in the estimates of what we ultimately expect to pay on claims based on facts and circumstances known at the balance sheet date. The insurance reserves include the Syndicate’s total cost of claims incurred but not reported (“IBNR”).
Claims outstanding comprise provisions for the Syndicate’s best estimate of the ultimate cost of settling all claims incurred but unpaid at the reporting date whether reported or not, and related internal and external claims handling expenses. Claims outstanding are assessed by reviewing individual reported claims and making allowance for claims incurred but not yet reported, the effect of both internal and external foreseeable events, such as changes in claims handling procedures, inflation, judicial trends, legislative changes and past experience and trends. Provisions for claims outstanding are not discounted. Adjustments to claims provisions established in prior periods are reflected in the financial statements of the period in which the adjustments are made and are disclosed separately if material. The methods used, and the estimates made, are reviewed regularly.
The Syndicate’s reserving policy is to use recognised actuarial techniques appropriate to the loss experience that exists. Where there is limited loss experience our choice of method has primarily been the expected loss method.
We select the initial expected loss and loss adjustment expense ratios based on information derived from our underwriters and actuaries during the initial pricing of the business, supplemented by industry data where appropriate. These ratios consider, amongst other things, rate changes and changes in terms and conditions that have been observed in the market.
For a given underwriting year, additional weight is given to the historic paid and incurred loss development methods in the reserving process, assuming that case reserving practices are consistently applied over time. This reserving process makes some key assumptions that historical paid and reported development patterns are stable.
For catastrophe-exposed business, our reserving process also includes the use of catastrophe models for known events, a heavy reliance on analysis of individual catastrophic events and management judgement. The development of property losses can be unstable, especially for policies characterised by high severity, low frequency losses.
34
Notes to the financial statements (cont’d)
3. Significant accounting policies (cont’d)
D. Insurance Contracts (cont’d)
ii. Recognition and measurement revenue (cont’d)
Claims (cont’d)
Reinsurance recoveries in respect of estimated claims incurred but not reported are booked in line with the underlying programme, adjusted to reflect changes in the nature and extent of the Syndicate’s reinsurance programme over time. An assessment is also made of the recoverability of reinsurance recoveries having regard to market data on the financial strength of each of the reinsurance companies. Reinsurance liabilities are primarily premiums payable for reinsurance.
Unexpired risk provision
Provision is made for unexpired risks arising from contracts where the expected value of claims and expenses attributable to the unexpired periods of policies in force at the balance sheet date exceeds the unearned premiums provision in relation to such policies (after the deduction of any deferred acquisition costs). The provision for unexpired risks is calculated by reference to classes of business which are managed together, after taking into account the future investment return on investments held to back the unearned premiums and unexpired claims provisions.
iii. Reinsurance assets and liabilities
The Syndicate cedes reinsurance in the normal course of business for the purpose of limiting its net loss potential through the diversification of its risks. Assets, liabilities and income and expense arising from ceded reinsurance contracts are presented separately from the assets, liabilities, income and expense from the related insurance contracts because the reinsurance arrangements do not relieve the Syndicate of its direct obligations to its policyholders.
Amounts due to and from reinsurers are accounted for in a manner consistent with the insured policies and in accordance with the relevant reinsurance contract. For general insurance business, reinsurance premiums are expensed over the period that the reinsurance cover is provided based on the expected pattern of the reinsured risks. The unexpensed portion of ceded reinsurance premiums is included in reinsurance assets.
Reinsurance assets are assessed for impairment at each balance sheet date. A reinsurance asset is deemed impaired if there is objective evidence, as a result of an event that occurred after its initial recognition, that the Syndicate may not recover all amounts due, and that the event has a reliably measurable impact on the amounts that the Syndicate will receive from the reinsurer. Impairment losses on reinsurance assets are recognised in the comprehensive income for the period.
iv. Deferred acquisition costs
Acquisition costs which represent commission and other related underwriting expenses are deferred over the year in which the related premiums are earned. The deferred expenses relate to underwriter salaries, office costs, and marketing which are deferred based on a ratio between bound and quoted policies by line of business. To the extent that acquisition costs are deferred and considered irrecoverable against the related unearned premiums, they are written off to net operating expenses as incurred.
35
Notes to the financial statements (cont’d)
3. Significant accounting policies (cont’d)
D. Insurance Contracts (cont’d)
iv. Deferred acquisition costs (cont’d)
The deferred acquisition cost represents the proportion of acquisition costs which corresponds to the proportion of gross premiums written that is unearned at the balance sheet date. The acquisition costs are expensed from the date of inception of risk on mostly a time apportionment basis. For lines of business where using a time apportionment basis would lead to a materially different result to applying a pattern based on incident of risk, the risk-based earning pattern is applied.
E. Acquisition costs
Costs incurred in acquiring general insurance contracts are deferred. Acquisition costs include direct costs such as brokerage and commission, and indirect costs such as administrative expenses connected with the processing of proposals and the issuing of policies. The deferred acquisition cost asset represents the proportion of acquisition costs which corresponds to the proportion of gross premiums written that is unearned at the balance sheet date.
F. Reinsurance
The Syndicate assumes and cedes reinsurance in the normal course of business. Premiums and claims on reinsurance assumed are recognised in the technical account along the same basis as direct business, taking into account the product classification. Reinsurance premiums ceded and reinsurance recoveries on claims incurred are included in the respective expense and income accounts. Premiums ceded and claims reimbursed are presented on a gross basis in the technical account and statement of financial position as appropriate.
Reinsurance outwards premiums are earned according to the nature of the cover. ‘Losses occurring during’ policies are earned evenly over the policy period. ‘Risks attaching’ policies are expensed on the same basis as the inwards business being protected.
Reinstatement premiums on both inwards and outwards business are accreted to the technical account on a pro-rata basis over the term of the original policy to which they relate.
G. Foreign currencies
i.Functional and presentational currency
The Syndicate’s functional and reporting currency is pounds sterling.These financial statements are presented in pounds sterling (“pounds” or “GBP”), which is the functional currency of the Syndicate, and are rounded to the nearest thousand unless otherwise stated.
ii.Foreign currency
The results and financial positions of the non-functional currencies are retranslated into the functional currency as follows:
monetary assets and liabilities are retranslated at the closing rate at the balance sheet date;
income and expenses are retranslated at the average rate of exchange during the year; and
all resulting exchange differences are recognised through the non-technical account.
.
36
Notes to the financial statements (cont’d)
3. Significant accounting policies (cont’d)
H. Financial assets and liabilities
The Syndicate has accounted for financial instruments using Sections 11 and 12 of FRS 102.
i. Classification
The accounting classification of financial assets and liabilities determines the way in which they are measured and changes in those values are presented in the statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income. Financial assets and liabilities are classified on their initial recognition.
The initial classification of a financial instrument shall take into account contractual terms including those relating to future variations. Once the classification of a financial instrument is determined at initial recognition, re-assessment is only required subsequently when there has been a modification of contractual terms that is relevant to an assessment of the classification.
Financial assets and financial liabilities at fair value through profit and loss comprise financial assets and financial liabilities held for trading and those designated as such on initial recognition. Investments in shares and other variable yield securities, units in unit trusts, and debt and other fixed income securities are designated as at fair value through profit or loss on initial recognition, as they are managed on a fair value basis in accordance with the Syndicate’s investment strategy.
The Syndicate does not hold any non-derivative financial assets or financial liabilities for trading purposes although derivatives (assets or liabilities) held by the Syndicate are categorised as held for trading.
ii. Recognition
Financial instruments are recognised when the Syndicate becomes a party to the contractual provisions of the instrument. Financial assets are derecognised if the Syndicate’s contractual rights to the cash flows from the financial assets expire or if the Syndicate transfers the financial asset to another party without retaining control of substantially all risks and rewards of the asset. A financial liability is derecognised when its contractual obligations are discharged, cancelled or expired.
Regular way purchases and sales of financial assets are recognised and derecognised, as applicable, on the trade date, i.e., the date that the Syndicate commits itself to purchase or sell the asset.
iii.Measurement
A financial asset or financial liability is measured initially at fair value plus, for a financial asset or financial liability not at fair value through profit or loss, transaction costs that are
directly attributable to its acquisition or issue.
Financial assets at fair value through profit or loss are measured at fair value with fair value changes recognised immediately in profit or loss. Net gains or net losses on financial assets measured at fair value through profit or loss includes foreign exchange gains/losses arising on their translation to the functional currency but excludes interest and dividend income.
37
Notes to the financial statements (cont’d)
3. Significant accounting policies (cont’d)
H. Financial assets and liabilities (cont’d)
iii. Measurement (cont’d)
Loans and receivables and non-derivative financial liabilities are measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method, except Syndicate Loans to the Central Fund which are measured at fair value through profit or loss.
iv.Identification and measurement of impairment
At each reporting date the Syndicate assesses whether there is objective evidence that financial assets not at fair value through profit or loss are impaired. Financial assets are impaired when objective evidence demonstrates that a loss event has occurred after the initial recognition of an asset, and that the loss event has an impact on the future cash flows on the asset that can be estimated reliably.
Objective evidence that financial assets are impaired includes observable data that comes to the attention of the Syndicate about any significant financial difficulty of the issuer, or significant changes in the technological, market, economic or legal environment in which the issuer operates.
An impairment loss in respect of a financial asset measured at amortised cost is calculated as the difference between the carrying amount and the present value of the estimated future cash flows discounted at the asset’s original effective interest rate. Individually significant financial assets are tested for impairment on an individual basis. The remaining financial assets are assessed collectively in groups that share similar credit risk characteristics.
An impairment loss recognised on an amortised cost asset reduces directly the carrying amount of the impaired asset. All impairment losses are recognised in profit or loss. An impairment loss is reversed if the reversal can be related objectively to an event occurring after the impairment loss was recognised. For financial assets measured at amortised cost the reversal is recognised in profit or loss.
v.Off-setting
Financial assets and financial liabilities are offset, and the net amount presented in the balance sheet when, and only when, the Syndicate currently has a legal right to set off the amounts and intends either to settle on a net basis or to realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.
I. Investment return
Investment return comprises investment income and movements in unrealised gains and losses on financial instruments at fair value through profit or loss, less investment management expenses, interest expense, realised losses and impairment losses. Investment income comprises interest income, dividends receivable and realised investment gains.
Dividend income is recognised when the right to receive income is established. Usually this is the ex-dividend date for equity securities. Interest income on financial assets measured at amortised cost is recognised using the effective interest method. For the purpose of separately presenting investment income and unrealised gains and losses for financial assets at fair value through profit or loss, interest income is calculated using the effective interest method excluding transaction costs that are expensed when incurred.
38
Notes to the financial statements (cont’d)
3. Significant accounting policies (cont’d)
I. Investment return (cont’d)
For investments at fair value through profit or loss, realised gains and losses represent the difference between the net proceeds on disposal and the purchase price. For investments measured at amortised cost, realised gains and losses represents the difference between the net proceeds on disposal and the latest carrying value (or if acquired after the last reporting date, the purchase price).
Unrealised investment gains and losses represent the difference between the fair value at the balance sheet date and the fair value at the previous balance sheet date, or purchase price if acquired during the year. Movements in unrealised investment gains and losses comprise the increase/decrease in the reporting period in the value of the investments held at the reporting date and the reversal of unrealised investment gains and losses recognised in earlier reporting periods in respect of investment disposals of the current period.
Investment return is initially recorded in the non-technical account. The return is transferred in full to the general business technical account to reflect the investment return on funds supporting underwriting business.
J. Cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents comprise cash balances and call deposits with original maturities of three months or less. Bank overdrafts that are repayable on demand and form an integral part of the Syndicate’s cash management are included as a component of cash and cash equivalents.
K. Taxation
Under Schedule 19 of the Finance Act 1993 managing agents are not required to deduct basic rate income tax from trading income. In addition, all UK basic rate income tax deducted from Syndicate investment income is recoverable by managing agents and consequently the distribution made to members or their members’ agents is gross of tax. Capital appreciation falls within trading income and is also distributed gross of tax.
No provision has been made for any United States Federal Income Tax payable on underwriting results or investment earnings. Any payments on account made by the Syndicate during the year have been included in the balance sheet under the heading ‘Other Debtors’.
No provision has been made for any other overseas tax payable by members on underwriting results.
L. Deposits with ceding undertakings
Deposits with ceding undertakings are funds held by Lloyd’s Europe on behalf of the Syndicate to settle Part VII claims. These funds are held at fair value through profit and loss in the balance sheet.
39
Notes to the financial statements (cont’d)
4.Risk and capital management
Introduction and overview
The Syndicate’s core business is to take risk and our mission is to generate a positive contribution to the growth in the Tangible Book Value (TBV) of our ultimate parent company, ACGL. We do this through our objective of maximising return on equity within a defined ‘risk appetite’. It is therefore essential that we understand the significant exposures we face to manage the business well. It is also important that our knowledge of those risks underpins every important decision we make across the Syndicate. The risks from our core business of insurance represent our most significant exposures.
Risk management framework
A. Strategic risk
This is the risk that the Syndicate’s strategy is inappropriate or that the Syndicate is unable to implement its strategy. Where events supersede the Syndicate’s strategic plan this is escalated at the earliest opportunity through the Syndicate’s monitoring tools and governance structure.
On a day-to-day basis, the Syndicate’s management structure encourages organisational flexibility and adaptability, while ensuring that activities are appropriately coordinated and controlled. Staff, management and outsourced service providers are expected to excel in service and quality. Individuals and teams are also expected to transact their activities in an open and transparent way. These behavioural expectations reaffirm our low risk tolerance by aligning interests of all stakeholders.
B. Insurance Risk
i. Underwriting risk
The process of selecting and pricing insurance risks is addressed through a framework of policies, procedures and internal controls. Risk selection is our business and our procedures are designed to ensure that the evaluation of risk is transparent and logical. We have a clearly defined appetite for underwriting risk, which dictates our business plan.
To ensure that our risk appetite is not exceeded, we maintain disciplined underwriting, which is reviewed through quarterly underwriting meetings, regularly monitor closely our exposures to and aggregations of risk in particular places and buy reinsurance to limit our losses from disasters. We adapt our business plan, target products and reinsurance programme to ensure our book of business is well diversified. The Syndicate’s long-term underwriting strategy is to seek a diverse and balanced portfolio of risks in order to limit volatility. This is achieved by accepting a spread of business over time, segmented between different classes of business and geography.
40
Notes to the financial statements (cont’d)
4. Risk and capital management (cont’d)
Risk management framework (cont’d)
B. Insurance risk (cont’d)
i. Underwriting risk (cont’d)
The quality of our underwriting models and our capability to accurately measure our aggregate exposure are key to managing this risk. Our underwriters are given incentives to make sound decisions that are aligned with the Syndicate’s overall strategic objectives and risk appetite. Clear limits are also placed on their authority. We regularly review our policy wordings in the light of legal developments to ensure the Syndicate’s exposure is restricted, as far as possible, to those risks identified in the policy at the time it was issued.
The Syndicate has aggregate exposures to natural and man-made catastrophic events. These risks are inherently uncertain as it is difficult to predict the timing of such events with statistical certainty or estimate the amount of loss which any given occurrence will generate. The Syndicate regularly monitors its exposure to catastrophic events, including earthquake, wind and terrorism, using catastrophe modelling tools. Additionally, the Syndicate regularly monitors its exposure to man-made realistic disaster scenarios.
The Syndicate seeks to limit its loss exposure by purchasing reinsurance to limit exposure to certain extreme events. The Syndicate monitors concentration risk through limiting its loss exposure by geographical and line of business diversification.
The Syndicate’s largest exposures to natural catastrophe 1 in 250-year stress events, gross and net basis at 31 December 2023 are:
In common with all insurers, the Syndicate is exposed to price volatility. However, the Syndicate is firm in its resolve to exit business that is unlikely to generate underwriting profit. Additionally, the Syndicate alters its appetite for the lines of business and the layers it writes within them in response to market conditions.
The Syndicate writes a significant amount of premium income through coverholder arrangements to whom binding authority is given to accept risks on behalf of the Syndicate. This delegation is strictly controlled through tight underwriting guidelines and limits, and extensive monitoring, review and audits.
Territory
Peril
Gross £m
Net £m
Oceania
Earthquake
164.1
98.7
Oceania
Severe Thunderstorm
116.6
74.4
Caribbean
Tropical Cyclone
98.7
68.3
Oceania
Tropical Cyclone
24.8
21.0
Caribbean
Earthquake
23.0
19.1
North America
Earthquake
47.4
18.5
North America
Tropical Cyclone
35.8
17.1
Oceania
Wildfire
20.0
14.9
West Asia
Earthquake
29.9
14.3
Europe
Earthquake
22.9
9.5
41
Notes to the financial statements (cont’d)
4. Risk and capital management (cont’d)
Risk management framework (cont’d)
B. Insurance risk (cont’d)
ii. Reserving and claims risk
The Syndicate’s claims teams are focused upon delivering quality, reliability and speed of service to both internal and external clients. Their aim is to adjust and process claims in a fair, efficient and timely manner, in accordance with the policy’s terms and conditions, the regulatory environment, and the Syndicate’s broader interests. Our objective is to set prompt and accurate estimated amounts for claims reported (“case reserves”) for all known claims liabilities, including provisions for expenses.
The Syndicate operates to a prudent best estimate reserving philosophy. Reserve estimates are derived by the internal actuary after consultation with individual underwriters, claims team, actuarial analysis of the loss reserve development and comparison with market benchmarks. The objective is to produce reliable and appropriate estimates that are consistent over time and across classes of business. The internal actuary’s loss assessments are peer reviewed by internal and external actuaries. Where legal disputes are reflected in the book’s history, reserves are established taking these into account. Larger disputes are reviewed individually in conjunction with the claims team and legal advice received. Reserves are not discounted for the time value of money.
iii. Ceded reinsurance risk
Reinsurance risk to the Syndicate arises where reinsurance contracts put in place to reduce gross insurance risk do not perform as anticipated, resulting in coverage disputes or prove inadequate in terms of the vertical or horizontal limits purchased. The Syndicate’s reinsurance programmes are determined from the underwriting team business plans and seek to protect Syndicate capital from an adverse volume or volatility of claims on both a per risk and per event basis. In 2023, the Syndicate bought a combination of proportional and non-proportional reinsurance treaties and facultative reinsurance to reduce the maximum net exposure. The Syndicate aims to establish appropriate retention levels and limits of protection that are consistent with keeping within the Board’s risk tolerance and achieving the target rates of return. The efficacy of protection sought is assessed against the cost of reinsurance, taking into consideration current and expected market conditions. The Syndicate also benefits from an internal quota share with Arch Reinsurance Ltd, the level of which is set at 15% of premium and claims.
The Syndicate’s reinsurance philosophy is to:
Provide stable, sustainable core capacity for each product line with non-core reinsurance purchased when market conditions allow;
Reduce volatility;
Achieve a broad spread of well rated security;
Purchase reinsurance to limit exposure from maximum line sizes and accumulations with Catastrophe limits purchased up to our risk appetite;
Utilise a standard catastrophe model throughout ACGL;
Comply with the guidance from the ACGL Security Committees;
Apply common standards throughout ACGL;
Consider hard and soft factors such as ability to pay and willingness to pay;
Set cession limits by reinsurer and by lines of business; and
Strive for 100% of security rated A- or higher. When this is not the case, we aim to have these collateralized per Note 17.
42
Notes to the financial statements (cont’d)
4. Risk and capital management (cont’d)
B. Insurance risk (cont’d)
v. Sensitivity to insurance risk
The liabilities established could be significantly lower or higher than the ultimate cost of settling the claims arising. This level of uncertainty varies between the classes of business and the nature of the risk being underwritten and can arise from developments in case reserving for large losses and catastrophes, or from changes in estimates of claims IBNR.
The following table presents the sensitivity of the value of insurance liabilities disclosed in the accounts to potential movements in the assumptions applied within the technical provisions. Given the nature of the business underwritten by the Syndicate, the approach to calculating the technical provisions for each class can vary and as a result the sensitivity performed is to apply a beneficial and adverse risk margin to the total insurance liability.
General insurance business sensitivities as at 31 December 2024
Sensitivity
+5.0%£000
-5.0%£000
Claims outstanding – gross of reinsurance
44,620
(44,620)
Claims outstanding – net of reinsurance
29,926
(29,926)
General insurance business sensitivities as at 31 December 2023
Sensitivity
+5.0%£000
-5.0%£000
Claims outstanding – gross of reinsurance
34,896
(34,896)
Claims outstanding – net of reinsurance
23,911
(23,911)
43
Notes to the financial statements (cont’d)
4. Risk and capital management (cont’d)
C. Operational risk
Management continually reviews potential operational risk factors and has enacted controls to meet these. They have been classified as follows:
The operational risk profile is reviewed by the Executive Risk Committee and the controls to mitigate the risks are included in the Risk Register. Risk owners are required to report to the Executive Risk Committee and review the relevant risks and are responsible for identifying new, emerging or changing risks and any subsequent control changes required to realign the risks with the risk appetite. When measuring operational risk, both quantitative factors, in the form of the probable loss, and qualitative factors, in the form of an assessment of the likely reputational impact or the ability of the Syndicate to deliver its service, are taken into account and contribute to determining the risk tolerance.
In respect of one of our largest operational risks, failure of an outsourced service provider, we have formal Service Level Agreements and monitoring processes in place for all key outsourced providers including IT service providers and coverholders. We also have a formal disaster recovery plan in place that deals with both workspace recovery and the retrieval of communications, IT systems and data if a major problem occurred. These procedures would enable us to move the affected operations to alternative facilities very quickly. The disaster recovery plan is tested regularly.
Operational Risk Classification
Description
People
Loss of staff (underwriting and key non-underwriting) or inability to recruit; issues concerning integrity and competence of staff, including training; succession; manual inputting error; lack of management supervision; inadequate performance and or failure of escalation to management; and data protection breach or loss.
Processes
Inappropriate underwriting; inappropriate claims and reserve handling; inappropriate reinsurance purchasing; inadequate performance or failure of a third-party supplier; inadequate segregation of duties; inadequate management information; weak processing controls; processes are insufficiently resilient, customers do not receive good outcomes, and failure of corporate governance.
Systems (including Cyber Attack)
Hardware/software failure; network telecommunications software; IT third-party provider inadequate performance or failure; inadequate virus protection; inadequate system or security information; insufficient or untested business continuity processes; insufficient processing capacity; system breach defects; and systems error.
External events, including physical security and business continuity
Natural or man-made disasters leading to business continuity threat; external financial crime, including theft or fraud; changes to the regulatory environment; external security breach; and power outage.
Outsourcing, including delegated underwriting
Inadequate performance or failure of an outsourced service provider, including breach of agreement.
Financial crime, including Anti-Money Laundering
Internal or external fraud; electronic crime; money laundering; terrorist financing; bribery and corruption; market abuse; and insider dealing.
Regulatory and Legal
Risk of loss resulting from failure to comply with regulation and legislation as well as prudent ethical standards and contractual obligations. It also includes the exposure to litigation and regulatory censure from all aspects of the Syndicate’s activities.
44
Notes to the financial statements (cont’d)
4. Risk and capital management (cont’d)
C. Operational risk (cont’d)
Identifying, planning for and controlling emerging risks is an important part of our risk management activity across all aspects of our business, including underwriting, operations and strategy. We make a significant effort to try to identify material emerging threats to the Syndicate. It is a core responsibility of each of our committees and we believe we take all reasonable steps to minimise the likelihood and impact of emerging risks and to prepare for them in case they occur.
D. Financial risk
a.Credit risk
Exposure to credit risk arises from financial transactions with counterparties including debtors, borrowers, brokers, policyholders, reinsurers, banks and guarantors. The Syndicate uses the credit ratings assigned to particular counterparties to measure credit risk. To lessen the risk of the Syndicate’s exposure to any particular reinsurer, exposure limits are approved. On behalf of the Syndicate, ACGL has developed processes to formally examine all reinsurers before entering into new business arrangements.
With regard to premium debtor risk, the Syndicate ensures that all brokers are subject to a due diligence protocol and that they have terms of business agreements in place. An approval system also exists for new brokers, and broker performance is regularly reviewed. System exception reports highlight trading with non-approved brokers, and the Syndicate’s credit control team regularly monitors the ageing and collectability of debtor balances. The Syndicate monitors all key counterparties, including exposures to banking counterparties, on an ongoing basis, and bank credit ratings and concentrations are also monitored at the Operations Committee.
The largest single reinsurer counterparty is Arch Reinsurance Limited in respect of the whole account quota share reinsurance. The reinsured claims outstanding in the credit distribution of reinsurance receivables table on Page 32 are included within the balance that has a credit rating of ‘A+’.
The Syndicate has established guidelines for its investment managers regarding the type, duration and quality of investments within the Syndicate guidelines. The performance of investment managers is regularly reviewed to confirm adherence to these guidelines.
i. Management of credit risk
The Syndicate’s credit risk in respect of debt securities is managed by placing limits on its exposure to a single counterparty, by reference to the credit rating of the counterparty. Financial assets are graded according to current credit ratings issued by rating agencies such as Standard and Poor’s. The Syndicate has a policy of investing mainly in government issued and government backed debts. The Syndicate does not currently invest new monies in speculative grade assets (i.e., those rated below BBB).
The Syndicate limits the amount of cash and cash equivalents that can be deposited with a single counterparty and maintains an authorised list of acceptable cash counterparties.
45
Notes to the financial statements (cont’d)
4. Risk and capital management (cont’d)
D. Financial risk (cont’d)
a. Credit risk (cont’d)
i. Management of credit risk (cont’d)
The Syndicate’s exposure to intermediaries and reinsurance counterparties is monitored by the individual business units as part of their credit control processes.
All intermediaries must meet minimum requirements established by the Syndicate. The credit ratings and payment histories of intermediaries are monitored on a regular basis.
The Syndicate assesses the creditworthiness of all reinsurers by reviewing public rating information and by internal investigations. The impact of reinsurer default is regularly assessed and managed accordingly.
ii. Exposure to credit risk
The carrying amount of financial assets and reinsurance assets represents the maximum credit risk exposure. The Syndicate does not hold any collateral as security or purchase any credit enhancements (such as guarantees, credit derivatives and netting arrangements that do not qualify for offset).
The following table analyses the credit rating by investment grade of financial investments, debt securities and derivative financial instruments, reinsurers’ share of claims outstanding, amount due from intermediaries, amounts due from reinsurers in respect of settled claims, cash and cash equivalents, and other debtors and accrued interest.
Year 2024
AAA£000
AA£000
A£000
BBB£000
Other£000
Not rated£000
Total£000
Shares and other variable yield securities and units in unit trusts
-
-
11,183
-
-
-
11,183
Debt securities and other fixed income securities
80,994
34,282
46,349
17,491
-
-
179,116
Participation in investment pools
-
-
4,110
420,759
22,084
-
446,953
Syndicate loans to central fund
-
-
-
-
-
2,642
2,642
Deposits with ceding undertakings
-
-
-
-
-
362
362
Reinsurers’ share of claims outstanding
7,897
198,196
78,928
8,855
-
-
293,876
Debtors arising out of direct insurance operations
-
-
-
-
77,145
-
77,145
Debtors arising out of reinsurance operations
1,747
4,983
5,430
382
68,269
-
80,811
Cash at bank and in hand
261
-
3,210
-
-
-
3,471
Other debtors and accrued interest
-
-
-
-
124,926
-
124,926
Total
90,899
237,461
149,210
447,487
292,424
3,004
1,220,485
46
Notes to the financial statements (cont’d)
4. Risk and capital management (cont’d)
D. Financial risk (cont’d)
a. Credit risk (cont’d)
ii. Exposure to credit risk (cont’d)
Year 2023
AAA£000
AA£000
A£000
BBB£000
Other£000
Not rated£000
Total£000
Shares and other variable yield securities and units in unit trusts
-
-
14,240
-
-
-
14,240
Debt securities and other fixed income securities
64,498
25,307
31,290
13,798
-
-
134,893
Participation in investment pools
1,549
-
78,694
225,107
16,578
-
321,928
Syndicate loans to central fund
-
-
-
-
-
3,109
3,109
Deposits with ceding undertakings
-
-
-
-
-
249
249
Reinsurers’ share of claims outstanding
6,179
175,775
36,289
1,466
-
-
219,709
Debtors arising out of direct insurance operations
-
-
-
-
71,554
-
71,554
Debtors arising out of reinsurance operations
3,344
5,778
4,131
880
60,278
-
74,411
Cash at bank and in hand
5
-
3,899
-
-
-
3,904
Other debtors and accrued interest
-
-
-
-
122,259
-
122,259
Total
75,575
206,860
168,543
241,251
270,669
3,358
966,256
iii. Financial assets that are past due or impaired
The Syndicate has debtors arising from direct insurance and reinsurance operations that are past due but not impaired at the reporting date. The Syndicate has no debtors arising from direct insurance operations that are impaired at the reporting date.
These debtors have been individually assessed for impairment by considering information such as the occurrence of significant changes in the counterparty's financial position, patterns of historical payment information and disputes with counterparties.
47
Notes to the financial statements (cont’d)
4. Risk and capital management (cont’d)
D. Financial risk (cont’d)
a. Credit risk (cont’d)
iii. Financial assets that are past due or impaired (cont’d)
An analysis of the carrying amounts of past due or impaired debtors is presented in the table below;
Neither past due nor impaired assets
Past due but not impaired assets
Gross value of impaired assets
Impairment allowance
Total
2024
£000
£000
£000
£000
£000
Shares and other variable yield securities and units in unit trusts
11,183
-
-
-
11,183
Debt securities and other fixed income securities
179,116
-
-
-
179,116
Participation in investment pools
446,953
-
-
-
446,953
Syndicate loans to central fund
2,642
-
-
-
2,642
Deposits with ceding undertakings
362
-
-
-
362
Reinsurers' share of claims outstanding
293,876
-
-
-
293,876
Debtors arising out of direct insurance operations
61,164
15,981
-
-
77,145
Debtors arising out of reinsurance operations
66,632
14,179
-
-
80,811
Other debtors and accrued interest
124,926
-
-
-
124,926
Cash at bank and in hand
3,471
-
-
-
3,471
Total
1,190,325
30,160
-
-
1,220,485
Neither past due nor impaired assets
Past due but not impaired assets
Gross value of impaired assets
Impairment allowance
Total
2023
£000
£000
£000
£000
£000
Shares and other variable yield securities and units in unit trusts
14,240
-
-
-
14,240
Debt securities and other fixed income securities
134,893
-
-
-
134,893
Participation in investment pools
321,928
-
-
-
321,928
Syndicate loans to central fund
3,109
-
-
-
3,109
Deposits with ceding undertakings
249
-
-
-
249
Reinsurers' share of claims outstanding
219,709
-
-
-
219,709
Debtors arising out of direct insurance operations
37,738
33,816
-
-
71,554
Debtors arising out of reinsurance operations
17,062
57,349
-
-
74,411
Other debtors and accrued interest
122,259
-
-
-
122,259
Cash at bank and in hand
3,904
-
-
-
3,904
Total
875,091
91,165
-
-
966,256
48
Notes to the financial statements (cont’d)
4. Risk and capital management (cont’d)
D. Financial risk (cont’d)
a. Credit risk (cont’d)
iii. Financial assets that are past due or impaired (cont’d)
The table below sets out the age analysis of financial assets that are past due but not impaired at the balance sheet date:
b.Liquidity risk
The Syndicate is exposed to daily calls on its available cash resources, principally from claims arising from its insurance business. Liquidity risk arises where cash may not be available to pay obligations when due and maintain a liquidity position. The Syndicate’s approach is to manage its cash flows so that it can reasonably survive a significant loss event. This means that the Syndicate maintains sufficient liquid assets, or assets that can be translated into liquid assets at short notice and without capital loss, to meet expected cash flow requirements. These liquid funds are regularly monitored using cash flow forecasting to ensure that surplus funds are invested to achieve a higher rate of return. Regular cash flow monitoring ensures that maturing deposits are sufficient to meet cash calls.
We run stress tests to estimate the impact of a major catastrophe on our cash position in order to identify any potential issues. We also run scenario analyses that consider the impact on our liquidity should a number of adverse events occur simultaneously, such as an economic downturn and declining investment returns combined with unusually high insurance losses.
Past due but not impaired
0-3 months past due
3-6 months past due
6-12 months past due
Greater than 1 year past due
Total
2024
£000
£000
£000
£000
£000
Debtors arising out of direct insurance operations
11,878
3,747
243
113
15,981
Other debtors and accrued interest
10,550
3,314
215
100
14,179
Total
22,428
7,061
458
213
30,160
Past due but not impaired
0-3 months past due
3-6 months past due
6-12 months past due
Greater than 1 year past due
Total
2023
£000
£000
£000
£000
£000
Debtors arising out of direct insurance operations
18,273
6,746
2,752
6,045
33,816
Other debtors and accrued interest
42,742
9,540
1,613
3,454
57,349
Total
61,015
16,286
4,365
9,499
91,165
49
Notes to the financial statements (cont’d)
4. Risk and capital management (cont’d)
D. Financial risk (cont’d)
b. Liquidity risk (cont’d)
Our investment policy recognises the demands created by our underwriting strategy, so that some investments may need to be realised before maturity or at short notice. Hence a high proportion of our investments are in liquid assets, which reduces our risk of making losses because we may have to sell assets quickly.
The nature of the Syndicate’s exposures to liquidity risk and its objectives, policies and processes for managing liquidity risk have not changed significantly from the prior year.
i.Management of liquidity risk
The Syndicate’s approach to managing liquidity risk is to ensure, as far as possible, that it will always have sufficient liquidity to meet its liabilities when they fall due, under both normal and stressed conditions.
The Syndicate’s approach to managing its liquidity risk is as follows:
Forecasts are prepared and revised on a regular basis to predict cash outflows from insurance contracts over the short, medium and long term;
The Syndicate purchases assets with durations not greater than its estimated insurance contract outflows;
Assets purchased by the Syndicate are required to satisfy specified marketability requirements;
The Syndicate maintains cash and liquid assets to meet daily calls on its insurance contracts;
The Syndicate holds significant committed borrowing facilities from a range of highly rated banks to enable cash to be raised in a relatively short time-span; and
The Syndicate regularly updates its contingency funding plans to ensure that adequate liquid financial resources are in place to meet obligations as they fall due in the event of reasonably foreseeable abnormal circumstances.
ii.Maturity analysis of syndicate liabilities
The maturity analysis presented in the table below shows the remaining contractual maturities for the Syndicate’s insurance contracts and financial instruments. For insurance and reinsurance contracts, the contractual maturity is the estimated date when the gross undiscounted contractually required cash flows will occur. For financial liabilities, it is the earliest date on which the gross undiscounted cash flows (including contractual interest payments) could be paid assuming conditions are consistent with those at the reporting date.
50
Notes to the financial statements (cont’d)
4. Risk and capital management (cont’d)
D. Financial risk (cont’d)
b. Liquidity risk (cont’d)
ii. Maturity analysis of syndicate liabilities (cont’d)
6
000
000
000
000
000
Undiscounted net cash flows
Year 2024
No maturity stated£000
0-1 yrs£000
1-3 yrs£000
3-5 yrs£000
>5 yrs£000
Total£000
Claims outstanding
-
273,086
329,887
159,602
129,821
892,396
Creditors
26,767
50,773
-
-
-
77,540
Total
26,767
323,859
329,887
159,602
129,821
969,936
000
000
000
000
000
Undiscounted net cash flows
Year 2023
No maturity stated£000
0-1 yrs£000
1-3 yrs£000
3-5 yrs£000
>5 yrs£000
Total£000
Claims outstanding
-
178,787
236,920
131,205
151,015
697,927
Creditors
23,060
47,618
-
-
-
70,678
Total
23,060
226,405
236,920
131,205
151,015
768,605
c.Market risk
Our investment results are subject to a variety of risks, including changes in the business, financial condition or results of operations of the entities in which we invest, as well as changes in general economic conditions and overall market conditions. Valuations of investments are also exposed to potential loss from various market risks, including changes in equity prices, interest rates, and exchange rates.
The Syndicate’s primary investment objective is to preserve capital and to ensure adequate liquidity for settling policyholder claims, while also providing a return that meets or exceeds the total return of the assigned benchmark for each portfolio. Technical funds, those funds held for reserves, are invested primarily in high quality bonds and cash. The high quality and short duration of these funds allows the Syndicate to meet its aim of paying valid claims quickly. These funds, as far as possible, are maintained in the currency of the original premiums for which they are set aside to reduce foreign exchange risk.
Market risk also encompasses the risk of default of counterparties, which is primarily with issuers of bonds in which we invest. The Syndicate has established guidelines for its investment managers regarding the type, duration and quality of investments that may be made. The performance of investment managers is regularly reviewed to confirm adherence to these guidelines.
51
Notes to the financial statements (cont’d)
4. Risk and capital management (cont’d)
D. Financial risk (cont’d)
c. Market risk (cont’d)
The value of the Syndicate’s fixed-income securities is inversely correlated to movements in market interest rates. If market interest rates fall, the fair value of the fixed-income investments would tend to rise and vice versa, assuming that credit spreads remain constant.
The sensitivity of the price of a bond is also closely correlated to its duration. The longer the duration of a security, the greater its price volatility.
The objective of market risk management is to manage and control market risk exposures within acceptable parameters, while optimising the return on risk. The nature of the Syndicate exposures to market risk and its objectives, policies and processes for managing market risk have not changed significantly from the prior year.
i.Management of market risks
For each of the major components of market risk the Syndicate has policies and procedures in place which detail how each risk should be managed and monitored. The management of each of these major components of major risk and the exposure of the Syndicate at the reporting date to each major risk are addressed below.
ii.Interest rate risk
Interest rate risk is the risk that the fair value and/or future cash flows of a financial instrument will fluctuate because of changes in interest rates.
The Syndicate is exposed to interest rate risk through its investment portfolio, borrowings and cash and cash equivalents.
The risk of changes in the fair value of these assets is managed by primarily investing in short-duration financial investments and cash and cash equivalents. The Investment Committee monitors the duration of these assets on a regular basis, targeting an investment portfolio duration that, in the event of changes in interest rates, always maintains the internal capital requirements.
iii.Currency risk
The Syndicate is exposed to currency risk in respect of liabilities under insurance policies and reinsurance recoverable debtors under reinsurance policies, denominated in currencies other than sterling.
The Syndicate writes business primarily in Sterling, US dollar, Euro, Canadian dollar, Australian dollar and Japanese Yen and is therefore exposed to currency risk arising from fluctuations in these exchange rates.
The Syndicate seeks to mitigate the risk by matching the estimated foreign currency denominated liabilities with assets denominated in the same currency. Assets and liabilities are appropriately matched and as such, the impact to the net result of the Syndicate through movements in the exchange rates are mitigated.
52
Notes to the financial statements (cont’d)
4. Risk and capital management (cont’d)
D. Financial risk (cont’d)
c. Market risk (cont’d)
iv.Asset Liability Matching
The Syndicate reviews currency asset and liability positions on a regular basis. The currency net assets / (liabilities) positions denote the Syndicate’s foreign exchange risk as a result of the translation of subordinated currency positions that are different to the reporting currency of the Syndicate. The main subordinate trading currencies are USD, AUD, EUR, CAD and JPY. The following table describes the net assets / (liabilities) positions at the year end.
The table below summarises the carrying value of the Syndicate’s assets and liabilities, at the reporting date:
Sterling
US dollar
Euro
Canadian dollar
Australian dollar
Japanese Yen
Other
Total
2024
£000
£000
£000
£000
£000
£000
£000
£000
Investments
54,341
369,849
51,233
96,334
68,097
1
401
640,256
Reinsurers' share of technical provisions
44,308
236,289
26,751
16,750
45,946
73
3,188
373,305
Debtors
(18,931)
93,662
16,426
30,238
36,609
1,372
-
159,376
Other assets
4,822
9,075
3,066
13,818
79,310
303
16,583
126,977
Prepayments and accrued income
14,005
28,442
10,527
5,552
10,601
173
-
69,300
Total assets
98,545
737,317
108,003
162,692
240,563
1,922
20,172
1,369,214
Technical provisions
(113,875)
(641,426)
(123,481)
(89,820)
(207,494)
(534)
(10,135)
(
1
,
1
8
6
,
7
6
5
)
Deposits received from reinsurers
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Creditors
(53,735)
(17,734)
(862)
(367)
(4,760)
(82)
-
(77,540)
Accruals and deferred income
55
(11,189)
(2,387)
(1,547)
(4,380)
(46)
-
(19,494)
Total liabilities
(167,555)
(670,349)
(126,730)
(91,734)
(216,634)
(662)
(10,135)
(
1
,
2
8
3
,
7
9
9
)
Total capital and reserves
(69,010)
66,968
(18,727)
70,958
23,929
1,260
10,037
85,415
53
Notes to the financial statements (cont’d)
4. Risk and capital management (cont’d)
D. Financial risk (cont’d)
c. Market risk (cont’d)
iv. Asset Liability Matching (cont’d)
Sterling
US dollar
Euro
Canadian dollar
Australian dollar
Japanese Yen
Other
Total
2023
£000
£000
£000
£000
£000
£000
£000
£000
Investments
51,478
269,293
39,231
77,168
36,543
343
363
474,419
Reinsurers' share of technical provisions
21,720
167,216
30,982
24,099
41,319
153
4,430
289,919
Debtors
13,675
54,288
15,819
30,278
33,107
1,373
-
148,540
Other assets
5,262
6,440
3,108
12,732
76,527
462
19,057
123,588
Prepayments and accrued income
20,710
21,782
9,153
3,468
8,803
70
-
63,986
Total assets
112,845
519,019
98,293
147,745
196,299
2,401
23,850
1,100,452
Technical provisions
(64,120)
(429,185)
(154,137)
(107,553)
(181,985)
(1,106)
(14,558)
(952,644)
Deposits received from reinsurers
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Creditors
(42,796)
(21,651)
(3,638)
292
(2,822)
(63)
-
(70,678)
Accruals and deferred income
(3,142)
(8,272)
(1,645)
(1,329)
(3,995)
(31)
-
(18,414)
Total liabilities
(110,058)
(459,108)
(159,420)
(108,590)
(188,802)
(1,200)
(14,558)
(
1
,
0
4
1
,
7
3
6
)
Total capital and reserves
2,787
59,911
(61,127)
39,155
7,497
1,201
9,292
58,716
v.Sensitivity analysis to market risks
The analysis below is performed for reasonably possible movements in market indices on financial instruments with all other variables held constant, showing the impact on the result before tax due to changes in fair value of financial assets and liabilities (whose fair values are recorded in the profit and loss account) and members’ balances.
2024Impact on results before tax£000
2024Impact on
members’
balances£000
2023Impact on results before tax£000
2023Impact on
members’
balances£000
Interest rate risk
+ 50 basis points shift in yield curves
(2,668)
(2,668)
(2,058)
(2,058)
- 50 basis points shift in yield curves
2,535
2,535
1,917
1,917
A 50 basis point increase (or decrease) in yield curves have been selected on the basis that these are considered to be reasonably possible changes in these risk variables over the following year.
54
Notes to the financial statements (cont’d)
4. Risk and capital management (cont’d)
D. Financial risk (cont’d)
c. Market risk (cont’d)
v. Sensitivity analysis to market risks (cont’d)
The sensitivity analysis demonstrates the effect of a change in a key variable while other assumptions remain unchanged. However, the occurrence of a change in a single market factor may lead to changes in other market factors as a result of correlations.
The sensitivity analyses do not take into consideration that the Syndicate’s financial investments are actively managed. Additionally, the sensitivity analysis is based on the Syndicate’s financial position at the reporting date and may vary at the time that any actual market movement occurs. As investment markets move past pre-determined trigger points, action would be taken which would alter the Syndicate’s position.
E. Regulatory risk
This risk is affected by changes in law and regulations which are not identified, understood, or are inappropriately and incorrectly interpreted, or adopted, or business practices are not efficiently modified. Further, there is a risk that current legal or regulatory requirements are not complied with. Arch runs a robust Compliance function to ensure that the Syndicate has appropriate systems and controls in place to comply with all applicable regulations. The Syndicate has a constructive and open relationship with its regulators.
F. Conduct risk
The Syndicate aims to provide appropriate products to the right group of consumers that achieve fair outcomes. The Syndicate approach starts with our strong culture which means we consider and understand the needs of our customers and form an important cultural base to getting this right. From a risk management perspective, we facilitated the development of the conduct objective, the conduct risk appetite and the standards required to remain within this risk appetite. We are able to extract conduct-related controls from the risk register to provide the Board with assurance that the expected behaviours towards customers are being demonstrated.
G. Reputational risk
Reputational risk is the risk of negative publicity as a result of the Syndicate’s contractual arrangements, customers, products, services and other activities. Key sources of reputational risk include operation of a Lloyd’s franchise and reliance upon the Arch brand in the United States, Europe and Australia. The Syndicate’s preference is to minimise reputational risks, but where it is not possible or beneficial to avoid them, we seek to minimise their frequency and severity by management through public relations and communication channels.
55
Notes to the financial statements (cont’d)
4. Risk and capital management (cont’d)
H. Capital risk
i.Capital framework at Lloyd’s
The Syndicate uses an Internal Capital Model for setting economic capital along with a number of other uses. The Syndicate follows a risk-based approach to determine the amount of capital required to support its activities. Recognised stochastic modelling techniques are used to measure risk exposures, and capital to support business activities is allocated according to risk profile. Stress and scenario analysis is regularly performed, and the results are documented and reconciled to the Board’s risk appetite where necessary.
The Society of Lloyd’s (Lloyd’s) is a regulated undertaking and subject to supervision by the Prudential Regulatory Authority (PRA) under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, and in accordance with the Solvency II Framework.
Within this supervisory framework, Lloyd’s applies capital requirements at member level and centrally to ensure that Lloyd’s would comply with the Solvency II requirements, and beyond that to meet its own financial strength, licence and ratings objectives.
Although, as described below, Lloyd’s capital setting processes use a capital requirement set at syndicate level as a starting point, the requirement to meet Solvency II and Lloyd’s capital requirements apply at overall and member level only respectively, not at syndicate level. Accordingly, the capital requirement in respect of Syndicate is not disclosed in these financial statements.
ii.Lloyd’s capital setting process
In order to meet Lloyd’s requirements, each syndicate is required to calculate its Solvency Capital Requirement (“SCR”) for the prospective underwriting year. This amount must be sufficient to cover a 1 in 200-year loss, reflecting uncertainty in the ultimate run-off of underwriting liabilities (SCR ‘to ultimate’). The Syndicate must also calculate its SCR at the same confidence level but reflecting uncertainty over a one-year time horizon (one-year SCR) for Lloyd’s to use in meeting Solvency II requirements. The SCRs of each syndicate are subject to review by Lloyd’s and approval by the Lloyd’s Capital and Planning Group. Over and above this, Lloyd’s applies a capital uplift to the Member’s capital requirement, to derive the Economic Capital Assessment (“ECA”). The purpose of this uplift, which is a Lloyd’s not a Solvency II requirement, is to meet Lloyd’s financial strength, licence and ratings objectives.
A syndicate may be comprised of one or more underwriting members of Lloyd’s. Each member is liable for its own share of underwriting liabilities on the Syndicates on which it is participating but not other members’ shares. Accordingly, the capital requirements that Lloyd’s sets for each member operates on a similar basis.
Each member’s SCR shall thus be determined by the sum of the member’s share of the Syndicate SCR ‘to ultimate’. Where a member participates on more than one syndicate, a credit for diversification is provided to reflect the spread of risk, but consistent with determining an SCR which reflects the capital requirement to cover a 1 in 200 loss ‘to ultimate’ for that member. Over and above this, Lloyd’s applies a capital uplift to the member’s capital requirement, known as the Economic Capital Assessment (ECA). The purpose of this uplift, which is a Lloyd’s not a Solvency II requirement, is to meet Lloyd’s financial strength, licence and ratings objectives. The capital uplift applied for 2024 was 35% (2023: 35%) of the member’s SCR ‘to ultimate’.
56
Notes to the financial statements (cont’d)
4. Risk and capital management (cont’d)
H. Capital risk (cont’d)
iii.Provision of capital by member
Each member may provide capital to meet its ECA either by (i) assets held in trust by Lloyd’s specifically for that member (Funds at Lloyd’s “FAL”), (ii) assets held and managed within a syndicate (Funds in Syndicate “FIS”), or (iii) as the member’s share of the members’ balances on each syndicate on which it participates. Accordingly, all of the assets less liabilities of the Syndicate, as represented in the members’ balances reported on the balance sheet on Page 29, represent resources available to meet members’ and Lloyd’s capital requirements.
iv.Capital management
The Board of AMAL has in place policies and procedures for managing compliance with regulatory capital requirements and its own capital management objective. This objective is to balance risk and return while maintaining economic and regulatory capital in accordance with risk appetite. The Board of AMAL has no appetite for the Syndicate failing to maintain sufficient capital. To this end, AMAL recalculates its ECA routinely at different points during the annual business cycle and may also recalculate the ECA on an ad hoc basis if the risk management framework identifies significant changes to the risk profile, or as required by the Board.
I. Emerging risk
Identifying, planning for and controlling emerging risks is an important part of our risk management activity across all aspects of our business, including underwriting, operations and strategy. We make a significant effort to try to identify material emerging threats to the Syndicate. It is a core responsibility of each of our committees and we believe we take all reasonable steps to minimise the likelihood and impact of emerging risks and to prepare for them in case they occur.
5.Critical accounting judgements and estimation uncertainty
The preparation of the financial statements in conformity with the Generally Accepted Accounting Practice in the UK (“UK GAAP”), requires management to make judgements, estimates and assumptions that affect the application of accounting policies and reported amounts of assets, liabilities, income and expenses. Actual results may differ from these estimates and judgements.
Estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised and in any future periods affected. These disclosures supplement the commentary on insurance and financial risk management in the Outlook and Future Developments section.
A. Key sources of estimation uncertainty
The areas of the Syndicate’s business containing key sources of estimation uncertainty include the measurement of insurance and reinsurance assets and liabilities at the balance sheet date. The most significant of these involves the valuation of outstanding claims and, in particular, the provision for claims incurred but not reported. The processes used to determine the assumptions on which the measurement of insurance contract provisions is based, actual assumptions used, the effects of changes in assumptions, and an analysis of sensitivity to changes in assumptions are described below.
57
Notes to the financial statements (cont’d)
5. Critical accounting judgements and estimation uncertainty (cont’d)
B. Process used to determine the assumptions for measuring insurance contracts
Claims Outstanding, i.e. loss reserves for the Syndicate are comprised of (1) estimated amounts for claims reported (“case reserves”) and (2) IBNR losses. Claims personnel determine whether to establish a case reserve for the estimated amount of the ultimate settlement of individual claims. The estimate reflects the judgement of claims personnel based on general corporate reserving practices, the experience and knowledge of such personnel regarding the nature and value of the specific type of claim and, where appropriate, advice of counsel. The Syndicate also contracts with a number of outside third-party administrators in the claims process who, in certain cases, have limited authority to establish case reserves. The work of such administrators is reviewed and monitored by our claims’ personnel.
Loss Reserves are also established to provide for loss adjustment expenses and represent the estimated expense of settling claims, including legal and other fees and the general expenses of administering the claims adjustment process. Periodically, adjustments to the reported or case reserves may be made as additional information regarding the claims is reported or payments are made. IBNR reserves are established to provide for incurred claims which have not yet been reported to an insurer or reinsurer at the balance sheet date, as well as to adjust for any projected variance in case reserving. IBNR reserves are derived by subtracting paid losses and loss adjustment expenses and case reserves from estimates of ultimate losses and loss adjustment expenses. Actuaries estimate ultimate losses and loss adjustment expenses using various generally accepted actuarial methods applied to known losses and other relevant information. Like case reserves, IBNR reserves are adjusted as additional information becomes known or payments are made. The process of estimating reserves involves a considerable degree of judgement by management and, as of any given date, is inherently uncertain.
Ultimate losses and loss adjustment expenses are generally determined by extrapolation of claim emergence and settlement patterns observed in the past that can reasonably be expected to persist into the future. The Syndicate uses several methods for determining its reserves. These methods generally fall into one of the following categories or are hybrids of one or more of the following categories:
Expected loss methods
These methods are based on the assumption that ultimate losses vary proportionately with premiums. Expected loss and loss adjustment expense ratios are typically developed based upon the information derived by underwriters and actuaries during the initial pricing of the business, supplemented by industry data available from organisations, such as statistical bureau and consulting firms, where appropriate. These ratios consider, among other things, rate increases and changes in terms and conditions that have been observed in the market. Expected loss methods are useful for estimating ultimate losses and loss adjustment expenses in the early years of long-tailed lines of business, when little or no paid or incurred loss information is available and is commonly applied when limited loss experience exists for a syndicate.
Historical incurred loss development methods
These methods assume that the ratio of losses in one period to losses in an earlier period will remain constant in the future. These methods use incurred losses (i.e. the sum of cumulative historical loss payments plus outstanding case reserves) over discrete periods of time to estimate future losses. Historical incurred loss development methods may be preferable to historical paid loss development methods because they explicitly take into account open cases and the claims adjusters’ evaluations of the cost to settle all known claims. However, historical incurred loss development methods necessarily assume that case reserving practices are consistently applied over time. Therefore, when there have been significant changes in how case reserves are established, using incurred loss data to project ultimate losses may be less reliable than other methods.
58
Notes to the financial statements (cont’d)
5. Critical accounting judgements and estimation uncertainty (cont’d)
B. Process used to determine the assumptions for measuring insurance contracts (cont’d)
Bornhuetter-Ferguson (“B-F”) paid and incurred loss methods
These methods utilise actual paid and incurred losses and expected patterns of paid and incurred losses, taking the initial expected ultimate losses into account to determine an estimate of expected ultimate losses. The B-F paid and incurred loss methods are useful when there are few reported claims and a relatively less stable pattern of reported losses.
Additional analyses
Other methodologies are often used in the reserving process for specific types of claims or events, such as catastrophic or other specific major events. These include vendor catastrophe models, which are typically used in the estimation of Loss Reserves at the early stage of known catastrophic events before information has been reported to an insurer or reinsurer, and analyses of specific industry events, such as large lawsuits or claims. The selection of a method to determine the Syndicate’s reserves is driven by not only the characteristics of the lines of business, but also by the development stage of the years of account and the availability, credibility and relevance (for future projection) of in-house or benchmark data. For short-tail lines of business, such as Property and Offshore Operating, reserves will mostly be calculated using the expected loss ratio method for the most recent year of account, unless early loss experience necessitates an upward deviation, before moving to the more data-driven methods for more mature years. For long-tail lines of business, typically the Casualty and D&O classes, reflecting slower loss emergence and settlement, the expected loss ratio method is usually applied for longer than 1 year, unless early loss experience necessitates an upward deviation, before allowing for benign claims experience using more data-driven methods.
Ukraine war
The war in Ukraine continues to be closely monitored in line with other large loss events. The Syndicate has exposure to the war in Ukraine, in particular from policies covering political violence and war. This exposure is protected by reinsurance where gross losses are expected to be mitigated, to an extent, by the reinsurance in place.
The current estimate of potential losses included within our net reserves for the war in Ukraine for the year ended 31 December 2024 are £115.0 million (31 December 2023: £41.0 million). The Syndicate has been negatively impacted by adverse development, resulting in strengthening of specific reserves in relation the Ukraine losses during the calendar year, largely on the 2021 year of account, on both a gross and net basis.
The premiums written on a number of classes of business have been impacted following the introduction of international sanctions.
Inflation risk
We assess the expected impact of inflation on the booked reserves using a multi-year cash flow approach. Our approach estimates the impact of economic inflation on the expected claims frequency and severity of the in-force business, recognising that different insurance classes are affected differently by economic inflation. The expected impact on reserves is compared to an independent actuarial review to ensure our reserve surplus versus said independent actuarial remains within our risk appetite.
59
Notes to the financial statements (cont’d)
6.Analysis of underwriting result
An analysis of the underwriting result before investment return is presented in the table below:
2024
Gross premiums written£000
Gross premiums earned£000
Gross claims incurred£000
Gross operating expenses£000
Reinsurance balance£000
Underwriting result£000
Direct insurance
Accident and health
19,916
19,715
(8,118)
(9,000)
(1,434)
1,163
Motor (third party liability)
-
-
-
-
-
-
Marine, aviation, and transport
51,742
46,134
(61,849)
(18,606)
14,934
(19,387)
Fire and other damage to property
151,764
143,657
(48,411)
(51,134)
(8,251)
35,861
Third party liability
167,938
157,265
(94,971)
(55,640)
(10,452)
(3,798)
Credit and suretyship
38,494
43,476
(25,403)
(16,337)
3,089
4,825
Total direct insurance
429,854
410,247
(
2
3
8
,
7
5
2
)
(150,717)
(2,114)
18,664
Reinsurance acceptances
205,916
181,481
(
1
4
7
,
7
3
8
)
(57,812)
10,463
(13,606)
Total
635,770
591,728
(
3
8
6
,
4
9
0
)
(208,529)
8,349
5,058
The below is an additional disclosure for Lloyd’s reporting purposes and is included to facilitate the classification of the above segments into the Lloyd’s aggregate classes of business:
2024
Gross premiums written£000
Gross premiums earned£000
Gross claims incurred£000
Gross operating expenses£000
Reinsurance balance£000
Underwriting result£000
Additional analysis
Fire and damage to property of which is:
Specialities
-
-
-
-
-
-
Energy
151,764
143,657
(48,411)
(51,134)
(8,251)
35,861
Third party liability of which is:
Energy
167,938
157,265
(94,971)
(55,640)
(10,452)
(3,798)
60
Notes to the financial statements (cont’d)
6. Analysis of underwriting result (cont’d)
2023
Gross premiums written£000
Gross premiums earned£000
Gross claims incurred£000
Gross operating expenses£000
Reinsurance balance£000
Underwriting result£000
Direct insurance
Accident and health
18,049
17,549
(8,181)
(10,927)
(432)
(1,991)
Motor (third party liability)
1,590
1,301
(669)
(946)
(17)
(331)
Marine, aviation, and transport
38,817
43,761
(28,020)
(16,255)
5,805
5,291
Fire and other damage to property
133,789
114,390
(44,898)
(42,119)
(6,950)
20,423
Third party liability
148,462
128,512
(88,925)
(48,678)
(4,783)
(13,874)
Credit and suretyship
41,204
34,070
(16,016)
(13,862)
4,592
8,784
Total direct insurance
381,911
339,583
(
1
8
6
,
7
0
9
)
(132,787)
(1,785)
18,302
Reinsurance acceptances
174,391
155,482
(
1
0
5
,
3
8
2
)
(42,561)
2,357
9,896
Total
556,302
495,065
(
2
9
2
,
0
9
1
)
(175,348)
572
28,198
The below is an additional disclosure for Lloyd’s reporting purposes and is included to facilitate the classification of the above segments into the Lloyd’s aggregate classes of business:
2023
Gross premiums written£000
Gross premiums earned£000
Gross claims incurred£000
Gross operating expenses£000
Reinsurance balance£000
Underwriting result£000
Additional analysis
Fire and damage to property of which is:
Specialities
-
-
-
-
-
-
Energy
133,789
114,390
(44,898)
(42,119)
(6,950)
20,423
Third party liability of which is:
Energy
148,462
128,512
(88,925)
(48,678)
(4,783)
(13,874)
The ceded balance represents the charge or benefit to the technical account from the aggregate of all items relating to outwards reinsurance. Current year underwriting results for the transferred policies have been reported in line with Society of Lloyd’s under the Inwards Reinsurance class of business, reflecting the new contractual arrangement with Lloyd’s Brussels.
This treatment is consistent with the treatment in the Profit and Loss Technical Account.
61
Notes to the financial statements (cont’d)
6. Analysis of underwriting result (cont’d)
The gross premiums written for direct insurance by underwriting location of risk is presented in the table below:
2024£000
2023£000
United Kingdom
389,646
250,814
European Union Member States
73,138
73,034
US
28,674
37,404
Rest of the world
144,312
195,050
Total gross premiums written
635,770
556,302
7.Net operating expenses
Gross operating expenses include direct insurance commissions of £83.2 million in 2024 (2023: £81.8 million).
2024£000
2023£000
Acquisition costs
155,245
140,996
Change in deferred acquisition costs
(6,232)
(12,668)
Administrative expenses
59,516
47,020
Reinsurance commissions and profit participation
(38,485)
(32,240)
Net operating expenses
170,044
143,108
Total commissions for direct insurance business for the year amounted to:
2024£000
2023£000
Total commission for direct insurance business
83,217
81,794
Administrative expenses include:
2024£000
2023£000
Auditors’ remuneration:
fees payable to the Syndicate’s auditor for the audit of these financial statements
329
283
fees payable to the Syndicate’s auditor and its associates in respect of other services pursuant to legislation
134
121
62
Notes to the financial statements (cont’d)
8.Key management personnel compensation
The directors of Arch Managing Agency Limited received the following aggregate remuneration charged to the Syndicate:
2024£000
2023£000
Directors’ emoluments
2,488
2,315
The active underwriter received the following aggregate remuneration charged to the Syndicate.
9.Staff numbers and costs
The average number of persons employed by Arch Europe Insurance Services Ltd (“AEIS”) and Arch Underwriters Europe Ltd (“AUEL”), but working for the Syndicate during the year, analysed by category, was as follows:
Number of employees
2024
2023
Administration and finance
138
118
Underwriting
64
52
Claims
19
12
Total
221
182
The Managing Agent has a service and secondment agreement with AEIS and AUEL, whereby staff employed by AEIS and AUEL are provided to the Managing Agent.
2024£000
2023£000
Wages and salaries
28,005
25,607
Social security costs
3,821
3,063
Other pension costs
2,093
1,960
Total
33,919
30,630
2024£000
2023£000
Emoluments
173
153
63
Notes to the financial statements (cont’d)
10.Investment return
2024£000
2023£000
Interest and similar income
From financial assets designated at fair value through profit or loss
Interest and similar income
14,112
15,000
Other income from investments
From financial asset designated at fair value through profit or loss
Gains on the realisation of investments
5,893
1,364
Losses on the realisation of investments
(412)
(9,232)
Unrealised gains on investments
14,972
19,270
Investment management expenses
(1,029)
(540)
Total investment return
33,536
25,862
Transferred to the technical account from the non-technical account
33,536
25,862
The investment return was wholly allocated to the technical account.
11.Distribution and open years of account
A distribution of £5.5m to the member will be proposed in relation to the closing year of account 2022, (2023: £9.9m in relation to the closing year of account 2021).
12.Financial investments
Carrying value
Cost
2024£000
2023£000
2024£000
2023£000
Shares and other variable yield securities and units in unit trusts
11,183
14,240
11,183
14,235
Debt securities and other fixed income securities
179,116
134,893
179,399
134,984
Participation in investment pools
446,953
321,928
430,736
318,131
Syndicate loans to central fund
2,642
3,109
2,741
3,336
Total financial investments
639,894
474,170
624,059
470,686
64
Notes to the financial statements (cont’d)
12. Financial Investments (cont’d)
The table below presents an analysis of financial investments by their measurement classification:
2024£000
2023£000
Financial assets measured at fair value through profit or loss
639,894
474,170
Total financial investments
639,894
474,170
The Syndicate classifies its financial instruments held at fair value in its balance sheet using a fair value hierarchy based on the inputs used in the valuation techniques as follows:
Level 1 financial assets that are measured by reference to published quotes in an active market. A financial instrument is regarded as quoted in an active market if quoted prices are readily and regularly available from an exchange, dealer, broker, industry group, pricing service or regulatory agency and those prices represent actual and regularly occurring market transactions on an arm’s length basis.
Level 2 financial assets measured using a valuation technique based on assumptions that are supported by prices from observable current market transactions. For example, assets for which pricing is obtained via pricing services but where prices have not been determined in an active market, financial assets with fair values based on broker quotes, investments in private equity funds with fair values obtained via fund managers and assets that are valued using the Syndicate’s own models whereby the significant inputs into the assumptions are market observable.
Level 3 financial assets measured using a valuation technique (model) based on assumptions that are neither supported by prices from observable current market transactions in the same instrument nor are they based on available market data. Therefore, unobservable inputs reflect the Syndicate's own assumptions about the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability (including assumptions about risk). These inputs are developed based on the best information available, which might include the Syndicate’s own data.
65
Notes to the financial statements (cont’d)
12. Financial investments (cont’d)
The table below analyses financial instruments held at fair value in the Syndicate’s balance sheet at the reporting date by its level in the fair value hierarchy:
2024
Level 1£000
Level 2£000
Level 3£000
Assets held at amortised cost
Total£000
Shares and other variable yield securities and units in unit trusts
-
11,183
-
-
11,183
Debt securities and other fixed income securities
30,210
148,906
-
-
179,116
Participation in investment pools
4,110
442,843
-
-
446,953
Syndicate loans to central fund
-
-
2,642
-
2,642
Total financial investments
34,320
602,932
2,642
-
639,894
Total
34,320
602,932
2,642
-
639,894
2023
Level 1£000
Level 2£000
Level 3£000
Assets held at amortised cost
Total£000
Shares and other variable yield securities and units in unit trusts
-
14,240
-
-
14,240
Debt securities and other fixed income securities
21,654
113,239
-
-
134,893
Participation in investment pools
1,549
320,379
-
-
321,928
Syndicate loans to central fund
-
-
3,109
-
3,109
Total financial investments
23,203
447,858
3,109
-
474,170
Total
23,203
447,858
3,109
-
474,170
13.Debtors arising out of direct insurance operations
2024£000
2023£000
Due within one year
77,032
65,510
Due after one year
113
6,044
Total
77,145
71,554
14.Debtors arising out of reinsurance operations
2024£000
2023£000
Due within one year
80,711
70,958
Due after one year
100
3,453
Total
80,811
74,411
66
Notes to the financial statements (cont’d)
15.Other debtors
2024£000
2023£000
Amounts due from members
642
1,831
Other
778
744
Total
1,420
2,575
16.Deferred acquisition costs
The table below shows changes in deferred acquisition costs assets from the beginning of the period to the end of the period:
2024
2023
Gross£000
Reinsurance£000
Net£000
Gross£000
Reinsurance£000
Net£000
Balance at 1 January
57,470
(18,414)
39,056
46,449
(14,516)
31,933
Incurred deferred acquisition costs
(129,521)
39,886
(89,635)
(118,210)
36,739
(81,471)
Amortised deferred acquisition costs
135,753
(41,287)
94,466
130,879
(41,242)
89,637
Foreign exchange movements
(845)
321
(524)
(1,648)
605
(1,043)
Other
-
-
-
-
-
-
Balance at 31 December
62,857
(19,494)
43,363
57,470
(18,414)
39,056
17.Claims development
The following tables illustrate the development of the estimates of earned ultimate cumulative claims incurred, including claims notified and IBNR, for each successive underwriting year, illustrating how amounts estimated have changed from the first estimates made.
As these tables are on an underwriting year basis, there is an apparent large increase from amounts reported for the end of the underwriting year to one year later as a large proportion of premiums are earned in the year of account's second year of development.
Balances have been translated at exchange rates prevailing at 31 December 2024 in all cases.
67
Notes to the financial statements (cont’d)
17. Claims development (cont’d)
Gross:
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
Total
Pure underwriting year
£000
£000
£000
£000
£000
£000
£000
£000
£000
£000
£000
Estimate of gross claims
at end of underwriting year
40,020
41,909
64,138
45,861
48,579
58,398
67,407
101,099
119,234
131,031
one year later
104,713
116,859
134,053
108,121
116,628
131,975
207,424
207,636
237,163
two years later
116,740
126,664
147,046
111,252
121,766
122,293
235,598
203,792
three years later
116,896
124,799
146,676
108,574
116,391
128,332
352,507
four years later
112,951
132,356
145,759
112,865
124,424
137,528
five years later
111,118
134,673
148,738
123,806
127,072
six years later
109,136
136,444
157,747
126,262
seven years later
109,187
143,302
163,460
eight years later
108,758
143,814
nine years later
110,320
Estimate of gross claims reserve
110,320
143,814
163,460
126,262
127,072
137,528
352,507
203,792
237,163
131,031
1
,
7
3
2
,
9
4
9
Provision in respect of prior years
41,619
Less gross claims paid
(94,474)
(109,685)
(134,328)
(96,548)
(86,753)
(80,359)
(131,158)
(87,217)
(50,676)
(10,974)
(882,172)
Gross claims reserve
15,846
34,129
29,132
29,714
40,319
57,169
221,349
116,575
186,487
120,057
892,396
Net:
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
Total
Pure underwriting year
£000
£000
£000
£000
£000
£000
£000
£000
£000
£000
£000
Estimate of net claims
at end of underwriting year
29,646
31,250
43,312
29,311
34,860
40,929
50,519
73,061
93,212
88,962
one year later
78,815
90,495
100,719
75,602
80,070
91,846
132,983
159,455
177,881
two years later
89,189
99,189
113,397
80,138
81,015
85,531
143,460
148,723
three years later
90,098
98,901
113,347
78,703
78,155
92,136
211,563
four years later
86,871
101,179
112,946
79,774
83,322
96,627
five years later
86,172
103,407
113,951
80,524
84,143
six years later
85,224
104,878
121,063
84,407
seven years later
85,235
109,924
128,695
eight years later
84,933
114,734
nine years later
89,391
Estimate of net claims reserves
89,391
114,734
128,695
84,407
84,143
96,627
211,563
148,723
177,881
88,962
1
,
2
2
5
,
1
2
6
Provision in respect of prior years
42,847
Less net claims paid
(74,285)
(86,249)
(104,483)
(65,922)
(58,828)
(62,165)
(99,314)
(68,549)
(40,391)
(9,267)
(669,453)
Net claims reserve
15,106
28,485
24,212
18,485
25,315
34,462
112,249
80,174
137,490
79,695
598,520
68
Notes to the financial statements (cont’d)
18.Technical provisions
The table below shows changes in the insurance contract liabilities and assets from the beginning of the period to the end of the period.
2024
2023
Gross provisions£000
Reinsurance
Assets£000
Net£000
Gross provisions£000
Reinsurance
Assets£000
Net£000
Claims outstanding
Balance at 1 January
697,927
(219,709)
478,218
570,063
(190,965)
379,098
Claims paid during the year
(179,483)
32,695
(
1
4
6
,
7
8
8
)
(153,243)
44,674
(108,569)
Expected cost of current year claims
337,408
(87,745)
249,663
274,958
(64,051)
210,907
Change in estimates of prior year provisions
49,082
(20,385)
28,697
17,133
(19,272)
(2,139)
Foreign exchange movements
(12,538)
1,268
(11,270)
(10,984)
9,905
(1,079)
Balance at 31 December
892,396
(293,876)
598,520
697,927
(219,709)
478,218
2024
2023
Gross provisions£000
Reinsurance
Assets£000
Net£000
Gross provisions£000
Reinsurance
Assets£000
Net£000
Unearned premiums
Balance at 1 January
254,717
(70,210)
184,507
202,472
(55,224)
147,248
Premiums written during the year
635,770
(148,054)
487,716
556,302
(131,757)
424,545
Premiums earned during the year
(591,728)
138,267
(
4
5
3
,
4
6
1
)
(495,065)
114,991
(380,074)
Foreign exchange movements
(4,390)
568
(3,822)
(8,992)
1,780
(7,212)
Other
-
-
-
-
-
-
Balance at 31 December
294,369
(79,429)
214,940
254,717
(70,210)
184,507
Refer to Note 4 for the sensitivity analysis performed over the value of insurance liabilities, disclosed in the accounts, to potential movements in the assumptions applied within the technical provisions.
19.Discounted claims
There were no claims discounted during the period.
20.Creditors arising out of direct insurance operations
2024£000
2023£000
Due within one year
1,328
841
Total
1,328
841
69
Notes to the financial statements (cont’d)
21.Creditors arising out of reinsurance operations
2024£000
2023£000
Due within one year
49,445
46,777
Total
49,445
46,777
22.Other creditors
2024£000
2023£000
Other related party balances (non-syndicates)
13,830
13,572
Other liabilities
12,937
9,488
Total
26,767
23,060
The majority of the other liabilities relates to contingent commissions.
23.Cash and cash equivalents
2024£000
2023£000
Cash at bank and in hand
3,471
3,904
Total cash and cash equivalents
3,471
3,904
Cash and cash equivalents comprise cash balances and call deposits with original maturities of three months or less. Bank overdrafts that are repayable on demand and form an integral part of the Syndicate’s cash management are included as a component of cash and cash equivalents.
24.Analysis of net debt
At 1 January 2024
Cash flows
Acquired
Fair value and exchange movements
Non-cash changes
At 31 December 2024
Cash and cash equivalents
3,904
(664)
-
231
-
3,471
Total
3,904
(664)
-
231
-
3,471
25.Related parties
The Syndicate is managed by AMAL. ACGL, a company incorporated in Bermuda, is the ultimate holding company and controlling party. This is the largest company into which the Syndicate’s results are consolidated. Copies of the consolidated financial statements of ACGL can be obtained from The Secretary, Arch Capital Group Ltd, Waterloo House, Ground Floor, 100 Pitts Bay Road, Pembroke HM 08, Bermuda. Arch Reinsurance Ltd. is the smallest company into which the Syndicate’s results are consolidated.
70
Notes to the financial statements (cont’d)
25. Related parties (cont’d)
Arch Reinsurance Ltd.
The Syndicate has a whole account quota share reinsurance contract of 15.0% (2023: 15.0%) with Arch Reinsurance Ltd. The Syndicate ceded £86.1 million (2023: £74.9 million) of net written premiums during the 2024 financial year. The effect of the quota share contract increased net losses incurred by £0.0 million (2023 reduced by £3.8 million) in the 2024 financial year.
Arch Managing Agency Limited
AMAL is the Managing Agent of the Syndicate as of 31 August 2020. During 2024 the Syndicate paid the Managing Agent £5,170,000 (2023: £415,000) as a managing agency fee. The Managing Agent entered into a service and secondment agreement with AEIS, whereby AEIS provides services in the form of staff and facilities to the Managing Agent.
Arch Underwriting at Lloyd’s (Australia) Pty Ltd (“AUALA”)
This service company is wholly owned by the Managing Agent and is authorised to bind business on behalf of the Syndicate. During 2024 AUALA has bound £69.6 million (2023: £56.1 million) of gross written premiums on behalf of the Syndicate. The Syndicate has incurred a net profit of £7.4 million (2023: profit £3.8 million) on the business bound by the service company for the year ended 31 December 2024.
Arch Syndicate Investments Ltd
The Syndicate is supported by ASIL, which provides 100% of its underwriting capacity, see note 19 Funds at Lloyd’s.
Arch Underwriting Agency (Australia) Pty. Ltd (“AUAAPL”)
This service company is wholly owned by AMAL, the Managing Agent, and is authorised to bind business on behalf of the Syndicate. During 2024 AUAAPL has bound £nil (2023: £nil) of gross written premiums on behalf of the Syndicate. The gross written premiums in 2024 are aggregated within the AUALA bound premiums and therefore form part of the £69.6 million total. (2023: £56.1 million).
Castel Underwriting Agencies Limited (“Castel”)
Castel is a Managing General Agent (“MGA”) that has been granted underwriting authority to underwrite business on behalf of the Syndicate. During 2024, the MGA wrote £2.2 million of gross written premium (2023: £8.7 million). On 1 May 2024, the sale of Castel Underwriting Agencies Limited to Ryan Specialty LLC was completed. All intercompany balances were settled prior to the completion of the sale.
71
Notes to the financial statements (cont’d)
25. Related parties (cont’d)
Ventus Risk Management Inc. (“Ventus”)
Ventus is a Managing General Underwriter (“MGU”) that has been granted underwriting authority to underwrite business on behalf of the Syndicate. During 2024, the MGU wrote £5.6 million of gross written premium (2023: £5.4 million). Ventus is owned by Arch Insurance Group Inc. and the ultimate parent company is ACGL.
These disclosure requirements are in addition to the requirement to disclose key management personnel compensation. This disclosure is given in note .
26.Off-balance sheet items
As at 31 December 2024, the Syndicate had received £71.3 million of collateral (2023: £84.8 million) from reinsurers with ratings lower than A-. Other than this, the Syndicate has not been party to any arrangement, not reflected in its balance sheet, where material risks or benefits arise for the Syndicate.
27.Post balance sheet events
The developing California Wildfires event, which occurred in January 2025, continues to be closely monitored by the Syndicate. The Syndicate has exposure, in particular from policies covering Fine Art & Specie where the Syndicate operates an 80/20% split stamp agreement with Syndicate 1955. The current estimate of potential losses are not yet known and the Syndicate will continue to assess the impact of this event during 2025 on both the 2024 and 2025 years of account.
28.Foreign exchange rates
The following currency exchange rates have been used for principal foreign currency transactions:
2024
2023
Start of period rate
End of period
rate
Average
rate
Start of period rate
End of period rate
Average
rate
Sterling
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
Euro
1.15
1.21
1.21
1.13
1.15
1.15
US dollar
1.27
1.25
1.26
1.20
1.27
1.24
Canadian dollar
1.68
1.80
1.79
1.63
1.68
1.68
Australian dollar
1.87
2.02
1.99
1.77
1.87
1.89
Japanese Yen
179.72
196.83
193.86
158.71
179.72
182.49
72
Notes to the financial statements (cont’d)
29.Funds at Lloyd’s
Every member is required to hold capital at Lloyd’s which is held in trust and known as Funds at Lloyd’s (‘FAL’). These funds are intended primarily to cover circumstances where Syndicate assets prove insufficient to meet participating members’ underwriting liabilities. The level of FAL that Lloyd’s requires a member to maintain is determined by Lloyd’s based on Prudential Regulatory Authority requirements and resource criteria. The determination of FAL has regard to a number of factors including the nature and amount of risk to be underwritten by the member and the assessment of the reserving risk in respect of business that has been underwritten. Since FAL is not under the management of the Managing Agent, no amount has been shown in these Financial Statements by way of such capital resources. However, the Managing Agent is able to make a call on the Member’s FAL to meet liquidity requirements or to settle losses.