Endurance Specialty's (ENH) Rating Retained By A.M. Best

A.M. Best reiterated the issuer credit rating (ICR) of “bbb” and issue ratings of Endurance Specialty Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:ENH) . Concurrently, the rating agency retained the financial strength rating (FSR) of A+ (Superior) and the ICR of “a” of the subsidiary Endurance Specialty Insurance Ltd. and its units. The outlook remains stable.

The rating affirmations came on the back of Endurance Specialty Holdings’ global reach and a diversified business profile that focuses on specialty, better financial and operational leverage, lowered catastrophe exposure and sturdy risk-adjusted capitalization. These are supported by the company’s seasoned management team and enterprise risk management (ERM) program that help it to weather losses and maintaining profitability.

The rating also takes into account the company’s enriched profile following the acquisition of Montpelier Re and its enhanced distribution channel that gives it access to the Lloyd’s franchise as well as the alternative capital platform Blue Capital. While the acquisition gave Endurance Specialty Holdings a competitive edge, it also positions it well in markets worldwide.

Lowered catastrophe exposure coupled with disciplined underwriting practices have led to better operating performance over the last few years. The rating agency expects the momentum to stay intact as Endurance Specialty Holdings will continue to gain from acquisition synergies.

Rating affirmations or upgrades from credit rating agencies play an important role in retaining investor confidence as well as in maintaining credit worthiness in the market. On the other hand, rating downgrades damage business, apart from increasing the cost of future debt issuances. We believe that strong ratings will help Endurance Specialty Holdings to retain investor confidence and help it in writing more businesses, going forward.

Endurance Specialty Holdings carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Some better-raked stocks from the same space are Cincinnati Financial Corp (NASDAQ:CINF) , Markel Corp. (NYSE:MKL) and NMI Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:NMIH) . Each of these stocks sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

CINCINNATI FINL (CINF): Free Stock Analysis Report

MARKEL CORP (MKL): Free Stock Analysis Report

ENDURANCE SPLTY (ENH): Free Stock Analysis Report

NMI HOLDINGS-A (NMIH): Free Stock Analysis Report

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