AM Best Downgrades Credit Ratings of Seguros Suramericana S.A.

AM Best has downgraded the Financial Strength Rating to A- (Excellent) from A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating to “a-” (Excellent) from “a” (Excellent) of Seguros Suramericana S.A. (Sura) (Panama). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) has been revised to stable from negative.

The ratings reflect Sura’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as strongest, as well as its adequate operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management.

The rating downgrades took place as a result in the shift in underwriting performance trends of the company, reflecting a challenge to Sura’s profitability generation capabilities and rendering metrics to levels no longer in line with the strong operating performance assessment.

Balance sheet strength is supported by a well-structured reinsurance program and synergies provided by Grupo de Inversiones Suramericana S.A. (Grupo Sura), a leading Colombia-based financial services company in Latin America’s insurance, asset management and banking industries. Offsetting these positive rating factors are Panama’s highly competitive landscape, and its historically high dividend payout ratios.

As of June 2024, Sura was the fifth-largest insurer in Panama, with a market share of 8%; 67% of its business portfolio is composed of non-life products, with life products making up the remaining 33%. Sura’s main property/casualty business segment is auto, which represents 36% of its gross written premium.

Grupo Sura’s initiative in 2018 to optimize shareholder value through the merger of intermediate insurance holding companies, Suramericana S.A. and Inversura Panamá Internacional S.A., drove a stock split transaction for its subsidiary, Aseguradora Suiza Salvadoreña, S.A. This further enhanced Sura’s risk-adjusted capitalization, which was already at the strongest level, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR). Sura’s capital base continues to be driven by its value-based management model, while meeting the group’s post-merger return on investment goals. AM Best expects Sura to follow consistent capital management guidelines supportive of its ratings. Additionally, the company’s balance sheet strength is supported by a comprehensive reinsurance program, set with reinsurers that have excellent security, as well as the implementation of an internal economic capital model.

During 2023, most of Sura’s largest business lines presented a recovery in growth, after contracting during the previous period. Despite efforts to maintain all lines of business under premium sufficiency, the results reflect an opportunity for underwriting improvements, and puts pressure on the company’s profitability. As of June 2024, Sura’s operating performance metrics remain consistent with the adequate assessment, contributing to a net profit of USD 606,554.

Negative rating actions could occur if the company's risk-adjusted capitalization deteriorates to a level no longer supportive of the current ratings as a result of capital base erosion. Positive rating actions could take place as a result of the successful evolution of the company's business strategy, while presenting consistently strong operating performance metrics, with improving bottom-line results and profitability indicators to levels more in line with highly rated peers.

This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Best’s website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Best’s Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Best’s Credit Ratings. For information on the proper use of Best’s Credit Ratings, Best’s Performance Assessments, Best’s Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Best’s Ratings & Assessments.

AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

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