Asian investors provide boost to insurers' debt financing efforts

2012 was a buoyant year for debt capital raising by insurers, with companies tapping into the Asia market and issuing innovatively structured instruments. Investors’ appetite for insurance company debt has enabled insurers to move from classical issuance structures to perpetual notes. Thomas Whittaker reports

The past year has proven to be a good year for the insurance sector in relation to its ability to raise capital from investors. The debt capital markets have been consistently open throughout the year, bankers say, in contrast to 2011, with insurers at the forefront of debt issuance. Debt issuance for European insurers in 2012 was $23.5 billion (£14.6 billion), according to Dealogic.

International insurer Zurich Insurance Group’s $500 million perpetual subordinated debt transaction in January