Munich Re logo
Not if, but how

Explore Munich Re Group

Get to know our Group companies, branches and subsidiaries worldwide.

Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria will cost Munich Re €2.7bn

07:19 AM CEST 2017/10/26

    alt txt

    properties.trackTitle

    properties.trackSubtitle

    Munich Re is expecting a third-quarter loss of €1.4bn owing to exceptional major-loss expenditure. The Group now projects a small profit for the full year 2017.

    According to current estimates – which are still fraught with considerable uncertainty – Munich Re anticipates losses of €2.7bn after retrocession from these three hurricane events. Including the expenditure for other natural catastrophes – in particular the earthquakes in Mexico – and man-made losses, overall major-loss expenditure will amount to €3.2bn in the third quarter.

    Munich Re will post a loss of €1.4bn for the period from July to September 2017. In addition to the aforementioned major losses, the quarterly result will also be impacted by adverse IFRS effects from the recapture of a life reinsurance treaty and – as expected – a low positive contribution to the quarterly result from ERGO. Detailed information on the quarterly figures will be provided on 9 November.

    Munich Re is now proceeding on the assumption of generating a small profit for the year – on the proviso that business performs in line with expectations in the last three months of the year.

    The ongoing share buy-back programme will continue as planned until it expires at the 2018 Annual General Meeting; up to 24 October 2017, 2.7 million Munich Re shares were repurchased for a total of €485m.

    On 15 March, Munich Re had announced that its profit guidance for 2017 would be in the range of €2.0–2.4bn. On 13 September, Munich Re reported that the severe losses to be expected from Hurricanes Harvey and Irma were likely to result in a loss for the third quarter, and might jeopardise its profit target for 2017. Since then, Hurricane Maria has also caused significant damage in the Caribbean.

    Munich, 26. October 2017

    Münchener Rückversicherungs-Gesellschaft
    Aktiengesellschaft in München
    Königinstraße 107
    80802 München
    Germany
    Disclaimer
    This press release contains forward-looking statements that are based on current assumptions and forecasts of the management of Munich Re. Known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the forward-looking statements given here and the actual development, in particular the results, financial situation and performance of our Company. The Company assumes no liability to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.