Fitch Affirms General Electric Mortgage Insurance Corporation Following IPO Announcement.Business Editors NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 18, 2003 Fitch Ratings Fitch Ratings An international rating agency for financial institutions, insurance companies, and corporate, sovereign, and municipal debt. Fitch Ratings has headquarters in New York and London and is wholly owned by FIMALAC of Paris. has affirmed the 'AA' insurer financial strength (IFS) rating of General Electric Mortgage Insurance Corporation (GEMICO). The Rating Outlook is Stable. This action follows today's announcement by General Electric (GE) that it plans to pursue an initial public offering (IPO (Initial Public Offering) The first time a company offers shares of stock to the public. While not a computer term per se, many founders, employees and insiders of computer companies have found this acronym more exciting than any tech term they ever heard. ) of a new company - Genworth Financial Genworth Financial is an international financial services organization that offers a portfolio of primarily consumer-focused products through its various companies, including annuities, combination products, investment services, life insurance, long term care insurance, medicare , Inc. Genworth Financial, Inc. is planned to assume a portion of GE Financial Assurance Holdings, Inc.'s (GEFA GEFA Genuine Fashion Accessories (Philippines) GEFA General Electric Capital Financial Assurance Holdings, Inc. ) current debt obligations and to serve as the holding company for GEMICO, GE's principal US life insurance operations, and GE's international mortgage insurance operations. Concurrent with this announcement, Fitch has affirmed the 'AA' IFS ratings of GEMICO's international subsidiaries-the UK-based GE Mortgage Insurance Limited and two Australian companies This is a list of companies from Australia. Many Australian companies have been taken over by foreign interests in recent years, so some of the formerly 'quintessentially Australian' brand names are in fact owned by American or Japanese mega corporations. , GE Mortgage Insurance Pty Ltd PTY LTD Propriety Limited (company structure in Australia) . and GE Capital Mortgage Insurance Corporation (Australia) Pty Lt. Additionally, Fitch has downgraded the senior debt rating of GEFA from 'A+' to 'A' and placed it, along with the 'AA' IFS ratings of GEFA's U.S. life insurance companies, on Rating Watch Negative. Fitch's affirmation of GEMICO reflects that its rating had already been based on a standalone stand·a·lone adj. Self-contained and usually independently operating: a standalone computer terminal. assessment and assumed no support or benefit from its ownership by GE. Additionally, the rating considered that the subsidiary's current levels of excess capital, above that required to meet Fitch's 'AA' stress test, would be ultimately upstreamed to its parent. The new organization structure and business plan do not change these rating assumptions. Additionally, the rating reflects that GEMICO will enjoy somewhat lower, but still acceptable financial flexibility after the IPO. Currently, GEMICO maintains significant excess capital at Fitch's 'AA' stress scenario despite sizable parental dividends paid throughout 2003. Fitch's expectations are that parental dividends in 2004 will be significant and that parental dividend demands beyond that will be moderate. Fitch's very strong rating reflects GEMICO's high-quality balance sheet, strong market position, competitive expense structure and above average loss performance. The latter is reflective of management's disciplined underwriting Underwriting 1. The process by which investment bankers raise investment capital from investors on behalf of corporations and governments that are issuing securities (both equity and debt). 2. The process of issuing insurance policies. approach, which is supported by both GEMICO's recent decision to be the second industry participant to formally limit cession The act of relinquishing one's right. A surrender, relinquishment, or assignment of territory by one state or government to another. The territory of a foreign government gained by the transfer of sovereignty. CESSION, contracts. rates on deep-cede captive arrangements and its moderate volumes of bulk and nonprime quality loans. The rating also reflects an expectation that, over the longer-term, capital will be managed to a level consistent with Fitch's 'AA' standards. Partially offsetting these factors is the impact of severe competition from within and outside of the industry and an expectation of declining profitability over the near to intermediate-term due to weak temporal diversification and stagnant employment and home price appreciation rates in certain areas - all industry-wide issues. Raleigh-based GEMICO reported statutory assets and capital of $3.2 billion and $2.8 billion, respectively, at September 30, 2003. Entity/Type Action/ Rating/Outlook General Electric Mortgage Insurance Corp./Affirm 'AA'/Stable Insurer Financial Strength Rating. |
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