SCOR Extends mortality swap with JP Morgan to protect the group fight against the pandemic risks

 

Friday, Sep 04,2009, 9:59:27 AM   Click:

SCOR Global Life SE, a subsidiary of SCOR SE, has added a new layer of protection to its current four-transaction-year mortality swap with financial services firm JP Morgan. Under the new EFF, SCOR will be entitled to 75 million dollars in the event of an increase in mortality during the period 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2011, including, for example due to major pandemics , natural disasters or terrorist attacks.

The swap is indexed on the risk of a weighted combination of the United States and mortality of the European population, measured over two consecutive calendar years. Depending on the structure of the arrangement, a payment will be triggered if, at any time during the period, the index exceeds 105%. To all the index levels between the trigger point of 105% and the point of exhaustion of 110%, JPMorgan will pay to SCOR a pro rata amount of the notional amount of swap 75 million dollars, so for example an index of 107.5%, 50% of the total amount becomes payable, and an index level of 110% of the total amount will be paid. The risk swap is fully collateralized and thus SCOR has no exposure to credit risk.

The previous four-year mortality swap with J.P. Morgan, which was signed on 22 February 2008 provides for receipt of up to USD 100 million and EUR 36 million at any index level between the trigger point of 115% and the exhaustion point of 125%. Both transactions are indexed against a weighted combination of US and European population mortality, measured over two consecutive calendar years.

Jean-Luc Besson, Chief Risk Officer of SCOR Group, comments: "As a leading global life reinsurer with strong stakes in mortality reinsurance protection, we are taking the current threat of the Influenza A(H1N1) virus seriously. Although we currently don't expect that the influenza virus will significantly increase mortality levels, we are convinced that pandemics could constitute material tail events for the insurance industry and may have corresponding financial repercussions on both sides of the balance sheet. With this second transaction with J.P. Morgan, SCOR demonstrates its stringent risk management."

Comparison of SCOR's mortality swaps with J.P. Morgan:



+------------------+--------------------+--------------------+ | |Existing Mortality |New Mortality Swap | | |Swap | | +------------------+--------------------+--------------------+ | Nominal Amount | $100m + EUR 36m| $75m| +------------------+--------------------+--------------------+ | Risk Period |1 Jan 2008 to 31 Dec|1 Jan 2009 to 31 Dec| | |2011 |2011 | +------------------+--------------------+--------------------+ | Attachment Level| 115%| 105%| +------------------+--------------------+--------------------+ | Exhaustion Level| 125%| 110%| +------------------+--------------------+--------------------+ | Signing Date | 22 February 2008| 1 September 2009| +------------------+--------------------+--------------------+



The table above illustrates the key differences compared to the existing swap. Other key aspects of the Mortality Swap Extension correspond to the existing arrangement, e.g. the underlying population indices used to construct the mortality indices, the weights applied to the indices and the averaging of the mortality indices over two years.

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Forward-looking statements

SCOR does not communicate "profit forecasts" in the sense of Article 2 of (EC) Regulation n degrees809/2004 of the European Commission. Thus, any forward-.looking statements contained in this communication should not be held as corresponding to such profit forecasts. Information in this communication may include "forward-looking statements", including but not limited to statements that are predictions of or indicate future events, trends, plans or objectives, based on certain assumptions and include any statement which does not directly relate to a historical fact or current fact. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words or phrases such as, without limitation, "anticipate", "assume", "believe", "continue", "estimate", "expect", "foresee", "intend", "may increase" and "may fluctuate" and similar expressions or by future or conditional verbs such as, without limitations, "will", "should", "would" and "could." Undue reliance should not be placed on such statements, because, by their nature, they are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, on the one hand, to differ from any results expressed or implied by the present communication, on the other hand.

Please refer to SCOR's document de référence filed with the AMF on 5 March 2009 under number D.09-0099 (the "Document de Référence"), for a description of certain important factors, risks and uncertainties that may affect the business of the SCOR Group. As a result of the extreme and unprecedented volatility and disruption of the current global financial crisis, SCOR is exposed to significant financial, capital market and other risks, including movements in interest rates, credit spreads, equity prices, and currency movements, changes in rating agency policies or practices, and the lowering or loss of financial strength or other ratings.

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For further information, please contact: Beat Werder +33 (0)1 46 98 71 39 Chief Communications Officer Marco Circelli +33 (0)1 46 98 72 17