Conduit Re in ‘full preparation mode’ as market discipline holds and rates begin to soften: CEO Eckert

During a recent interview, Neil Eckert, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Bermuda-based reinsurer Conduit Re, said the company reported a benign third quarter, reaffirming its guidance for year-end as the market shows early signs of rate softening in property catastrophe and retrocession.

 Conduit Re reported reinsurance revenue of $662.4 million, a 12.6% increase over the nine months ended 30 September 2024. Of the total reinsurance revenue for the period, Conduit Re’s Property segment contributed the most, at a solid $347.9 million, followed by the Specialty segment at $202.1 million and the Casualty segment at $172.2 million.

During the interview, Eckert summarised Conduit Re’s performance during the quarter.

“The key theme is it’s been a benign quarter. We’ve reaffirmed our guidance for year-end. It’s too early to take a view on the outcome for the year-end. There was a live Category 5 hurricane last week. It’s been a quarter of stability. We’ve managed to recruit a new CUO in Stephen Postlewhite, who’s got a good track record and is well regarded in the industry, that’s a significant step forward for us as a company,” the CEO explained.

“We are in full preparation mode for year-end now. So that’s where our attention is turning, and there’s not too much radical industry news, it is more of the same. In Monte Carlo there were themes developing on rate softening on property catastrophe and retro, which have been publicly commented on by the brokers and reinsurers alike.

“So, we just see a continuing trend. We see discipline being maintained and price pressure in certain areas. We think casualty is the strongest of the three segments in our market at the moment, and we’ve posted good growth in casualty.”

Given Conduit Re’s plans to embed secondary perils more structurally into its 2026 retrocession programs, we asked the CEO whether this might involve tapping alternative capital solutions such as catastrophe bonds?

For those unaware, Conduit Re has its $100 million  catastrophe bond, which provides US named storm and US earthquake peak peril protection.

“We already have one cat bond, and the cat bond market tends to be for very remote risk. It’s more applicable to the more traditional reinsurance marketplace as it relates to all perils coverage. There is available market on a whole account basis as well as a named peril basis, we just want a more comprehensive reinsurance program at year-end,” Eckert explained.

“There are alternative markets that are starting to look at different classes of business. But at the moment, our principal reinsurance purchases are on the property account, which is a fairly plain straightforward area.”

Reflecting on what may shape the retrocession market in the coming year or two, Eckert said: “The one thing about the retrocession market is outflows and inflows of capital are more pronounced, because alternatives are very often 12-month money, if you take ILS. So, at the moment, they’ve had very good loss experience over the last few years, and there is plenty of capacity there.

Looking ahead, the CEO noted that visibility remains limited.

“The crystal ball is a bit foggy because it depends on a number of different developments, but at the moment, we anticipate good availability of capacity in the retro market and loss experience has been good, and it’s sort of steady as she goes, but with reductions.”