Pfizer’s captive insurance company, Blue Whale Re, has had its financial strength rating of A (Excellent) and its long-term issuer credit rating (long-term ICR) of “a+” affirmed by A.M. Best.
The outlook for the ratings of the Burlington-based insurer is stable.
The ratings are reflective of Blue Whale’s balance sheet strength, which A.M. Best categorises as very strong, in addition to its strong operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management.
They are also impacted by Blue Whale’s strategic position as captive insurer of leading global pharmaceutical company, Pfizer.
The captive provides insurance and reinsurance for Pfizer’s global property exposures and plays and an important role in its overall enterprise risk management and assumes a critical role in protecting the Pfizer enterprise’s assets.
According to A.M.Best, Blue Whale benefits from reinsurance protection but its retentions remain very substantial.
The ratings company added: “Reinsurance is provided by a large panel of reinsurers, and Blue Whale relies on significant capacity to support its obligations. Therefore, it is heavily dependent on reinsurance.”
“A.M. Best recognizes the quality of the reinsurers, and the substantial financial resources and support available to the captive as part of the Pfizer group.”
The ratings agency recognises that the nature of the relationship between Blue Whale and its parent company means that changes to Pfizer’s credit risk may impact the captive's ratings.
A material deterioration in Pfizer’s credit profile may lead to a negative rating impact for Blue Whale.
Negative rating action could also occur if underwriting performance weakens, negatively impacting risk-adjusted capitalisation over time, or if there is a material shift in risk profile which may undermine the stability and profitability of the company.
The ratings may be upgraded if the captive’s operating performance improves to outperform similarly rated peers with supported risk-adjusted capitalisation.
