(Updates with details)
FRANKFURT, Feb 8 (Reuters) - The German reinsurer
Hannover Re said on Wednesday that reinsurance rates
rose 8% at its key Jan. 1 renewals after inflation surged and
supply tightened.
The increase is nearly double the figure of 4.1% from a year
earlier, though the volume of renewed contracts was slightly
less than last year after it cancelled some contracts.
"We had to take some conscious decisions on portfolio
steering in order to respond to the market challenges," said
Chief Executive Officer Jean-Jacques Henchoz.
Insurers globally have faced losses from unexpected
events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and
large natural catastrophes.
But they have responded by raising prices and
restricting coverage, with a view to shielding their profits.
(Reporting by Tom Sims and Alexander Huebner, editing by Rachel
More)