10-K/APeriod: FY2008

Chubb Ltd Annual Report (Amendment), Year Ended Dec 31, 2008

Filed March 10, 2009For Securities:CB

Summary

Chubb Ltd.'s 2008 annual report filing (amended) highlights its significant exposure to market risks, particularly interest rate, equity price, and foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations. The company employs various strategies to mitigate these risks, including asset-liability management and the use of derivative instruments. A key area of focus is the reinsurance of Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit (GMDB) and Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit (GMIB) products, which carries substantial sensitivity to market movements and policyholder behavior. The company detailed its risk management policies, noting they were largely consistent with the prior year and anticipated no significant changes in the near future. Investors should note the impact of these market risks on comprehensive income and shareholders' equity, as well as the specific sensitivities surrounding the variable annuity guarantee reinsurance business.

Financial Highlights

33 data points
Beta

Revenue

$13.63B

Net Income

$1.20B

8.8% Net Margin

EPS (Diluted)

$3.50

Total Assets

$72.06B

Cash & Equivalents

$867.00M

Free Cash Flow

$4.10B

Financial Statements
Beta
Revenue$13.63B
Interest Expense$230.00M
Net Income$1.20B
EPS (Basic)$3.52
EPS (Diluted)$3.50
Shares Outstanding (Basic)332.90M
Shares Outstanding (Diluted)334.61M

Key Highlights

  • 1Chubb Ltd. faces significant market risk from interest rate, equity price, and foreign currency fluctuations across its investment portfolio.
  • 2The company utilizes derivative instruments, such as futures, options, and swaps, to manage portfolio duration and foreign currency exposures.
  • 3Fixed income portfolio is substantial ($37.4 billion in 2008), with a hypothetical 100 bps interest rate increase potentially impacting market value by $1.3 billion.
  • 4Equity portfolio faced a pre-tax impact of $99 million from a hypothetical 10% decline in market prices in 2008.
  • 5Foreign currency exposure is primarily to British pound sterling, Euro, and Canadian dollar, with a hypothetical 10% strengthening of the USD impacting equity by $84 million in 2008.
  • 6The variable annuity guarantee reinsurance business (GMDB/GMIB) is highly sensitive to equity levels, interest rates, and policyholder behavior, impacting life underwriting income and net income.
  • 7The company reported a net loss of $11 million for the variable annuity guarantee reinsurance portfolio from inception to December 31, 2008, despite $1.06 billion in net premiums earned.

Frequently Asked Questions

Chubb Ltd. is primarily exposed to market risks arising from potential adverse changes in interest rates, equity prices, and foreign currency exchange rates. Additionally, through credit derivatives and variable annuity guarantee products (GMDB/GMIB), the company faces risks related to credit market deterioration, declining interest rates, and falling equity markets.

The company employs several strategies, including maintaining and managing international operations' assets and liabilities consistent with local currencies to limit exchange rate risk. They also use investment derivative instruments like futures, options, swaps, and foreign currency forward contracts to manage portfolio duration and currency exposures. For variable annuity guarantees, they use hedge instruments to partially offset risks.

For the fixed income portfolio, a hypothetical 100 basis point increase in interest rates at December 31, 2008, would have resulted in a pre-tax impact of $1,329 million on its market value, representing 3.6% of the portfolio. For debt obligations, a hypothetical 100 basis point decrease in interest rates would have impacted market value by $179 million, representing 5.3% of the total debt obligations at fair value.

This business is highly sensitive. For example, a hypothetical 10% worldwide equity decline could decrease SOP reserves by $91 million and result in a net realized loss of $89 million (offset by hedge value changes), leading to a total reduction in net income of $113 million. Conversely, a 100 bps increase in interest rates could decrease net income by $94 million. Policyholder behavior also significantly impacts these liabilities.