Market risks

Faced with a challenging capital market climate, particularly high importance attaches to preserving the value of assets under own management and the stability of the return. Hannover Re’s portfolio is therefore guided by the principles of a balanced risk/return profile and broad diversification. Based on a risk-averse asset mix, the investments reflect both the currencies and durations of our liabilities. Market price risks include equity risks, interest rate risks, currency risks, real estate risks, spread risks and credit risks.

With a view to preserving the value of our assets under own management, we constantly monitor adherence to a trigger mechanism based on a clearly defined traffic light system that is applied across all portfolios. This system defines clear thresholds and escalation channels for the cumulative fluctuations in fair value and realised gains/losses on investments since the beginning of the year. These are unambiguously defined in conformity with our risk appetite and trigger specified information and escalation channels if a corresponding fair value development is overstepped. The short-term loss probability measured as the “Value at Risk” (VaR) is another vital tool used for monitoring and managing market price risks. It is calculated on the basis of historical data, e. g. the volatility of the securities positions under own management and the correlation between these risks. As part of these calculations the decline in the fair value of our portfolio is simulated with a certain probability and within a certain period. The VaR of the Hannover Re Group determined in accordance with these principles specifies the decrease in the fair value of our securities portfolio under own management that with a probability of 95% will not be exceeded within ten trading days. A multi-factor model is used to calculate the VaR indicators for the Hannover Re Group. It is based on time series of selected representative market parameters (equity prices, yield curves, spread curves, exchange rates, commodity prices and macro-economic variables). All asset positions are mapped on the level of individual positions within the multi-factor model; residual risks (e. g. market price risks that are not directly explained by the multi-factor model) can be determined through back-calculation and are incorporated into the overall calculation. The model takes into account interest rate risks, credit and spread risks, systematic and specific equity risks, commodity risks and option-specific risks.

Stress tests are conducted in order to be able to map extreme scenarios as well as normal market scenarios for the purpose of calculating the Value at Risk. In this context, the loss potentials for fair values and shareholders’ equity (before tax) are simulated on the basis of already occurred or notional extreme events.

Further significant risk management tools – along with various stress tests used to estimate the loss potential under extreme market conditions – include sensitivity and duration analyses and our asset/liability management (ALM). The internal capital model provides us with quantitative support for the investment strategy as well as a broad diversity of VaR calculations. In addition, tactical duration ranges are in place, within which the portfolio can be positioned opportunistically according to market expectations. The parameters for these ranges are directly linked to our calculated risk-bearing capacity.

Share price risks derive from the possibility of unfavourable changes in the value of equities, equity derivatives or equity index derivatives in our portfolio. We hold such assets only on a very modest scale as part of strategic participations. The scenarios for changes in equity prices consequently have only extremely slight implications for our portfolio.

The portfolio of fixed-income securities is exposed to the interest rate risk. Declining market yields lead to increases and rising market yields to decreases in the fair value of the fixed-income securities portfolio.

The credit spread risk should also be mentioned. The credit spread refers to the interest rate differential between a risk-entailing bond and risk-free bond of the same maturity. Changes in these risk premiums, which are observable on the market, result – analogously to changes in pure market yields – in changes in the fair values of the corresponding securities.

Currency risks are especially relevant if there is a currency imbalance between the technical liabilities and the assets. Through extensive matching of currency distributions on the assets and liabilities side, we reduce this risk on the basis of the individual balance sheets within the Group. The short-term Value at Risk therefore does not include quantification of the currency risk. We regularly compare the liabilities per currency with the covering assets and optimise the currency coverage in light of various collateral conditions such as different accounting requirements by regrouping assets. Remaining currency surpluses are systematically quantified and monitored within the scope of economic modelling.

Real estate risks result from the possibility of unfavourable changes in the value of real estate held either directly or through fund units. They may be caused by a deterioration in particular qualities of a property or by a general downslide in market values (such as the US real estate crash). Real estate risks continued to grow in importance for our portfolio owing to our ongoing involvement in this sector. We spread these risks through broadly diversified investments in high-quality markets of Germany, Europe as a whole and the United States.

We use derivative financial instruments only to the extent necessary to hedge risks. The primary purpose of such financial instruments is to hedge against potentially adverse situations on capital markets. A modest portion of our cash flows from the insurance business as well as currency risks associated with the difficulty of efficiently ensuring matching currency coverage are partially hedged using forward exchange transactions. Hannover Re has taken out inflation swaps (USD and EUR zero coupon swaps) to partially hedge inflation risks. These serve to protect parts of the loss reserves against inflation risks. Hannover Re holds further derivative financial instruments to hedge interest rate risks from loans taken out to finance real estate. In the first quarter of 2014 Hannover Re also took out hedging instruments in the form of equity swaps to hedge price risks connected with the stock appreciation rights granted under the share award plan. They are intended to neutralise changes in the fair values of the stock options granted. In order to avoid credit risks associated with the use of derivative transactions the contracts are concluded with reliable counterparties and for the most part collateralised on a daily basis. The remaining exposures are controlled according to the restrictive parameters set out in the investment guidelines.

Our investments entail credit risks that arise out of the risk of a failure to pay (interest and/or capital repayment) or a change in the credit status (rating downgrade) of issuers of securities. We attach equally vital importance to exceptionally broad diversification as we do to credit assessment conducted on the basis of the quality criteria set out in the investment guidelines. We measure credit risks in the first place using the standard market credit risk components, especially the probability of default and the potential amount of loss – making allowance for any collateral and the ranking of the individual instruments depending on their effect in each case. We then assess the credit risk first on the level of individual securities (issues) and in subsequent steps on a combined basis on the issuer level.

In order to limit the risk of counterparty default we set various limits on the issuer and issue level as well as in the form of dedicated rating quotas. A comprehensive system of risk reporting ensures timely reporting to the functions entrusted with risk management.

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The measurement and monitoring mechanisms that have been put in place safeguard a prudent, broadly diversified investment strategy. This is reflected inter alia in the fact that within our portfolio of assets under own management the exposures to government bonds or instruments backed by sovereign guarantees issued by the so-called GIIPS states (Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Spain) amount to altogether just EUR 241.7 million on a fair value basis. This corresponds to a proportion of 0.7%. The individual countries account for the following shares: Spain EUR 115.5 million, Italy EUR 71.3 million, Ireland EUR 29.3 million and Portugal EUR 25.7 million. No impairments had to be taken on these holdings. Our portfolio does not contain any bonds of Greek issuers. On a fair value basis EUR 4,152.6 million of the corporate bonds held by our company were issued by entities in the financial sector. Of this amount, EUR 3,491.7 million was attributable to banks. The vast majority of these bank bonds (76.3%) are rated “A” or better. Our investment portfolio under own management does not contain any written or issued credit default swaps.