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The Fluctuations of Insurers’ Risk Appetite

Author

Listed:
  • Elisa Luciano

    (Collegio Carlo Alberto - UNITO - Università degli studi di Torino = University of Turin)

  • Jean-Charles Rochet

    (TSE-R - Toulouse School of Economics - UT Capitole - Université Toulouse Capitole - UT - Université de Toulouse - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement)

Abstract

The risk appetite of insurance companies fluctuates over time in a quasi cyclical fashion. When their capitalization is high (low), companies choose portfolios with a high (small) share of risky assets. We show that this phenomenon has the same source as the underwriting cycle, namely recapitalization costs. We build a dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model of the insurance sector where financial frictions prevent companies from maintaining a target leverage. Portfolio decisions of insurers fluctuate with their aggregate capitalization. The model rationalizes two apparently disjoint pieces of evidence: long-standing empirical evidence on underwriting cycles and more recent evidence on the fluctuations of insurance companies' risk appetite.

Suggested Citation

  • Elisa Luciano & Jean-Charles Rochet, 2022. "The Fluctuations of Insurers’ Risk Appetite," Post-Print hal-04052327, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04052327
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jedc.2022.104543
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions
    • G12 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Asset Pricing; Trading Volume; Bond Interest Rates
    • G23 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Non-bank Financial Institutions; Financial Instruments; Institutional Investors

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