Investigating Risk Disclosure Practices in the European Insurance Industry

The Geneva Papers, Vol. 36, No. 3, 380-413, July 2011

Posted: 8 Apr 2011 Last revised: 17 Jan 2018

See all articles by Dirk Höring

Dirk Höring

Humboldt University of Berlin

Helmut Gründl

Goethe University Frankfurt - Department of Finance; International Center for Insurance Regulation

Date Written: June 1, 2011

Abstract

In light of the upcoming Solvency II Pillar 3 disclosure regulation for the insurance industry, this paper explores the risk disclosure practices in annual reports of European primary insurers in the Dow Jones Stoxx 600 Insurance Index between 2005-2009. Based on a self-constructed risk disclosure index, the study examines the relation between the extent of risk disclosure and insurance companies' characteristics such as size, risk, profitability, ownership dispersion, cross-listing, home country, and type of insurance sold, to draw inferences regarding motives for enhanced risk disclosure based on positive accounting theory.

Keywords: Risk disclosure, insurance, Solvency II, content analysis, positive accounting theory

Suggested Citation

Höring, Dirk and Gründl, Helmut, Investigating Risk Disclosure Practices in the European Insurance Industry (June 1, 2011). The Geneva Papers, Vol. 36, No. 3, 380-413, July 2011, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1803114 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1803114

Dirk Höring

Humboldt University of Berlin ( email )

Unter den Linden 6
Berlin, AK Berlin 10099
Germany

Helmut Gründl (Contact Author)

Goethe University Frankfurt - Department of Finance ( email )

Theodor-W.-Adorno-Platz 3
Frankfurt am Main, Hessen 60323
Germany

HOME PAGE: http://https://www.wiwi.uni-frankfurt.de/en/departments/finance/home.html

International Center for Insurance Regulation ( email )

House of Finance
Campus Westend, Goethe University
Frankfurt am Main, D-60323
Germany

HOME PAGE: http://www.icir.de

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