Derivatives

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Disclosure - Derivatives [Abstract]

Derivatives

6. Derivatives

The Company's derivative instruments are recorded in the Consolidated Balance Sheets at fair value, with changes in fair value mainly recognized in either net foreign exchange gains and losses or net realized and unrealized investment gains and losses in the Consolidated Statements of Operations or accumulated other comprehensive income or loss in the Consolidated Balance Sheets, depending on the nature of the derivative instrument. The Company's objectives for holding or issuing these derivatives are as follows:

Foreign Exchange Forward Contracts

The Company utilizes foreign exchange forward contracts as part of its overall currency risk management and investment strategies. From time to time, the Company also utilizes foreign exchange forward contracts to hedge a portion of its net investment exposure resulting from the translation of its foreign subsidiaries and branches whose functional currency is other than the U.S. dollar.

Foreign Currency Option Contracts and Futures Contracts

The Company utilizes foreign currency option contracts to mitigate foreign currency risk. The Company uses exchange traded treasury note futures contracts to manage portfolio duration and commodity and equity futures to hedge certain investments. The Company also uses commodities futures to replicate the investment return on certain benchmarked commodities.

Credit Default Swaps

The Company purchases protection through credit default swaps to mitigate the risk associated with its underwriting operations, most notably in the credit/surety line, and to manage market exposures.

The Company also assumes credit risk through credit default swaps to replicate investment positions. The original term of these credit default swaps is generally five years or less and there are no recourse provisions associated with these swaps. While the Company would be required to perform under exposure assumed through credit default swaps in the event of a default on the underlying issuer, no issuer was in default at December 31, 2012. The counterparties on the Company's assumed credit default swaps are all investment grade rated financial institutions.

Insurance-Linked Securities

The Company enters into various weather derivatives and longevity total return swaps for which the underlying risks reference parametric weather risks for the weather derivatives and longevity risk for the longevity total return swaps.

Total Return and Interest Rate Swaps and Interest Rate Derivatives

The Company enters into total return swaps referencing various project, investments and principal finance obligations. The Company enters into interest rate swaps to mitigate the interest rate risk on certain of the total return swaps. The Company also uses other interest rate derivatives to mitigate exposure to interest rate volatility.

To-Be-Announced Mortgage-Backed Securities

The Company utilizes TBAs as part of its overall investment strategy and to enhance investment performance.

The fair values and the related notional values of derivatives included in the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheets at December 31, 2012 and 2011were as follows (in thousands of U.S. dollars):

	Asset		Liability		Net derivatives
	derivatives		derivatives		Net notional
December 31, 2012	at fair value		at fair value		exposure		Fair value
Foreign exchange forward contracts	$	7,889	$	(17,395)	$	2,170,914	$	(9,506)
Foreign currency option contracts		1,410		(186)		133,377		1,224
Futures contracts		1,956		(1,352)		3,981,107		604
Credit default swaps (protection purchased)		6		(807)		55,000		(801)
Credit default swaps (assumed risks)		512		0		17,500		512
Insurance-linked securities (1)		0		(2,173)		135,964		(2,173)
Total return swaps		6,630		(546)		68,730		6,084
Interest rate swaps (2)		0		(7,880)		0		(7,880)
TBAs		115		(163)		155,760		(48)
Total derivatives	$	18,518	$	(30,502)			$	(11,984)
	Asset		Liability		Net derivatives
	derivatives		derivatives		Net notional
December 31, 2011	at fair value		at fair value		exposure		Fair value
Foreign exchange forward contracts	$	7,865	$	(5,816)	$	2,555,230	$	2,049
Foreign currency option contracts		1,074		(321)		110,079		753
Futures contracts		13,572		(14,173)		2,534,995		(601)
Credit default swaps (protection purchased)		92		(1,285)		94,961		(1,193)
Credit default swaps (assumed risks)		246		(772)		17,500		(526)
Insurance-linked securities (1)		0		(968)		136,375		(968)
Total return swaps		7,673		(640)		122,230		7,033
Interest rate swaps (2)		0		(7,992)		0		(7,992)
TBAs		747		(58)		104,315		689
Total derivatives	$	31,269	$	(32,025)			$	(756)

_______________

(1)At December 31, 2012 and 2011, insurance-linked securities include a longevity swap for which the notional amount is not reflective of the overall potential exposure of the swap. As such, the Company has included the probable maximum loss under the swap within the net notional exposure as an approximation of the notional amount.

(2)The Company enters into interest rate swaps to mitigate notional exposures oncertain total return swaps. Accordingly, the notional valueof interest rate swaps is not presented separately in the table.

The fair value of all derivatives at December 31, 2012 and2011 is recorded in Other invested assets in the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheets. At December 31, 2012 and 2011, none of the Company's derivatives were designated as hedges.

The gains and losses in the Consolidated Statements of Operations for derivatives not designated as hedges for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010 were as follows (in thousands of U.S. dollars):

				2012		2011		2010
Foreign exchange forward contracts				$	23,474	$	98,089	$	65,973
Foreign currency option contracts					3,789		(9,927)		6,368
Total included in net foreign exchange gains and losses		.		$	27,263	$	88,162	$	72,341
Futures contracts				$	(31,757)	$	(185,816)	$	(81,789)
Credit default swaps (protection purchased)					(907)		(352)		(2,155)
Credit default swaps (assumed risks)					2,016		886		918
Insurance-linked securities					4,343		(9,584)		10,241
Total return swaps					(749)		2,473		4,029
Interest rate swaps					112		(2,200)		2,374
Interest rate derivatives					0		0		(3,848)
TBAs					7,045		15,366		1,737
Other					0		0		(158)
Total included in net realized and unrealized investment gains and losses			.	$	(19,897)	$	(179,227)	$	(68,651)
Total derivatives	.			$	7,366	$	(91,065)	$	3,690