The FINANCIAL -- Allianz is helping to replace about 8.5 million light bulbs in Indian households as part of a project for energy efficient lighting. According to Allianz the project makes an important contribution to reducing overall electricity consumption and greenhouse gas emissions and results in significant cost savings.

The FINANCIAL -- A consortium including Allianz completed the acquisition of a 24.1 percent stake in Gassled from Norwegian Statoil ASA on January 31. According to Allianz research the total value of the transaction was 17.35 billion NOK, as previously asnnounced on June 6, 2011.

The FINANCIAL -- Allianz invests not only in equities, government bonds and real estate, but also in forms of investments that can prove to be profitable in both stormy and sunny times.The company stepped up its investments in this sector last year, putting just shy of a quarter of a billion euros into wind and solar energy facilities, according to Allianz.

The FINANCIAL -- Zurich Financial Services Group announced that based on preliminary estimates it expects the impact of the floods in Thailand, the increased cost of the earthquakes in New Zealand, and the further benefits of recoveries from its global aggregate catastrophe reinsurance cover in total, for the fourth quarter 2011, to range between USD 200 - 250 million, according to Zurich.

The FINANCIAL -- After today’s decision by the Federal Reserve to maintain the target fed funds rate at zero to 25 basis points, Swiss Re’s Chief Economist, Kurt Karl, commented: “Weak economic activity, moderating inflation and fiscal tightening will keep the Fed on hold through mid-2013, perhaps longer” , according to Swiss Re.