An evaluation of the financial soundness of insurance firms in the Amman Stock Exchange

Abstract

Financial soundness of insurance firms within a country tends to heavily affect its financial environment. This study will further assess the relationship between both factors with the support of a special model to test the financial soundness of insurance companies. The model could be utilized as an indicator of the stabilization of a country’s financial environment; this is done by testing the insurance companies’ falls. The methodology used was discriminant regression on the Amman Stock Exchange (ASE) to test 12 indicators that were derived from six CARMEL model parameters. The six tested parameters were: capital adequacy, asset quality, reinsurance and actuarial issues, management efficiency, earnings and profitability, and liquidity. The results have shown that 10 out of 12 indicators are significant factors. Additionally, the study proved that the CARMEL model is an applicable model to test the financial soundness of ASE insurance companies, the possibility of detecting a deviation between the actual and expected performance was barely minimum. The effect of deviation was present in eight firms out of 19, three of which were affected by the type II error (riskier deviation). The study concluded that the CARMEL model is a significant model, and the insurance firms that follow the Jordan Insurance Federation (JIF) requirements are financially sound.