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4.4 Legal risk - Scor

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Details of intangible assets, related impairment testing policy and recent acquisitions is included in “Section 20.1.6 –<br />

Notes to the financial statements, Note 1 – Accounting Principles and Methods; Note 3 – Acquisitions; Note 4 –<br />

Intangible Assets; and Note 19 – Income Tax.”<br />

Considering the above, SCOR is exposed to the <strong>risk</strong>s related to the assessment of impairment of intangible assets and<br />

derecognition of deferred tax assets, given that such assessments are notably based on assumptions and subjective<br />

opinions. Those assessments, if they were to be revised, could have a material adverse impact on SCOR’s business,<br />

present and future revenues, net income, cash flows, financial position, and potentially, on the price of its securities.<br />

4.3 Liquidity <strong>risk</strong><br />

The Group undertakes specific reviews of its liquidity <strong>risk</strong> and considers it is able to face forthcoming settlement dates.<br />

Forthcoming settlement dates are estimated based on reasonable hypotheses and are composed of the following:<br />

incurred and future claims, re-insurance commissions, profit sharing granted to cedants, payments to suppliers,<br />

operating expenses, and other settlements, for which related amounts are not material for the analysis of the liquidity<br />

<strong>risk</strong>.<br />

4.3.1 SCOR FACES LIQUIDITY REQUIREMENTS IN THE SHORT TO MEDIUM TERM IN ORDER TO COVER, FOR<br />

EXAMPLE, CLAIMS PAYMENTS, OPERATIONAL EXPENSES AND DEBT REDEMPTIONS. IN THE CASE OF<br />

CATASTROPHE CLAIMS, IN PARTICULAR, IT MAY NEED TO SETTLE AMOUNTS WHICH EXCEED THE AMOUNT<br />

OF AVAILABLE LIQUIDITY<br />

SCOR needs liquidity to pay its operating expenses, interest on its debt and dividends on its capital stock, and replace<br />

certain maturing liabilities. Without sufficient liquidity, the Group may be forced to curtail its operations, and business will<br />

suffer. The principal internal sources of the Group’s liquidity are insurance premiums, cash flow from its investment<br />

portfolio and other assets, consisting mainly of cash or assets that are readily convertible into cash.<br />

Liquidity <strong>risk</strong> is increased in situations of market disruption as SCOR may need to sell a significant portion of its assets<br />

quickly and at unfavorable terms. Additional information on the Group’s liquid assets is included in “Section 20.1.6 –<br />

Notes to financial statements, Note 6 – Insurance Business Investments.”<br />

Some facilities SCOR uses to grant letters of credit to cedants require a 100% collateral in case of non-compliance with<br />

financial covenants or in case of a decrease in the Group’s financial strength rating. Significant changes in the Group’s<br />

solvency or rating could force it to collateralize these facilities at 100%, which would thus result in a deterioration of its<br />

liquidity level. Additional information on SCOR’s letter of credit facilities is included in “Section 20.1.6 - Notes to financial<br />

statements, Note 25 – Commitments Received and Granted.”<br />

Considering the above, SCOR is exposed to <strong>risk</strong>s of short-term or medium-term payouts, and it cannot be guaranteed<br />

that it will not be exposed to such <strong>risk</strong>s in the future, which could have a material adverse impact on its business,<br />

present and future revenues, net income, cash flows, financial position, and potentially, on the price of its securities.<br />

Additional information on the timing of repayments is included in “Section 20.1.6 – Notes to the consolidated financial<br />

statements, Note 26 – Insurance and Financial Risk.”<br />

4.3.2 ADVERSE CAPITAL AND CREDIT MARKET CONDITIONS MAY SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECT SCOR’S ABILITY<br />

TO ACCESS CAPITAL AND/OR LIQUIDITY OR INCREASE THE COST OF CAPITAL<br />

The capital and credit markets have been experiencing extreme volatility and disruption. In some cases, the markets<br />

have exerted downward pressure on availability of liquidity and credit capacity for certain issuers.<br />

External sources of liquidity in normal markets include a variety of short- and long-term instruments, including<br />

repurchase agreements, commercial paper, medium- and long-term debt, junior subordinated debt securities, capital<br />

securities and stockholders’ equity.<br />

In the event current internal and/or external resources do not satisfy its needs, SCOR may have to seek additional<br />

financing. The availability of additional financing will depend on a variety of factors such as market conditions, the<br />

general availability of credit, the volume of trading activities, the overall availability of credit to the financial services<br />

industry, its credit ratings and credit capacity, as well as the possibility that customers or lenders could develop a<br />

negative perception of its long- or short-term financial prospects if the Group incurs large investment losses or if the level<br />

of its business activity decrease due to a market downturn. Similarly, access to funds may be impaired if regulatory<br />

authorities or rating agencies take negative actions against SCOR. Internal sources of liquidity may prove to be<br />

insufficient, and in such case, SCOR may not be able to successfully obtain additional financing on favorable terms, or<br />

at all.<br />

Disruptions, uncertainty or volatility in the capital and credit markets may also limit the Group’s access to capital required<br />

to operate its business, most significantly its insurance operations. Such market conditions may limit its ability to :<br />

• replace, in a timely manner, maturing liabilities;<br />

• satisfy statutory capital requirements;<br />

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