Catastrophe Bond Market Sets $17.56 Billion H1 Record as Outstanding Volume Reaches $65.6 Billion
Updated
Updated · Artemis.bm · Jul 6
Catastrophe Bond Market Sets $17.56 Billion H1 Record as Outstanding Volume Reaches $65.6 Billion
1 articles · Updated · Artemis.bm · Jul 6
Summary
$17.56 billion of catastrophe bonds were issued in H1 2026, setting a new half-year record as new supply again outpaced maturities and pushed the market to fresh highs.
Nearly $65.6 billion of cat bonds were outstanding at June 30, the largest end-of-quarter total on record, driven by growing use of cat bonds for reinsurance and strong investor demand.
May alone produced $6.93 billion of issuance, while 83 public and private transactions in the half beat the prior H1 record of 72 deals.
Twelve first-time sponsors entered the market in H1, topping 11 a year earlier, and indemnity-trigger structures accounted for 81% of risk capital issued versus 79% in H1 2025.
With the maturity wall easing in H2 2026 after a likely hurricane-season lull, market participants expect issuance growth to resume later this year.