Financial Instrument of the Week

Called "Cat Bond" - short for Catastrophe Bond.  Reported in Reuters - "New York's MTA to sell $125 million "catastrophe" bond:

"The MTA, which suffered a $5 billion hit from Hurricane Sandy in October 2012, will be able to offload the risk of incurring similar storm-related losses to investors, who will receive a yield in return for agreeing to pick up future repair bills.

New York is preparing for an increase in severe weather after Sandy caused more than $30 billion of damage in the state. The city has just announced a $20 billion infrastructure plan to boost its storm defenses, and the state now includes a warning about severe weather threats in its bond prospectuses.
The MTA bond will be issued by First Mutual Transportation Assurance Co, a so-called captive insurer, or insurance company that the MTA set up to sell similar financial instruments to specialist investors.

The MTA, which operates New York City's subway and bus system, area bridges and tunnels and commuter railroads, declined to comment, citing legal reasons. Marketing for the deal is believed to be ongoing.

First Mutual will sell the cat bond through a Bermuda-based vehicle called MetroCat Re Ltd, which transfers all potential losses to capital market investors. Investors receive a high rate of interest but risk losing all or part of their money if a catastrophe occurs.

Standard & Poor's assigned a BB- rating to the notes to be issued by MetroCat Re 2013 Ltd, the credit rating agency said in a report issued on Friday."