A. M. Best
A.M. Best is a 126-year-old U.S.-based credit rating agency that rates insurers and reinsurers globally. It issues Financial Strength and Issuer Credit Ratings using its proprietary Best's Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR) methodology, selling subscriptions and rating fees to insurance companies, brokers, and intermediaries across the Americas, APAC, Middle East, and Caribbean.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1899
- HeadquartersOldwick, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
A. M. Best firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- A. M. Best
- Legal name
- A.M. Best
- Website
- https://ambest.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1899
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- A.M. Best is a 126-year-old U.S.-based credit rating agency that rates insurers and reinsurers globally. It issues Financial Strength and Issuer Credit Ratings using its proprietary Best's Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR) methodology, selling subscriptions and rating fees to insurance companies, brokers, and intermediaries across the Americas, APAC, Middle East, and Caribbean.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
A. M. Best industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Insurance Credit Rating Services
- NAICS
- Credit Bureaus (561450)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Purchase Price Allocation (PPA) & Intangible Asset Valuation (FSAEAHAF)
Keywords
Where A. M. Best is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oldwick
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
A. M. Best business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Credit Rating Services for Insurance Companies: AM Best provides credit ratings for insurance and reinsurance companies globally. Rated entities pay fees for rating assessments, ongoing monitoring, and rating publications.
- Industry Research and Market Intelligence: AM Best publishes market segment reports, special reports, and analytical studies on insurance market segments (property/casualty, life, reinsurance, surety, title insurance) that are distributed to industry participants and subscribers.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
A. M. Best product offering
Product offeringCore offering
A. M. Best is a global credit rating agency specializing exclusively in the insurance industry. It provides Financial Strength Ratings and Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings that assess insurers' ability to meet policyholder obligations, supported by proprietary methodologies such as Best's Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR). The company also publishes market segment reports, impairment rate and rating transition studies, and analytical briefings for insurance market participants worldwide.
Product overview
AM Best is a global credit rating agency specializing in the insurance industry with headquarters in the United States. The company offers a unified portfolio of credit rating services, providing Financial Strength Ratings and Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings for insurance companies worldwide. Supporting the core ratings are research publications including the Best's Impairment Rate and Rating Transition Study, Best's Market Segment Reports covering specific geographies (Australia, Japan) and sectors (surety insurance), and analytical briefings on reinsurance trends. These products collectively provide comprehensive credit assessment and market intelligence for the insurance industry.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Financial Strength Ratings and Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings
Quantifiable outcome
- No insurers rated by AM Best became impaired in 2025, demonstrating the effectiveness of its rating methodology
Companies that use A. M. Best
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
A. M. Best technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
A. M. Best partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
A. M. Best competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Demotech: Demotech is a US-based financial stability rating company that specializes exclusively in the insurance industry, particularly P&C and specialty insurers. It is the closest direct peer to AM Best by virtue of insurance-only specialization.
- Egan-Jones Ratings: Egan-Jones Ratings is an independent credit rating agency that, like AM Best, provides credit ratings to insurance companies and other issuers. It is a smaller-scale but functionally similar direct competitor.
- Weiss Ratings: Weiss Ratings is a US-based rating agency focused on financial strength ratings for insurance companies, banks, and broker-dealers. It is a direct peer to AM Best in the insurance ratings market.
Broad incumbents
- S&P Global Ratings: S&P Global Ratings is a major global credit rating agency that rates insurance and reinsurance companies as part of a broad portfolio spanning sovereigns, corporates, structured finance, and financial institutions. It directly competes with AM Best for insurance rating mandates.
- Moody's Ratings: Moody's Ratings is a global credit rating agency that issues financial strength ratings for insurance companies as part of its diversified ratings business. It is one of the largest scaled competitors to AM Best in insurance ratings.
- Fitch Ratings: Fitch Ratings is a global rating agency that assigns insurer financial strength ratings alongside its broader sovereign, corporate, and structured finance franchise. It is a direct scaled competitor to AM Best in the insurance rating market.
- KBRA: KBRA (Kroll Bond Rating Agency) is a US-based credit rating agency offering insurance financial strength ratings alongside ratings for structured finance, corporates, and financial institutions. It competes with AM Best in the insurance segment.
- DBRS Morningstar: DBRS Morningstar is a global credit rating agency that rates insurance companies as part of its diversified ratings portfolio. It is a functional competitor to AM Best for insurance rating engagements.
Others
- Verisk Analytics: Verisk is a leading data analytics and risk-assessment provider to the insurance industry. While not a rating agency, it is adjacent to AM Best in delivering analytical services and data products to insurance underwriters and intermediaries.
- J.D. Power: J.D. Power provides consumer-facing insurance market intelligence and benchmarking reports. While not a credit rating agency, it overlaps with AM Best in publishing research and analytics for the insurance sector.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
A. M. Best social profiles
Digital presenceA. M. Best financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
A. M. Best leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
A. M. Best funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
A. M. Best M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about A. M. Best
What does A. M. Best do?
A. M. Best is a global credit rating agency specializing exclusively in the insurance industry. It provides Financial Strength Ratings and Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings that assess insurers' ability to meet policyholder obligations, supported by proprietary methodologies such as Best's Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR). The company also publishes market segment reports, impairment rate and rating transition studies, and analytical briefings for insurance market participants worldwide.
When was A. M. Best founded?
A. M. Best was founded in 1899. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is A. M. Best based?
A. M. Best is headquartered in Oldwick, United States, in the North America region.
How does A. M. Best make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Credit Rating Services for Insurance Companies are the primary driver. The others are industry Research and Market Intelligence.
Who are A. M. Best's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Demotech, Egan-Jones Ratings and Weiss Ratings. Broad incumbents are S&P Global Ratings, Moody's Ratings, Fitch Ratings, KBRA and DBRS Morningstar. Others are Verisk Analytics and J.D. Power.
Does A. M. Best have an API?
No public API is recorded for A. M. Best.
What industry is A. M. Best in?
A. M. Best's product category is Insurance Credit Rating Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAEAHAF, Purchase Price Allocation (PPA) & Intangible Asset Valuation. Its NAICS code is 561450.