First Marine is a provider of various watercraft coverages and was purchased byAmerican Modern Home Insurance Company (Cincinnati, OH)in 2008. The ratings ofFirst Marine reflect its participation as a new member of American Modern`sinter-company pooling agreement A.M. Best also has affirmed the FSR of A- (Excellent) and ICR of "a-" ofAmerican Modern Life Insurance Company (American Modern Life) (Cincinnati, OH)and the FSR of B++ (Good) and ICR "bbb" of Southern Pioneer Life InsuranceCompany (Trumann, AR) The outlook for these ratings is stable. These ratings are based on the life companies` strong risk-adjustedcapitalization and the support of their holding company, American Modern. Partially offsetting these factors are the companies` modest earningsperformance, their relatively small contributions to the parent organization anda susceptibility to further erosion of direct premiums written due to theeconomic environment and decline in lending. Best Company is a global full-service credit ratingorganization dedicated to serving the financial and health care serviceindustries, including insurance companies, banks, hospitals and health caresystem providers. For more information, visit A.M Best CompanyAnalysts:Raymond Thomson, 908-439-2200, ext.
orJeffrey Mango, CPA, 908-439-2200, ext. orPublic Relations:Jim Peavy, 908-439-2200, ext. orRachelle Morrow, 908-439-2200, ext. Copyright Business Wire 2009. * Wall Street down as bank, energy shares fall * Dollar up on global economic prospect worries NEW YORK, May 15 (Reuters) - U.S.
crude oil futures endedalmost 4 percent lower on Friday amid demand worries followinga pullback on Wall Street and as the dollar's safe-haven betsrose on fears that a global economic recovery may be far off. This week, lower oil demand forecasts from OPEC, theInternational Energy Agency and U.S. Energy InformationAdministration have caused crude oil to drop from the six-monthhigh just above $60 hit on Tuesday. "The crude oil market continues to bob within its recentrange, with traders keeping a close eye on global equitymarkets," said Tim Evans, energy analyst at Citi FuturesPerspective in New York. NYMEX front-month June crude contract was also underselling pressure as it is expiring on Tuesday, traders said Preweekend profit-taking also hit refined product futures. Gasoline dropped after the front-month June contract hit aseven-month high on Thursday. Heating oil futures led the day's losers, percentage-wise,after government data on Wednesday showed a rise in distillateinventories, which include heating oil and diesel.
Gasoline futures stumbled after the front-month RBOB Junecontract hit a seven-month high on Thursday. PRICES * On the New York Mercantile Exchange, June crude CLM9settled down $2.28, or 3.89 percent, at $56.34 a barrel,trading from $56.07 to $58.88 From a week ago, prices are down$2.29, or 3.9 percent. For the year, prices are up $11.74 or26.3 percent from the Dec 31 settlement at $44.60. * In London, front-month July Brent crude LCON9 endeddown $2.61, or 4.45 percent, at $55.98 a barrel, trading from$55.85 to $58.91.