BSX issues advisory to Solar Ent. and Long Botham Boats shareholders

The Bermuda Stock Exchange (BSX) today announced that the Common Shares of Solar Enterprises Ltd. and Long Botham Boats Company Ltd. are now 'depository eligible' for the Bermuda Securities Depository (BSD).

This means that effective immediately, anyone holding SOLAR and LBB shares may enter their holdings into the BSD through a BSD participant. BSD participants include, BSX Trading Members, Banks, Custodians and other providers of nominee account services.

As of yesterday only SOLAR and LBB Shares that have been entered into the BSD system will be available for trading on the BSX. This means that anyone wishing to sell SOLAR and LBB Shares on or after this date will be required to deposit those shares into the BSD before initiating a sell order.

ACE 1st Quarter earnings to be webcast

Bermuda insurance giant ACE Ltd. yesterday announced it will hold its first quarter earnings conference call on Wednesday, April 28, 2004, beginning at 9.30 am Bermuda time.

ACE said it expects to issue its first quarter earnings release and financial supplement after 6.00 pm Bermuda time, or after close of trade, on Tuesday, April 27.

The earnings conference call will be available via live and archived webcast at www.acelimited.com or by dialling 1-973-582-2745. A replay of the call will be available until Wednesday, May 12, 2004. To listen to the replay dial: 1-877-519-4471 (in the United States) or 1-973-341-3080 (internationally); passcode 4664925.

A.M. Best rates Top Layer Re as A+

A.M. Best Co has awarded the financial strength rating of "A+" (Superior) of Top Layer Reinsurance Ltd. (Bermuda) with a stable outlook. Saying the rating stems from the "amount of support the company receives from its co-owners" and that since inception in 1999, Top Layer Re had generated "outstanding operating results".

AM Best said those results were a product of "the property catastrophe underwriting expertise of RenaissanceRe, combined with the lack of catastrophes significant enough to impact the programs written in the company's core markets".

State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (currently rated "A++" or Superior) and Renaissance Reinsurance Ltd. (currently rated "A+" Superior) are Top Layer's two co-owners.

The company underwrites only high excess layers of non-U.S. property catastrophe risks on a global basis.

Endurance Specialty to issue results on April 26

Endurance Specialty Holdings Ltd., a Bermuda-based provider of property and casualty insurance and reinsurance, announced that it will issue its financial results for the period ended March 31, 2004 on Monday, April 26, 2004 after the close of the financial markets.

On Tuesday, April 27, 2004, Kenneth LeStrange, Chairman, president and CEO, Steven Carlsen, President, Endurance Services Ltd.and James Kroner, chief financial officer will host a conference call at 9.30am to discuss the financial results. The conference call can be accessed via telephone by dialing (800) 289-0730 (toll-free) or (913) 981-5509 (international).

A telephone replay of the conference call will be available through May 11, 2004 by dialing (888) 203-1112 (toll-free) or (719) 457-0820 (international) and entering the pass code: 416060. The public may access a live broadcast of the conference call at the "Investors" section of Endurance's website, www.endurance.bm

HSBC says Household's Dave Schoenholz will retire

(Bloomberg) HSBC Holdings Plc., the world's second- largest bank by market value, said Dave Schoenholz, chief operating officer of its US-based Household International Inc. unit, will retire.

Schoenholz, who was 52 at the end of 2003, has worked at Household since 1985, according to London-based HSBC's annual report. He will leave the company at the end of April, Prospect Heights, Illinois-based Household said in a statement on PRNewswire. He was named chief operating officer in July 2002 and a group general manager of HSBC in October.

HSBC last year paid $15.5 billion for Household to gain more than 50 million customers in the US. "Most of his time spent in the last year was ensuring the smooth integration of Household and that work is mostly done," said Linda Stryker-Luftig, a spokeswoman for Household. "He felt this was the opportune time to retire."