received the strongest financial strength ratings within the Lloyd's syndicate.

Moody's Investors Service assigned an Aa2 (excellent) rating to ACE Global Markets, who within the Lloyds syndicate have a capacity of $1 billion.

The news is carried in the latest edition of Insurance Day.

Ironically Lloyd's heavily criticised Moody's method of assigning syndicate ratings, earlier this summer.

And Lloyds even after learning the results, said it stood by it's original gripe.

Managing director of Lloyd's Market Risk Unit, Roger Selleck, had accused Moody's of failing to grasp the essential nature of Lloyd's. He had advised brokers and clients to concentrate on the ratings handed out by Standard & Poor's and AM Best.

John Charman, chief executive of ACE Global Markets said the company "fully support the move by independent agencies to rate independent syndicates within the Lloyd's market''.

He said the ratings emphasised "the mutual security and regulatory regime of Lloyd's which plays such an important part in attracting business into the market.''