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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

Annual Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(D) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2003

Commission File Number 000-33047

MAX RE CAPITAL LTD.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Max Re House

2 Front Street

Hamilton, HM 11

Bermuda

(Address of principal executive offices)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (441) 296-8800

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

Common Shares, Par Value $1.00 per share (the “Common Shares”)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports); and (2) has been subject to the filing requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes  x    No  ¨

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.  ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).    Yes  x    No  ¨

The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of June 30, 2003 was $349,421,480, based on the closing price of the registrant’s common shares on June 30, 2003, the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter. Solely for the purpose of this calculation and for no other purpose, the non-affiliates of the registrant are assumed to be all shareholders of the registrant other than (i) directors of the registrant, (ii) executive officers of the registrant who are identified as “named executive officers” pursuant to Item 11 of this Form 10-K, (iii) any shareholder that beneficially owns 10% or more of the registrant’s common shares and (iv) any shareholder that has one or more of its affiliates on the registrant’s board of directors. Such exclusion is not intended, nor shall it be deemed, to be an admission that such persons are affiliates of the registrant.

The number of shares of the registrant’s common shares outstanding as of February 27, 2004 was $45,780,111.

Documents incorporated by reference:

Portions of the proxy statement for the registrant’s annual meeting of shareholders to be held on April 29, 2004, to be filed subsequently with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Regulation 14A, are incorporated by reference in Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

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PART I

References in this Annual Report on Form 10-K to Max Re Capital or the Company refer to Max Re Capital Ltd., a Bermuda company, and, unless the context otherwise requires or is otherwise as expressly stated, its direct and indirect subsidiaries, Max Re Ltd., a Bermuda company licensed under the laws of Bermuda as a Class 4 insurer and long-term insurer (“Max Re”), Max Europe Holdings Limited (“Max Europe Holdings”) and its wholly owned operating subsidiaries Max Re Europe Limited (“Max Re Europe”) and Max Insurance Europe Limited (“Max Insurance Europe”), each incorporated and operated in Dublin, Ireland (collectively referred to as “Max Europe”), Max Re Diversified Strategies Ltd., a Bermuda company that invests in entities that pursue alternative investment strategies (“Max Re Diversified”), and Max Re Managers Ltd., a Bermuda company licensed under the laws of Bermuda as an insurance manager (“Max Re Managers”).

Safe Harbor Disclosure

This Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The Company intends that the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 apply to these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not statements of historical fact but rather reflect the Company’s current expectations, estimates and predictions about future results and events. These statements may use words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “predict,” “project” and similar expressions as they relate to the Company or the Company’s management. When the Company makes forward-looking statements, it is basing them on management’s beliefs and assumptions, using information currently available to it. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Factors that could cause such forward-looking statements not to be realized (which are described in more detail elsewhere herein and in documents filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission) include, without limitation, acceptance in the market of the Company’s products, general economic conditions and conditions specific to the reinsurance and insurance markets in which the Company operates, pricing competition, the amount of underwriting capacity from time to time in the market, material fluctuations in interest rate levels, tax and regulatory changes and conditions, rating agency policies and practices, claims development and loss of key executives. Other factors such as changes in U.S. and global financial and equity markets resulting from general economic conditions, market disruptions and significant interest rate fluctuations may adversely impact the Company’s investments or impede the Company’s access to, or increase the cost of, financing its operations. The Company cautions that the foregoing list of important factors is not intended to be, and is not, exhaustive. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. If one or more of these or other risks or uncertainties materialize, or if the Company’s underlying assumptions prove to be incorrect, actual results may vary materially from what the Company projected. Any forward-looking statements in this Form 10-K reflect the Company’s current views with respect to future events and are subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to the Company’s operations, results of operations, growth strategy and liquidity. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or individuals acting on the Company’s behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by this paragraph.

General Description

Max Re Capital is a holding company formed in July 1999 under the laws of Bermuda. The Company commenced operations in January 2000. Through its subsidiaries Max Re, Max Re Europe and Max Insurance Europe, the Company provides multi-line reinsurance and insurance products. Max Re Managers provides reinsurance underwriting and administrative services on a fee basis. Max Re Diversified holds all of the Company’s alternative investments, other than reinsurance private equity investments that are held by Max Re. Max Europe Holdings is the holding company for the Company’s European operating subsidiaries and was formed in June 2003 under the laws of Ireland.

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In December 1999, the Company raised gross proceeds of $331 million from an initial private placement of its Common Shares and non-voting common shares of Max Re, par value $1.00 per share. In March 2000, the Company completed a second private placement of the Common Shares which raised an additional $180 million of gross proceeds. The Company used substantially all of the net proceeds of these offerings to capitalize its reinsurance operations.

On August 14, 2001, the Company raised gross proceeds of $192 million in its initial public offering of Common Shares. Total proceeds received, net of underwriting discounts and commissions, were $179.5 million. Substantially all of the net proceeds were contributed to Max Re in support of its reinsurance operations. The Company’s Common Shares are listed on the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol MXRE and the Bermuda Stock Exchange under the symbol MXRE BH.

On July 30, 2003, the holders of non-voting common shares of Max Re and warrants to acquire non-voting common shares of Max Re exchanged such shares and warrants for Common Shares and warrants to acquire Common Shares. The effect of this exchange resulted in the elimination of minority interest and increase in shareholders’ equity of equal amounts as of the date of the exchange.

Business Segments

The Company operates in the reinsurance and insurance business serving two segments: the property and casualty segment and the life and annuity segment, which includes disability products. The table below sets forth the Company’s gross premiums written by type of risk for the years ended December 31, 2003, 2002 and 2001. Additional information about the Company’s business segments is set forth in Note 16 to the audited consolidated financial statements of the Company included herein.

Segment Analysis of Gross Premiums Written

Gross premiums written, by type of risk assumed, for the years ended December 31, 2003, 2002 and 2001 was as follows:

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The majority of the Company’s clients are insurers, reinsurers and companies located in the United States. Calculated based on the location of the cedent, the Company derived approximately 62.9%, 63.7% and 72.4%, of gross premiums written for the years ended December 31, 2003, 2002 and 2001, respectively, from cedents located in the United States. The Company sources business throughout Europe, which represented approximately 37.1%, 36.3% and 27.6%, of gross premiums written for the years ended December 31, 2003, 2002 and 2001, respectively.

For the years ended December 31, 2003, 2002, and 2001, the Company derived approximately 89.3%, 97.7% and 69.9%, respectively, of its gross premiums written from property and casualty products and 10.7%, 2.3% and 30.1%, respectively, from life and annuity products. Due to continual changes in industry and global economic cycles, the Company anticipates that the percentages of premiums written will fluctuate regularly between its property and casualty products and life and annuity products.

Description of Business

The Company is a Bermuda-based provider of reinsurance and insurance products for both the property and casualty and life and annuity, including disability, markets. To manage its reinsurance and insurance liability exposure, structure its investment portfolio and assess overall risk, the Company models its underwriting and investments on an integrated basis.

The Company’s integrated risk management and the cash flow characteristics of the Company’s products allow the Company to invest a portion of its assets in alternative investments, in addition to high grade fixed maturities investments.

Property and Casualty

Reinsurance Products

The Company offers structured risk transfer, alternative risk transfer and traditional reinsurance products, as well as insurance products, in the property and casualty market. The Company often customizes its reinsurance products in an effort to satisfy particular client needs. The structured risk transfer and alternative risk transfer reinsurance products that the Company offers have several features that differ from traditional reinsurance products. These features require the client to share in its own loss results. Features that the Company includes in its structured risk transfer and alternative risk transfer reinsurance products include: (i) premium refunds if the losses the Company incurs under a reinsurance contract are more favorable than those projected at the time of execution of the reinsurance contract; (ii) loss sharing provisions that may require a client to share in a portion of its losses resulting from ceded risks; (iii) additional premium amounts if the Company incurs losses under the reinsurance contracts that are less favorable than those projected at the time of execution of the reinsurance contract; and (iv) underwriting terms that limit the Company’s maximum aggregate exposure. Structured risk transfer and alternative risk transfer products are distinguished from each other based on the amount of risk transferred to the Company, with alternative risk transfer products transferring more risk to the Company.

The Company’s traditional reinsurance products do not typically include certain features described above and, accordingly, they expose the Company to greater reinsurance loss than the structured or alternative risk transfer products. Generally, the Company’s traditional reinsurance products are written on market terms with participation by other reinsurers.

The Company’s primary focus is on the casualty classes, such as whole account, workers’ compensation, general liability, professional liability, accident and health and medical malpractice with a lesser focus on aviation and marine, property and homeowners. Whole account coverage provides integrated liability coverage across a client’s multi-line portfolio of risk and may include some or all of the classes above.

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The Company typically writes its property and casualty reinsurance products in the form of treaty reinsurance contracts, which are contractual arrangements that provide for automatic reinsuring of a type or category of risk underwritten by the Company’s clients. With treaty reinsurance contracts, the Company does not evaluate separately each of the individual risks assumed under the contracts and is largely dependent on the individual underwriting decisions made by the ceding client. Accordingly, the Company carefully reviews and analyzes the ceding client’s risk management and underwriting practices in deciding whether to provide treaty reinsurance and in appropriately pricing the treaty.

The Company’s property and casualty reinsurance contracts are written on either a quota share, also known as proportional or pro rata, basis or on an excess of loss basis. With respect to quota share reinsurance, the Company shares the premiums as well as the losses and expenses in an agreed proportion with the ceding client. With respect to excess of loss reinsurance, the Company indemnifies the ceding client against all or a specified portion of losses and expenses in excess of a specified dollar or percentage amount. In both types of contracts, the Company may provide a ceding commission to the client.

Insurance Products

In the first quarter of 2003, the Company began offering excess liability and professional lines insurance products, primarily to Fortune 1000 clients. The excess liability products are excess umbrella liability, excess product liability, excess medical malpractice and excess product recall. The professional lines products offered are directors and officers, errors and ommissions and employment practices liability. The products offered by the Company are underwritten in Bermuda and Ireland.

The products noted above are underwritten by the Company on an individual risk basis, which in many cases includes a face to face meeting with the client in Bermuda or Ireland. Excess Liability and Professional Liability premiums accounted for approximately equal shares of the gross premium written for traditional insurance products for the year ending December 31, 2003. The Company also offers alternative risk transfer insurance products with alternative risk transfer features to its clients.

Reinsurance and Insurance Premium Activity

For the years ended December 31, 2003, 2002 and 2001, $302.3 million, $275.5 million and $94.1 million, or 33.5%, 43.5% and 19.0%, respectively, of gross premiums written were written on a quota share basis and $599.2 million, $357.2 million and $402.4 million, or 66.5%, 56.5% and 81.0%, respectively, were written on an excess of loss basis.

Life and Annuity

The Company’s life and annuity reinsurance products focus on existing blocks of business. They typically take the form of co-insurance structures, where generally the risk is reinsured on the same basis as that of the original policy. In a co-insurance transaction, the Company receives a percentage of the gross premium charged to the policyholder by the client less an expense allowance that the Company grants to the client, as the primary insurer. By transferring liabilities and the related assets to the Company in these co-insurance transactions, the Company seeks to allow its life and annuity clients to achieve capital relief and improved returns on equity.

The life and annuity risks the Company underwrites include mortality and investment risks and, to a lesser extent, early surrender and lapse risks. The disability products the Company underwrites include morbidity risk and, to a lesser extent, early surrender and lapse risks. Mortality risk measures the sensitivity of the insurance company’s liability to higher mortality rates than were assumed in setting the premium. Morbidity risk measures the sensitivity of the insurance company’s liability for higher illness, sickness and disease rates than were assumed in setting the premium. Early surrender and lapse risks measure the sensitivity of the insurance company’s liability to early or changing policy surrender distributions. Life reinsurance is often written on a

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yearly renewable term basis, where the predominant risk is the mortality of the insured population. However, the Company’s co-insurance structures typically involve a certain level of investment risk, with the Company reinsuring a percentage of the ceding clients’ investment risk.

The Company seeks to write life and annuity reinsurance agreements with respect to individual and group disability, whole life, universal life, variable life, corporate owned life, term life, fixed annuities, variable annuities and structured settlements.

Pricing of the Company’s life and annuity reinsurance products is based on actuarial models that incorporate a number of factors, including assumptions for mortality, morbidity, expenses, demographics, persistency, investment returns, certain macroeconomic factors, such as inflation, and certain regulatory factors, such as taxation and minimum surplus requirements for all products.

Underwriting and Risk Management

The Company attempts to manage its underwriting exposures by diversifying across many underlying insureds with small policy limits per insured. The Company’s largest underlying exposure in the property and casualty reinsurance business is workers’ compensation, (including reinsurance written as such and workers’ compensation exposure embedded in other types of contracts such as whole account), which has attractive features of payments over many years and low statutorily defined cash payout amounts. The exposure in the Company’s property and casualty traditional insurance business is allocated approximately evenly between general liability and professional liability business. With its life reinsurance products, the Company’s focus is on reinsuring blocks of business having small underlying policy limits spread across a large population of insureds and avoids high policy limit exposures.

The Company seeks to reduce the volatility transmitted from underlying risks assumed through its written business by setting and maintaining overall aggregate limits on liabilities, sub-limits on liabilities, attachment points for liabilities and contract terms providing for additional premium where losses are worse than expected.

The Company manages its overall risk by attempting to manage the volatility of its asset mix in the context of its liabilities. The Company believes that its portfolio of underwriting risks benefits from diversification and complements its investment strategy. The Company accesses the retrocession and capital markets to transfer risk to other parties when competitive advantages permit them to assume a risk for a lower price. The Company also manages the amount of leverage that it employs on the liability side of its business based upon continual assessment of the risks and opportunities in the capital and underwriting markets.

The Company uses a series of proprietary and non-proprietary actuarial and financial models in an effort to analyze the underlying risk characteristics of its liabilities and assets. The Company conducts both transaction-by-transaction modeling as well as portfolio aggregation modeling. The Company then analyzes these modeling efforts on an integrated basis in an effort to determine the aggregation of its underwriting risks and investment risks and the ultimate impact adverse events might have on the Company’s surplus.

The Company utilizes dynamic financial analysis to examine the possible effects of future variables, such as the effect of inflation on the cost of losses, using multiple scenarios to predict the range of outcomes and prices of its products. In addition, the Company attempts to manage capital adequacy by incorporating value at risk and risk based capital analyses into its modeling. Through the use of dynamic financial analysis, the Company seeks to measure adequately the financial risk inherent in each transaction and the portfolio overall, and the potential for adverse scenarios producing projected losses and potential negative cash flow. Additionally, by employing a risk based capital analysis, rather than using premium income as a measure of risk, the Company is able to obtain an estimate of the amount of capital to be allocated to each transaction and its portfolio of liabilities. The Company believes that its analysis of loss payment patterns enables it to generate meaningful projections of the total and interim cash flows of its liability portfolios. The Company then uses the projections to determine the

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profile of liquidity and investment returns required of its investment portfolio. The Company believes that this integrated approach allows it to optimize the use of its capital by providing a dynamic measurement of risk and return to evaluate competing reinsurance, insurance and investment opportunities.

Due Diligence

The Company performs a significant amount of due diligence on every material transaction that it considers underwriting, and performs regular monitoring and periodic due diligence on the transactions that it completes. Generally, the Company complements its internal skills with reputable third party resources. Third party actuaries, attorneys, claim adjusters and other professionals perform on-site client due diligence on the Company’s behalf and assist the Company in modeling transactions and contract documentation.

Retrocessional and Balance Sheet Protections

As part of the underwriting process, the Company reinsures, or retrocedes, portions of certain risks for which it has accepted liability. In these transactions, the Company cedes to another reinsurer, called the retrocessionaire, all or part of the reinsurance risk that the Company has assumed. However, these arrangements do not legally discharge the Company from its liability with respect to the obligations it has reinsured.

The Company utilizes retrocessional arrangements, such as quota share reinsurance, excess of loss reinsurance and stop-loss contracts that are available in the retrocessional market as a means to manage risk on the products it writes. In quota share reinsurance arrangements, the retrocessionaire shares a proportional part of the Company’s premiums and losses associated with the risks being reinsured, while in excess of loss reinsurance and stop-loss contracts, the retrocessionaire agrees to cover all losses in excess of the amount of risk the Company has retained, subject to negotiated limits. The Company’s strategy includes purchasing reinsurance to limit losses on a single risk or transaction, or on a whole portfolio basis, as the need arises.

The amount of risk the Company retains differs in each retrocession transaction it underwrites. The Company may retain higher amounts of net risk on transactions where it believes it can monitor outcomes with a high degree of accuracy or where larger blocks of business offer the Company the possibility of higher returns without retaining excessive risk. The Company’s underwriting policy is to retain a maximum net exposure of not more than 5% of its shareholders’ equity for any individual contract it writes.

The Company prefers to cede risk to a retrocessionaire on a funds withheld basis. Retroceding risk on this basis allows the Company to cede risk while retaining collateral for its retrocessionaire’s obligation. Since the Company is liable with respect to the reinsurance that it cedes in the event that a retrocessionaire is unable to meet its obligations assumed under a retrocession agreement, the financial strength of each retrocessionaire is evaluated and monitored. Two retrocessionaires accounted for 61.8% and 28.7% of the Company’s losses recoverable from reinsurers as of December 31, 2003. These retrocessionaires have a financial strength rating of “A-” and “A”, respectively by A.M. Best Company as of February 27, 2004. The Company retains funds from these two retrocessionaires to secure the obligations.

Reserves

To recognize liabilities for unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses and life and annuity benefits, the Company establishes reserves, which are balance sheet liabilities representing estimates of future amounts needed to pay losses and related expenses with respect to insured events that have occurred on or before the balance sheet date, including events that have occurred but have not been reported by the ceding client. The adequacy of the Company’s reserves is reviewed annually by outside actuaries to support management’s estimates. Future losses and policy benefits constitute the majority of the Company’s financial obligations.

Reserves do not represent an exact calculation of liability. Rather, reserves represent an estimate of what the Company expects the ultimate settlement and claim administration will cost. While the methods for establishing

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the reserves are well tested over time, some of the major assumptions about anticipated loss emergence patterns are subject to unanticipated fluctuation. These estimates, which generally involve actuarial projections, are based upon the Company’s assessment of facts and circumstances then known, as well as estimates of future trends in claims severity and frequency, mortality, judicial theories of liability and other factors, including the actions of third parties, that are beyond the Company’s control.

Loss and loss adjustment expenses and life and annuity benefits, net of related reinsurance recoverables, are charged to income as incurred. Unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses represent the accumulation of case reserves, reserves for incurred but not reported losses and loss adjustment expenses.

Property and Casualty Reserve Process

The Company’s property and casualty reserves are compiled on a transaction-by-transaction basis and are computed on an undiscounted basis. The reserves include amounts for:

The Company establishes and reviews these reserves on a regular basis. The process for establishing reserves is based upon both internally generated actuarial analysis and models, and data provided by clients. The Company uses a variety of actuarial techniques and methods in estimating its ultimate liability for losses and loss expenses. These methods include paid loss development, incurred loss development, paid and incurred Bornhuetter-Ferguson methods and frequency and severity methods. This actuarial data is analyzed by line of business, coverage and accident or policy year, as appropriate. Industry loss experience is also used to supplement the Company’s own data in selecting “tail factors” and in areas where the Company’s own data is limited.

In the course of its ongoing reserve analysis, the Company reviews loss reports received from its clients to confirm that submitted claims are covered under the contract terms, establishes reserves on an individual client basis and takes into account industry loss activity and industry loss trends. Other factors considered by the Company in this process include historical data, legal developments, changes in social attitudes and economic conditions, including the effects of inflation. As additional experience and other data become available and are reviewed, these reserve estimates are revised. This process may result in increases or decreases to reserves for insured events of prior years. These adjustments are recorded in the period they are determined.

Life and Annuity Reserve Process

The Company’s life and annuity reserves are compiled on a transaction-by-transaction basis and are computed on a discounted basis. The Company establishes and reviews its life and annuity reserves on a regular basis. The process for establishing reserves is based upon cash flow projection models that utilize both internally generated actuarial analysis, and data provided by clients. The Company establishes and maintains reserves at a level that, when taken together with future interest earned on these reserves, will in the Company’s estimation be sufficient to support all the future cash flow benefit and third party servicing obligations as they become payable.

Since the development of the Company’s life and annuity reserves is based upon cash flow projection models, the Company must make estimates and assumptions regarding mortality, morbidity, lapse, expense and investment experience. The Company establishes such estimates based upon transaction specific historical experience, information provided by ceding companies and industry experience studies. Actual results could differ materially from these estimates. The Company monitors actual experience and, where circumstances warrant, will revise its assumptions and the related reserve estimates. These revisions are recorded in the period they are determined.

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Evaluation of Loss Reserves

The Company regularly reviews and updates its methods of determining estimates for reported and unreported losses and establishing resulting reserves and related reinsurance recoverables, and adjustments resulting from this review are reflected in income in the period such adjustments are determined. In connection with the process, the Company relies upon the basic assumption that past experience, adjusted for the effect of current developments and likely trends, is an appropriate basis for predicting future events. However, estimation of loss reserves is a difficult process, especially in view of changes in the legal environment that affect the development of loss reserves. Therefore, quantitative techniques frequently have to be supplemented by subjective considerations and managerial judgment.

During the loss settlement period, which can be many years in duration, additional facts regarding individual claims and trends usually become known. As these become apparent, it usually becomes necessary to refine and adjust the reserves upward or downward. Even then, the ultimate net liability may be less than or greater than the Company’s revised estimates.

The following table represents the development of balance sheet property and casualty reserves in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) since the Company’s commencement of operations on January 1, 2000 through December 31, 2003. This table does not present accident or policy year development data. The top line of the table shows the reserves, net of reinsurance recoverables, at the balance sheet date for each of the indicated years. This represents the estimated amount of net claims and claim expenses arising in the current year and all prior years that are unpaid at the balance sheet date, including IBNR reserves. The table also shows the reestimated amount of the previously recorded reserves as adjusted for new information received as of the end of each succeeding year. The estimate changes as more information becomes known about the frequency and severity of claims for individual years. The “net cumulative redundancy (deficiency)” represents the aggregate change to date from the original estimate on the top line of the table. The table also shows the cumulative net paid amounts as of successive years with respect to the net reserve liability.

Adverse development on two whole account stop loss covers written in 2000 principally account for the deterioration of the reserve balances at December 31, 2000 and December 31, 2001, respectively. The contracts have workers compensation as the principal underlying risk, where losses incurred and settled by the underlying reinsured exceeded the Company’s estimates and consequently resulted in additional losses being recorded by the Company. The reserve for the first of these two contracts was increased by $11.2 million in the year ended December 31, 2001 but was subsequently reduced by $10.2 million at final commutation of the liability in 2002.

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The reserve for the second of these contracts was increased by $36.8 million in the year ended December 31, 2002 based on loss information received. Consequently, the reserve increase with respect to this contract affected both the 2000 and 2001 balance sheet reserve re-estimation in the table above. For this contract, the adverse loss development triggered additional premiums, net of acquisition costs and inclusive of interest on premiums, of $29.2 million to the Company. The contract was commuted in 2003 with no further loss development.

The Company structures a number of its contracts with features to reduce its overall loss exposure by requiring clients to pay additional premiums in the event of adverse loss activity. A summary of additional premiums relating to contracts where the loss development has triggered this type of premium together with the effect of those premiums on the net cumulative reserve redundancy (deficiency) is as follows:

For additional information on the Company’s reserves, including a reconciliation of losses and loss adjustment expense reserves for the years ended December 31, 2003, 2002 and 2001, please refer to Note 4 to the audited consolidated financial statements of the Company included herein.

Marketing

The Company believes that diversity in its sources of business reduces the potential adverse effect arising from the termination of any one of its business relationships. The Company’s marketing plan calls for the development of relationships with potential clients that the Company believes have a need for reinsurance or insurance, based on regulatory filings, industry knowledge and market trends. Given the nature of its business, the Company targets clients through broker markets, existing relationships and non-traditional marketing channels.

The Company uses independent professional brokers to market and obtain a majority of its property and casualty business. For the years ended December 31, 2003, 2002 and 2001, intermediaries and brokerage firms accounted for 84%, 80% and 71%, respectively, of gross premiums written. For the years ended December 31, 2003, 2002, and 2001, the top three producing intermediaries and brokerage firms accounted for 36%, 15% and 11%; 25%, 24% and 18%; and 26%, 16% and 11%, respectively, of gross premiums written.

In addition to using independent professional brokers, the Company and its employees attempt to capitalize on existing relationships with insurance and reinsurance companies, large global corporations and financial intermediaries to develop and underwrite business.

Overview of Investments

The Company seeks to earn a superior risk-adjusted total return on its assets by engaging in an investment strategy that combines fixed maturities investments and alternative investments that employ strategies to manage investment risk. The Company diversifies its portfolio to limit volatility and attempts to maintain adequate liquidity in its fixed maturities investments to fund operations and protect against unexpected events. The Company seeks to manage its credit risk through industry and issuer diversification and interest rate risk by monitoring the duration and structure of the investment portfolio relative to the duration and structure of the liability portfolio. The managers of the fixed maturities investments and alternative investments are selected by the Company’s board of directors (the “Board of Directors”), through its Finance and Investment Committee. The Board of Directors periodically reviews the investment guidelines in light of prevailing market conditions

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and amends them from time to time as it deems appropriate. Based on fair values at December 31, 2003, approximately 68.5% of the Company’s investment portfolio was invested in cash and fixed maturities and approximately 31.5% was invested in alternative investments. The Company intends to allocate between 50% and 80% of its investment portfolio in cash and fixed maturities securities and between 20% and 50% in alternative investments. However, this allocation can vary from the targeted amounts because of cash flow and market value variations at specific points in time.

Aggregate Portfolio Results

The following table shows the annual rate of return (1) of the Company’s cash and fixed maturities investments, alternative investments and aggregate investment portfolio for the years ended December 31, 2003, 2002 and 2001:

This annual rate of return information should not be relied upon as a representation of future results. Future results may vary and these variations may be significant.

Fixed Maturities Investments

Based on fair values at December 31, 2003, approximately 68.5% of the Company’s total investment portfolio was invested in cash and fixed maturities and was managed by General Re-New England Asset Management, Inc., Conning Asset Management and Asset Allocation and Management. The Company’s fixed maturities investments are comprised of liquid, high quality securities. At December 31, 2003, the fixed maturities investments had a dollar-weighted average rating of “AA+”, an average duration of approximately 3.88 years and an average book yield to maturity of 3.92%.

The investment strategy and guidelines for the Company’s fixed maturities investments emphasize diversification and preservation of principal. Under the current fixed maturities investment guidelines, the Company may not purchase a security for the portfolio unless it has a minimum rating of BAA3/BBB-, or its equivalent, from at least one nationally recognized statistical rating organization. In addition, a minimum weighted average credit quality rating of AA2/Aa, or its equivalent, must be maintained for the fixed maturities investment portfolio as a whole. The fixed maturities investment guidelines provide that the fixed maturities investments may not be leveraged.

The cash and fixed maturities investments provide liquidity for day-to-day operations. The Company believes that it is able to satisfy its foreseeable cash needs from its cash and fixed maturities investments. Accordingly, the Company believes that its cash and fixed maturities investment guidelines reduce the likelihood of having to liquidate any portion of the Company’s alternative investments to meet near term cash flow needs.

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Additional information about the Company’s fixed maturities investments can be found in Notes 2 and 3 to the audited consolidated financial statements of the Company included herein.

Alternative Investments

Based on fair values at December 31, 2003, approximately 31.5% of the Company’s investment portfolio was invested in alternative investments. Max Re Diversified holds all of the Company’s alternative investments other than reinsurance private equity investments that are held by Max Re. Moore Capital Management, LLC (“Moore Capital”) serves as fund of funds advisor for Max Re Diversified. As of December 31, 2003, Max Re Diversified was invested in approximately 45 underlying alternative investment funds that currently represent ten investment strategies. These strategies were selected because of their low correlation with the stock market, the bond market and each other. At December 31, 2003, the types of fund strategies in which Max Re Diversified had invested were Long/Short Equities, Convertible Arbitrage, Global Macro, Event Driven Arbitrage, Diversified Arbitrage, Fixed Income Arbitrage, Distressed Securities Investing, Emerging Markets, Commodities Trading and Opportunistic Investing. The Company’s alternative investment guidelines also provide that Max Re Diversified may be invested in Merger Arbitrage and Long/Short Credit.

The Company’s alternative investments are invested in accordance with investment guidelines, which may be amended from time to time by the Company’s Board of Directors. The alternative investment guidelines currently mandate, among other things:

Under the terms of the Company’s customer agreement and trading authorization contract with Moore Capital, Moore Capital may make discretionary investment determinations so long as those determinations comply with the Company’s alternative investment guidelines. Moore Capital did not receive fees as the fund of funds advisor for Max Re Diversified from the Company’s inception through 2002. However, effective January 1, 2003, Max Re Diversified began paying a management fee of 70 basis points plus an incentive fee of 7.5% of the return in excess of a 10% threshold on the net asset value of funds in which Max Re Diversified is invested and that are not managed directly by Moore Capital. At December 31, 2003, approximately $703.1 million, or 93.1%, of Max Re Diversified’s investments were in funds not managed directly by Moore Capital or its affiliates.

A summary of the underlying strategies in which the Company may invest its alternative investments is as follows:

Long/Short Equities. Funds that pursue a long/short strategy typically purchase common stock (go long) of companies in a particular sector with perceived strong fundamentals and sell common stock (go short) of companies in the same sector that are perceived to have deteriorating fundamentals. The strategy attempts to create investment returns through superior stock selection based upon fundamental analysis rather than create returns based simply upon an upward price direction of the overall stock market. While this strategy can profit from either positive or negative price trends in the overall stock market, most managers generally have a net long position and returns tend to benefit from upward movement in the stock market and be negatively affected by declines in the stock market. The securities purchased and sold in this strategy are generally common stocks of publicly traded companies.

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Convertible Arbitrage. Funds that pursue a convertible arbitrage strategy typically simultaneously make purchases of a convertible bond and a short sale of the underlying common stock, which results in an offsetting hedged position. This strategy generates returns from equity market volatility in either up or down directions. Income is also earned from the coupon interest payment on the convertible bond and from the short sale rebate, which is effectively interest paid on balances generated from the short sale of the underlying common stock. The principal risk of the strategy is a decline in the price of the convertible bond due to interest rate movements or credit quality changes that are not offset by an increase in the value of the corresponding common stock short position.

Global Macro. Funds that pursue a global macro strategy typically participate in directional trading of bonds, stocks and currencies in an attempt to take advantage of perceived changes in macroeconomic conditions. A global macro fund will typically buy or sell securities such as Treasury bills and government notes and bonds, corporate bonds, foreign currencies and common stocks of individual companies or futures contracts on stock indices such as the S&P 500^®. A global macro fund typically purchases both securities, such as common stocks or government bonds, as well as derivatives of such securities. Such derivatives would include futures and forward contracts as well as options. The principal risk of this strategy is that funds pursuing the strategy may incorrectly predict macroeconomic trends.

Event-Driven Arbitrage. Funds that pursue an event driven arbitrage strategy seek to achieve arbitrage profits by investing in securities of a company involved in a significant corporate event. Event driven arbitrage funds will typically employ merger arbitrage techniques along with additional arbitrage techniques for companies that are spinning off divisions, going through reorganizations or undergoing other significant corporate events.

Diversified Arbitrage. Funds classified as diversified arbitrage simultaneously pursue a variety of market neutral strategies such as convertible arbitrage and event driven arbitrage. By combining multiple skill sets within the same fund, these managers are able to allocate resources from one market neutral strategy to another in an effort to focus opportunistically on those strategies perceived to offer the greatest potential for returns in any given environment.

Fixed Income Arbitrage. Funds classified as fixed income arbitrage seek to make returns by arbitraging fixed income securities. Principal trading activities include making arbitrage trades based on aberrations in the yield curve, credit spreads or between sectors in the fixed maturity market, such as between mortgage backed securities and asset backed securities.

Distressed Securities Investing. Funds that pursue distressed investing purchase securities of companies experiencing financial stress. Typically, these companies are engaged in debt restructuring or subject to provisions of Federal bankruptcy laws.

Emerging Markets. Emerging market funds seek to generate returns by employing fundamental analysis of emerging market countries and investing in government and corporate securities of emerging market countries.

Commodities Trading. Commodities trading advisors seek to make returns by trading futures, options and other securities on the regulated commodities exchanges and over the counter.

Opportunistic Investing. The Company’s principal opportunistic investment is in a fund that focuses on investing in distressed loan portfolios in Japan. Such loans tend to be collateralized by real estate and are typically purchased for a small fraction of the original loan amount. This strategy involves analysis of the value of the real estate collateral underlying each loan. The fund then attempts to work out each of the individual loans for greater than its purchase price from the selling institution. The securities purchased in this strategy are normally private debt obligations for which there is no public market.

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Merger Arbitrage. Funds that pursue a merger arbitrage strategy typically simultaneously make purchases of common stock of a company being acquired or merged and execute a short sale of the common stock of the acquiring company.

Long/Short Credit. Funds that pursue a long/short credit strategy seek opportunities to invest primarily in high grade, high yield and distressed fixed maturity securities based on identification of imbalance in valuation and capital allocation across credit ratings, industry sectors and geographic regions.

In addition to funds held through Max Re Diversified, the Company’s alternative investments include private equity investments in reinsurance entities made by Max Re. Current investments include Grand Central Re Limited, a Bermuda multi-line property and casualty and life and annuity reinsurer (“Grand Central Re”), and DaVinci Re Holdings Ltd., and its operating subsidiary DaVinci Reinsurance Ltd., a Bermuda property catastrophe reinsurer.

As of December 31, 2003 and 2002, the Company’s alternative investments were allocated as follows:

The Company is able to liquidate the alternative investments held through Max Re Diversified on the same terms that the underlying funds can be liquidated. In general, the funds in which the alternative investments are invested require 30 days’ notice of liquidation, and may be liquidated on a monthly, quarterly or longer basis. In accordance with the alternative investment guidelines, a minimum of 85% of the alternative investment portfolio held through Max Re Diversified must be maintained in funds with monthly or quarterly liquidity. As of December 31, 2003, the liquidity profile of the alternative investments held through Max Re Diversified was:

Once a notice of withdrawal is given, the Company is subject to periods extending up to 60 days before the cash proceeds must be returned by an investment fund. Although the Company believes that its fixed maturities investments provides sufficient liquidity to satisfy the claims of its insureds and ceding clients, in the event that the Company were required to access assets invested in the alternative investments, its ability to do so may be impaired by these liquidity constraints.

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Additional information about the Company’s alternative investments can be found in Notes 2 and 3 to the audited consolidated financial statements of the Company included herein.

Competition

The reinsurance and insurance industry is highly competitive. Reinsurance and insurance companies compete on the basis of many factors, including premium charges, ability to structure innovative terms and conditions in product offerings, the general reputation and perceived financial strength of the reinsurer or insurer, relationships with reinsurance and insurance intermediaries, ratings assigned by independent rating agencies, speed of claims payment and administrative activities and experience in the particular risk to be underwritten.

The Company competes directly with numerous independent reinsurance companies, captive insurance companies, insurance companies, subsidiaries or affiliates of established insurance companies or newly formed companies, reinsurance departments of primary insurance companies and underwriting syndicates from countries throughout the world in the Company’s chosen product lines. Many of these competitors are well established, have significant operating histories and have developed longstanding customer relationships. Competitors that offer on a worldwide basis reinsurance and insurance products similar to products the Company offers include ACE Limited, American International Group, Inc., Berkshire Hathaway, Inc., Swiss Reinsurance Company and XL Capital Ltd., all of which are larger companies, have higher credit ratings and have greater credit capacity than the Company. Additionally, competitors such as Axis Capital Holdings Limited, Arch Capital Group Ltd., Endurance Specialty Insurance Ltd. and Platinum Underwriters Reinsurance, Inc. entered the market following the improvement in pricing levels and contract terms for property and casualty business, resulting primarily from the September 11, 2001 tragedy.

Ratings

Ratings are an important factor in establishing the competitive position of insurance and reinsurance companies and are important to the Company’s ability to market its products. Max Re is currently rated “A- (excellent)” by A.M. Best Company and “A (strong)” by Fitch, Inc. These ratings reflect each rating agency’s opinion of Max Re’s financial strength, operating performance and ability to meet obligations. They are not evaluations directed toward the protection of investors.

Administration

The Company provides most of its own management and administrative services, setting and administering its loss reserves and policy benefits. The Company’s underwriters, chief risk officer and actuaries assist the claims personnel in performing traditional claims tasks such as monitoring claims and reserving. The Company also engages third parties to administer claims on some of the business that the Company reinsures. In addition, the Company hires third party claims specialists from time to time to assist in evaluating loss exposure and establishing reserving practices and other claims-paying procedures when the Company writes business that is highly specialized. The Company self manages and administers the claim activity associated with its insurance operations, which commenced in January 2003. The Company utilizes both internal resources and external experts in the reserving and settlement of the insurance claims.

The Company, together with its clients, selects an independent third party claims administrator to administer the losses and benefit payments of the clients’ primary insureds that are covered on certain reinsurance transactions. The Company is responsible for the benefit payment expense charged by the third party administrators. The Company and its clients enter into contracts with long-term cancellation provisions with the third party administrators. If a third party administrator contract is terminated, the Company and the client would have to identify and contract with a substitute third party administrator.

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Regulation

Bermuda

The Insurance Act 1978, and amendments thereto and related regulations of Bermuda (the “Insurance Act”), regulates the reinsurance business of Max Re. In addition, the Insurance Act regulates the reinsurance management business of Max Re Managers. The Insurance Act imposes solvency and liquidity standards and auditing and reporting requirements and grants to the Bermuda Supervisor of Insurance powers to supervise, investigate and intervene in the affairs of Bermuda insurance and reinsurance companies. Max Re is required to prepare annual statutory financial statements, file an annual statutory financial return and have the statutory reserves actuarially certified. Max Re Diversified is subject to regulations under the Companies Act 1981 and the Investment Business Act 2003.

Max Re Capital, Max Re, Max Re Managers and Max Re Diversified are required to comply with the provisions of the Companies Act 1981 of Bermuda regulating the payment of dividends and making distributions from contributed surplus.

Ireland

Max Insurance Europe and Max Re Europe are subject to regulation by the Irish Financial Services Regulatory Authority (IFSRA) under the Irish Insurance Acts 1909 to 2000, regulations promulgated under those Acts, regulations relating to insurance business promulgated under the European Communities Act 1972, directions issued under those regulations and guidelines issued by IFSRA (collectively, the “Insurance Acts and Regulations”).

Max Insurance Europe is required to maintain statutory reserves in respect of underwriting liabilities and a solvency margin as provided for in the Insurance Acts and Regulations. Assets constituting statutory reserves must comply with admissibility, diversification, localization and currency matching rules, and statutory reserves must be actuarially certified annually.

United States and Other Jurisdictions

The Company is currently not licensed or admitted as an insurer in any jurisdiction except Bermuda and Ireland. The insurance laws of each state in the United States and of many other jurisdictions regulate the sale of insurance and reinsurance within their jurisdiction by insurers, such as Max Re, which are not licensed or admitted to do business within such jurisdictions. The Company conducts its business through its Bermuda and Dublin offices and does not intend to conduct any activities that may constitute the transaction of the business of insurance in any jurisdiction in which it is not licensed or otherwise authorized to engage in such activities.

In addition to the regulatory requirements imposed by the jurisdictions in which a reinsurer is licensed, a reinsurer’s business operations are affected by regulatory requirements governing credit for reinsurance in other jurisdictions in which its ceding companies are located. In general, a ceding company that obtains reinsurance from a reinsurer that is licensed, accredited or approved by the jurisdiction in which the ceding company files statutory financial statements is permitted to reflect in its statutory financial statements a credit in an aggregate amount equal to the liability for unearned premiums and loss reserves and loss expense reserves ceded to the reinsurer. Many jurisdictions also permit ceding companies to take credit on their statutory financial statements for reinsurance obtained from unlicensed or nonadmitted reinsurers if certain prescribed security arrangements are made. Because Max Re is not licensed, accredited or approved in any jurisdiction except Bermuda and Ireland, in certain instances the Company’s reinsurance customers require it to obtain a letter of credit or enter into other security arrangements.

Employees

As of December 31, 2003, the Company had 55 employees.

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Available Information

The Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and all amendments to those reports and the Proxy Statement for its Annual General Meeting of Shareholders are made available, free of charge, on its web site, http://www.maxre.bm, as soon as reasonably practicable after such reports have been filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The Company leases office space in Hamilton, Bermuda and Dublin, Ireland, the locations in which it operates. The Company leases office space on a long-term basis in Bermuda, which the Company believes will be adequate for anticipated future operations. The lease in Ireland is currently on a month-to-month basis. Although sufficient to conduct current operations, the Company is seeking to lease replacement space in Dublin, Ireland on a long-term basis to support future operations.

At December 31, 2003, the Company was not a party to any material litigation or arbitration. The Company anticipates that it may become subject to litigation and arbitration from time to time in the ordinary course of business.

No matters were submitted to a vote of shareholders during the fourth quarter of the fiscal year ended December 31, 2003.

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PART II

(A) Market Information

The Company’s Common Shares began trading on the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol MXRE on August 14, 2001. Prior to that time, there was no trading market for the Common Shares. The following table sets forth for the periods indicated the high and low closing sale price of the Common Shares on the Nasdaq National Market.

The Common Shares began trading on the Bermuda Stock Exchange (“BSX”), under the symbol MXRE BH on December 17, 2001. For the period December 18, 2001 through June 18, 2002, the last day a closing price was reported by the BSX, the high and low price of the Common Shares on the BSX was $15.50 and $13.70, respectively.

(B) Holders

As of February 27, 2004, the number of holders of record of the Common Shares was approximately 133.

(C) Dividends

The Company began paying a quarterly cash dividend of $0.02 per Common Share ($0.08 annually) in the fourth quarter of 2001. Prior to that time, the Company had not declared or paid any dividends on its Common Shares. In the fourth quarter of 2003 the Company paid a cash dividend of $0.03 per Common Share. Any determination to pay cash dividends is at the discretion of the Board of Directors and is dependent upon the results of operations and cash flows, the financial position and capital requirements, general business conditions, legal, tax, regulatory and any contractual restrictions on the payment of dividends and other factors the Board of Directors deems relevant.

The Company’s ability to pay dividends depends, in part, on the ability of its subsidiaries to pay dividends to it. Max Re is subject to Bermuda regulatory constraints that affect its ability to pay dividends to the Company. Under the Insurance Act, Max Re must maintain a minimum solvency margin and minimum liquidity ratio and is prohibited from declaring or paying dividends if it does not comply or such action would result in noncompliance with the Insurance Act. In addition, as a long-term insurer Max Re must maintain long-term business assets of a value of at least $250,000 greater than its long-term business liabilities and is prohibited from declaring or paying dividends unless the value of its long-term business assets exceeds the amount of its long-term business liabilities, as certified by its approved actuary, by the amount of the dividend and at least $250,000. Additionally, the amounts of any such dividend shall not exceed the aggregate of that excess and other funds properly available for the payment of dividends, being funds arising out of its business, other than its long-term business.

Under the Bermuda Companies Act 1981, each of the Company, Max Re, Max Re Managers and Max Re Diversified may only declare or pay a dividend if, among other matters, there are reasonable grounds for believing that it is, or would after the payment be, able to pay its respective liabilities as they become due. Under the Insurance Acts and Regulations, each of Max Europe Holdings, Max Re Europe and Max Insurance Europe

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may only declare a dividend if, among other matters, such payment would not reduce its statutory surplus below the required minimum. Accordingly, the Company cannot assure shareholders that it will declare or pay dividends in the future. In addition, each of Max Re’s three letter of credit facilities prohibits Max Re from paying dividends at any time that it is in default under the respective facility, which will occur if the Company’s shareholders’ equity or Max Re’s shareholders’ equity is less than a specified amount as well as in certain other circumstances.

(D) Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans

Equity Compensation Plan Information

The following table provides information as of December 31, 2003 about the Company’s Common Shares that may be issued upon the exercise of options, warrants and rights granted to employees, consultants or members of the Board of Directors under all of the Company’s existing equity compensation plans, including the Incentive Plan, each as amended.

(E) Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers

There were no purchases of Common Shares by the Company or affiliated purchasers during the three months ended December 31, 2003.

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The following table of selected financial data should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements of the Company and the notes thereto and with “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” each contained herein.

The following is a discussion and analysis of the Company’s results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2003 compared to the year ended December 31, 2002, and for the year ended December 31, 2002 compared to the year ended December 31, 2001 and also a discussion of the Company’s financial condition as of December 31, 2003. This discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and related notes that are included in this Annual Report.

Overview

The Company is a Bermuda-based provider of reinsurance and insurance products for both the property and casualty and the life and annuity markets. In the past two years, the property and casualty market has presented more opportunities to the Company than the life and annuity market due to a shortage of reinsurance capacity in the property and casualty market, resulting in improvement in premium rates. Further, a weak global economy and corrections in the global capital markets over the last several years have resulted in a wider pricing gap between buyers and sellers for the type of life and annuity reinsurance products that the Company offers. The Company anticipates continuing greater demand for its property and casualty products than for its life and annuity products for the foreseeable future.

To manage reinsurance and insurance liability exposure, make investment decisions and assess overall enterprise risk, the Company models its underwriting and investing activities on an integrated basis. The

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Company’s integrated risk management, as well as features of its products, provides flexibility in making decisions regarding investments. The Company’s investments are currently comprised of a high grade fixed maturities portfolio and an alternative investment portfolio that currently employs ten strategies invested in approximately 45 underlying trading entities designed to provide diversification and to generate positive returns while attempting to reduce the frequency and severity of loss outcomes. The alternative investment portfolio also includes two strategic reinsurance private equity investments. Based on fair value at December 31, 2003, the allocation of invested assets was approximately 68.5% in cash and fixed maturities and 31.5% in alternative investments.

The Company’s principal operating subsidiary is Max Re. At December 31, 2003, Max Re had $793.2 million of shareholders’ equity. The Company conducts its European activities through Max Europe Holdings and its operating subsidiaries, Max Re Europe and Max Insurance Europe. The Company also provides reinsurance underwriting and administrative services on a fee basis through Max Re Managers. The Company holds all of its alternative investments in Max Re Diversified, other than reinsurance private equity investments that are held by Max Re.

Executive Summary

The Company achieved a key objective of shifting its property and casualty product mix toward traditional reinsurance and insurance business during the year ended December 31, 2003. The strategy resulted in improved underwriting performance, which, coupled with strong investment performance, enabled the Company to generate increased net income. Implementation of the shift in product mix was realized through the hiring of a seasoned team of insurance underwriting professionals with proven track records. The Company believes these professionals bring underwriting talent, experience, discipline and market presence, which allowed the Company’s insurance operations to grow to over 16% of total gross premium written volume for the year ended December 31, 2003.

The Company also realized a diversification of its reinsurance underwriting business. The shift in underwriting focus and hiring of additional traditional reinsurance underwriting professionals, coupled with the introduction of insurance operations, enabled the Company to develop its professional liability, general liability, aviation and property underwriting capability and to expand into additional lines of business. Consequently, the Company believes its underwriting portfolio is more balanced and diversified than in previous years.

The Company experienced growth in premium revenue during the year ended December 31, 2003 with gross premium written of $1,009.8 million compared to $647.4 million in 2002. The increase of 56.0% reflects the Company’s strategic decision to shift its product mix toward traditional reinsurance and insurance products during the year. These markets are presenting additional underwriting opportunities to the Company at favorable pricing terms. Traditional reinsurance operations represent 31.6% of total volume, up from 21.3% in the prior year. The Company recognizes the potential for increased volatility in its loss ratio arising from the shift in product mix to traditional reinsurance and insurance business. The Company plans to manage this risk by selecting appropriate line sizes and underlying exposures to diversify its existing underwriting portfolio and to continue to purchase reinsurance protection to manage its risk.

The Company’s shift in product mix has resulted in improved underwriting performance in 2003. Loss ratios (losses, benefits and experience refunds as a percentage of net premiums earned) for the property and casualty business have declined from 83.3% in 2002 to 74.5% in 2003 and the combined ratio (total losses and expenses as a percentage of net premiums earned) has similarly declined from 111.2% in 2002 to 99.8% in 2003. Traditional reinsurance and insurance products are expected to generate lower loss and combined ratios than structured risk transfer products. In 2004, the Company expects to continue to increase the percentage of its gross premium written volume represented by traditional reinsurance and insurance operations.

Losses, benefits and experience refunds represent the largest expense to the Company and account for over 50% of total liabilities at December 31, 2003. The Company establishes loss expenses and reserves using a

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combination of loss reserving techniques and actuarial methods. Loss expenses and reserves are reviewed regularly to reflect new information received by the Company. The adequacy of the Company’s reserves is reviewed annually by outside actuaries to support management’s estimates. There was no significant adjustment to the Company’s reserves for the year ended December 31, 2003. An analysis of property and casualty loss development may be found in Note 4 to the audited consolidated financial statements, attached hereto.

The Company’s investments during the year ended December 31, 2003 produced a total return of 7.74% compared to 7.37% for the year ended December 31, 2002. The principal contributor to the investment performance during the year ended December 31, 2003, was the 16.57% rate of return generated on the Company’s alternative investments compared to a 5.24% rate of return in 2002. The Company currently invests in eleven strategies within its alternative investment portfolio, with all strategies showing positive rates of return during the year ended December 31, 2003. In 2003, the Company reallocated investments over a broader array of investment managers, to achieve diversification, to protect against concentrated exposure and to benefit from the proven track records of the new investment managers.

The Company continually assesses its liquidity needs by monitoring new business prospects and development of its existing operations. In 2003, the Company generated $451 million of cash from operations of which the Company invested $396 million in fixed maturities and alternative investments. The Company expects to continue to generate operating cash inflow in 2004 through profitable new business, which will be offset partially by paid losses on existing reinsurance and insurance obligations, as well as operating expenses.

Drivers of Profitability

Revenues

The Company derives revenues from three principal sources—premiums from reinsurance and insurance business, income from its investment portfolio and, to a lesser extent, management fees from underwriting services. Reinsurance and insurance premiums are a function of the amount and type of contracts written as well as prevailing market prices. Premiums are earned over the terms of the underlying contracts. Each of the Company’s reinsurance contracts contains unique pricing, terms and conditions and expected profit margins. Therefore, the amount of premiums is not necessarily an accurate indicator of the Company’s anticipated profitability.

The Company’s net investment income is a function of the average invested assets and the average yield that the Company earns on those invested assets. The investment yield on the Company’s fixed maturities investments is a function of market interest rates as well as the credit quality and maturity of its fixed maturities holdings. The Company realizes capital gains or losses on its fixed maturities investments as a result of changing market conditions, including, but not limited to, changes in market interest rates and changes in the market’s perception of the credit quality of the Company’s fixed maturities holdings. The Company’s net gains on alternative investments is a function of the success of the funds in which the Company is invested, which depends on, among other things, the underlying strategies of the funds, the ability of the fund managers to execute the fund strategies and general economic conditions, and the underlying operating results of the private equity reinsurance investments.

Expenses

The Company’s three principal expenses are losses, benefits and experience refunds, acquisition costs, and general and administrative expenses. Losses, benefits and experience refunds are based on the amount and type of reinsurance and insurance contracts written by the Company during the current reporting period and information received during the current reporting period from ceding clients pertaining to contracts written in prior years. The Company records losses, benefits and experience refunds based on an actuarial estimate of the expected losses, benefits and experience refunds to be incurred on each contract written. The ultimate losses, benefits and experience refunds depend on the actual costs to settle these liabilities. The Company increases or

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decreases losses, benefits and experience refunds estimates as actual claim reports are received. The Company’s ability to estimate losses, benefits and experience refunds accurately at the time of pricing its contracts is a critical factor in determining profitability.

Acquisition costs consist principally of ceding commissions paid to ceding clients and brokerage expenses, and typically represent a percentage of the premiums on reinsurance and insurance contracts written. These costs are generally deferred and amortized over the period in which the related premiums are earned.

General and administrative expenses are principally employee salaries and related personnel costs, rent and other operating costs. These costs are primarily fixed in nature and do not vary with the amount of premiums written.

Critical Accounting Policies:

The Company’s consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with GAAP, which require management to make estimates and assumptions. The Company believes that the following accounting policies affect the more significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of its consolidated financial statements.

Revenue recognition

The Company follows FAS No. 60, “Accounting and Reporting by Insurance Enterprises,” FAS No. 97, “Accounting and Reporting by Insurance Enterprises for Certain Long-Duration Contracts and Realized Gains and Losses from the Sale of Investments,” and FAS No. 113, “Accounting and Reporting for Reinsurance of Short-Duration and Long-Duration Contracts,” in determining the accounting for its reinsurance and insurance products. Assessing whether or not the contracts it writes meets the conditions for risk transfer requires judgment. The determination of risk transfer is fundamental to the Company’s determination of gross premiums written and is based, in part, on the use of actuarial and pricing models and assumptions.

The Company’s premiums are recorded at the inception of each contract, based upon contract terms and information received from ceding clients and their brokers. For excess of loss contracts, the amount of premium is usually contractually documented at inception, and no management judgment is necessary in accounting for this. For quota share or proportional contracts, gross premiums written are normally estimated at inception by the ceding client. The Company accounts for such premiums using the initial estimates, and then adjusts them as advised by its ceding clients. The Company also accrues for reinstatement and additional premiums resulting from losses. Such accruals are based upon contractual terms, and the only element of management judgment involved is with respect to the amount of losses, benefits and experience refunds, as described below. Premiums are earned on a pro rata basis over the coverage period.

Reinstatement and additional premiums are recognized and earned at the time losses are adjusted by the Company. Reinstatement premiums are the premiums charged for the restoration of the reinsurance limit of a contract to its full amount after payment by the reinsurer of losses as a result of an occurrence. Additional premiums are premiums charged based on loss experience during the policy term or coverage period.

Losses, benefits and experience refunds

Under GAAP, the Company is not permitted to establish loss reserves until the occurrence of an event that may give rise to a loss. Once such an event occurs, the Company establishes reserves based upon estimates of total losses incurred by the ceding client as a result of the event and the Company’s estimate of the portion of such loss it covers. As a result, only loss reserves applicable to losses incurred up to the reporting date may be recorded, with no allowance for the provision of a contingency reserve to account for expected future losses.

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Setting appropriate reserves for losses, benefits and experience refunds is an inherently uncertain process. Losses, benefits and experience refunds reserves represent estimates, at a given point in time, of the ultimate settlement costs of losses incurred (including IBNR losses, which are losses that have been incurred but not yet reported). The Company regularly reviews and updates these estimates using the most current information available and employing generally accepted actuarial methods. Consequently, the ultimate liability for a loss is likely to differ from the original estimate. Whenever the Company determines that an existing reserve for losses, benefits and experience refunds needs adjustment, it is required to record a change in estimate, increasing or decreasing the reserve with a corresponding reduction or increase, which could be material, in its operating results in the period in which the deficiency or redundancy is identified. Adjustments resulting from changes in the Company’s estimates are recorded in the period such adjustments are determined. The establishment of new reserves, or the adjustment of reserves for reported claims, could result in significant upward or downward changes to the Company’s financial condition or results of its operations in the period such amounts are reported.

The Company’s reinsurance and insurance reserves are actuarial projections as of the balance sheet date of the ultimate unpaid losses and benefits associated with its reinsurance and insurance contracts. Considerable judgment is required to evaluate losses and benefits and establish liabilities for losses and benefits. The Company employs a variety of actuarial loss reserving techniques and several models to assist in the setting and reviewing of reserves. The actuarial loss reserves techniques and models employed are principally based on paid and incurred loss development methods. Further, the Company retains an independent actuarial firm to annually review the adequacy of the reserves as determined by management. Additional information regarding losses, benefits and experience refund amounts incurred will be revealed over time and the estimates of such amounts may need to be revised, resulting in gains and losses in the periods determined.

Investments

The Company’s investments are carried at fair value or amounts that approximate fair value. Fair value for the Company’s investments in fixed maturities is generally based on quoted market prices, dealer quotes or pricing models. At December 31, 2003, the valuation of approximately 98% of the Company’s fixed maturities investments was based on quoted market prices. Fair value for the Company’s alternative investments is generally based on the net asset value reported by the respective investment fund managers or, for its reinsurance equity investments, based on the carried amount under the equity method of accounting. The investment fund managers generally carry their trading positions and investments at fair value. The Company relies principally on the financial reports from these entities for recording the net gains on alternative investments in its statement of income. For its equity investments, the Company initially records the investments at cost and periodically adjusts the carrying values to recognize its proportionate share of income or loss from these investments. Future adverse changes in general market, global and economic conditions, changes to the interest and currency rate environment or poor operating results by the Company’s investments carried under the equity method of accounting could result in losses.

See Note 2 to the audited consolidated financial statements of the Company included herein for the Company’s significant accounting policies.

Results of Operations

Year ended December 31, 2003 compared to year ended December 31, 2002

Gross premiums written. Gross premiums written for the year ended December 31, 2003 were $1,009.8 million compared to $647.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2002, an increase of 56.0%. Gross premiums written for property and casualty were $901.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2003 compared to $632.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2002. Gross premiums written for property and casualty increased principally due to increased production of traditional reinsurance business and the commencement of the Company’s traditional insurance operations in the first quarter of 2003. Gross premiums written for life and

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annuity were $108.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2003 compared to $14.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2002. Gross premiums written for life and annuity in the year ended December 31, 2003 resulted from two life insurance contracts written in the fourth quarter.

Reinsurance premiums ceded. Premiums ceded for the year ended December 31, 2003 were $154.6 million compared to $54.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2002, an increase of 182.6%. Reinsurance premiums ceded were principally related to the Company’s quota-share retrocessional and aggregate stop loss agreements with Grand Central Re and the quota share retrocession of its traditional insurance business. In addition during 2003, the Company purchased specific reinsurance to manage the risks associated with certain lines of business and to manage the exposure retained by the Company on certain transactions. As the Company’s traditional reinsurance and insurance business grows, the Company is purchasing, and expects to continue to purchase, additional retrocessional coverage consistent with its risk management objectives.

Net premiums written. Net premiums written for the year ended December 31, 2003 were $855.2 million compared to $592.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2002, an increase of 44.3%. Net premiums written for property and casualty products for the year ended December 31, 2003 were $768.6 million compared to $580.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2002. Net premiums written for life and annuity products for the year ended December 31, 2003 were $86.6 million compared to $12.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2002.

Net premiums earned. Net premiums earned for the year ended December 31, 2003 were $727.2 million compared to $388.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2002, an increase of 87.4%. Property and casualty net premiums earned were $640.6 million, after the deduction of $86.6 million of earned premiums ceded, for the year ended December 31, 2003 compared to $375.6 million, after the deduction of $44.4 million of earned premiums ceded, for same period in 2002. Life and annuity net premiums earned were $86.6 million, after the deduction of $21.7 million of earned premiums ceded, for the year ended December 31, 2003 compared to $12.5 million, after the deduction of $2.2 million of earned premiums ceded, for the same period in 2002. The difference between net premiums written and net premiums earned for the year ended December 31, 2003 compared to 2002 reflects the earning pattern of an increasingly mature book of property and casualty contracts. In addition, the life and annuity business written in the fourth quarter of the year was fully earned in the year ended December 31, 2003.

Net investment income. Net investment income, excluding realized and unrealized gains and losses, for the year ended December 31, 2003 decreased $4.3 million to $60.1 million compared to $64.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2002, a decrease of 6.7%. The decrease was principally attributable to a $13.4 million decline in the investment income earned from premiums and deposits withheld by clients during the year ended December 31, 2003. Funds withheld by clients declined significantly in the year principally due to the commutation of certain contracts. The overall decline in investment income was partially offset by the growth in the fixed maturities portfolio from $1,279.6 million to $1,604.4 million resulting from cash received from the collection of premiums written since December 31, 2002. For the year ended December 31, 2003, yields on the fixed maturity investments remained at historically low levels. The average investment yield on the cash, fixed maturities investments and funds withheld by clients for the year ended December 31, 2003 was 3.8% compared to an average yield of 5.2% for the year ended December 31, 2002. The decline principally relates to the reduction in interest earned on the funds withheld balances, which also decreased.

Net gains on alternative investments. Net gains on the alternative investment portfolio were $124.0 million, including $12.1 million from the Company’s private equity reinsurance investments, for the year ended December 31, 2003 compared to $32.1 million, including $8.4 million from the Company’s private equity reinsurance investments, for the year ended December 31, 2002. The increase was attributable to both a 16.6% rate of return on the alternative investments for the year ended December 31, 2003 compared to a 5.2% rate of return for the year ended December 31, 2002 and an increase in the amount of the alternative investments resulting from cash flows generated from operating activities during 2003. Every alternative investment strategy

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employed by the Company was profitable during the year ended December 31, 2003. Alternative investment strategies principally contributing to income during the year ended December 31, 2003 were distressed securities, emerging markets, event driven arbitrage, global macro, long/short equity and fixed income arbitrage.

Losses, benefits and experience refunds. Losses, benefits and experience refunds were $592.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2003 compared to $361.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2002, an increase of 64.1%. Property and casualty losses were $477.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2003 compared to $313.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2002. The increase in property and casualty losses was related to the increase in property and casualty premiums written and earned during the year ended December 31, 2003 compared to the same period in 2002. The loss ratio for property and casualty business for the year ended December 31, 2003 was 74.5% compared to 83.3% for the year ended December 31, 2002. The decrease in loss ratio reflects the increased traditional reinsurance and insurance underwriting production which is currently producing lower loss ratios than the Company’s structured and alternative risk products.

During the year ended December 31, 2003, incurred losses related to prior year contracts amounted to $25.3 million, and included amortization of deferred charges on retrospective property and casualty reinsurance contracts of $4.0 million, and was net of $5.1 million in realized profits from contracts terminated during the current year that were written in prior years. The Company recognized additional premiums, net of acquisition costs, of $19.2 million relating to incurred losses on prior years, which offsets the increase in incurred losses related to prior year contracts. One reinsurance contract that provides whole account coverage accounted for $19.1 million of the prior year incurred losses amount. The contract is a multi year reinsurance contract under which additional premium was recorded for a prior year. The premium adjustment caused the Company to recognize additional losses for the prior year at a percentage rate consistent with the original loss ratio.

The life and annuity benefits were $114.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2003 which related to two transactions written and earned in the fourth quarter of the current year combined with the accretion of liability for future benefits on contracts written in prior years, compared to $47.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2002.

Acquisition costs. Acquisition costs were $149.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2003 compared to $97.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2002, an increase of 53.0%. The increase in acquisition costs results from an increase in property and casualty net premiums earned. The decline, in percentage terms, of acquisition costs to net premiums earned during the year ended December 31, 2003, from 25.2% to 20.6%, principally reflected lower acquisition costs on insurance business written and the life and annuity business. Acquisition costs during each of the years ended December 31, 2003 and 2002 consisted primarily of amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs incurred in connection with writing property and casualty business. Acquisition costs are customarily associated with the type of premium written by the Company. Generally, acquisition costs fluctuate with business volume and changes in product mix. A significant component of deferred policy acquisition costs are ceding commissions paid to the buyer of the Company’s reinsurance products.

Interest expense. Interest expense was $28.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2003 compared to $23.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2002, an increase of 24.7%. The increase resulted principally from interest expense on additional funds withheld from reinsurers of the Company and on increased deposit liabilities and increased interest expense on the swap transaction, accounted for as a bank loan, resulting from a higher principal balance for the year ended December 31, 2003 compared to the same period in 2002.

General and administrative expenses. General and administrative expenses were $39.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2003 compared to $21.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2002, an increase of 86.9%. The increase resulted principally from expenses associated with establishing the Company’s insurance operations and expanding the Company’s traditional reinsurance capabilities through the hiring of additional staff. The general and administrative expense to net premiums earned ratio remained unchanged at 5.5% for the year ended December 31, 2003 compared to that for the year ended December 31, 2002.

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Net income (loss). Net income for the year ended December 31, 2003 was $120.6 million compared to a net loss of $5.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2002. The results for the year ended December 31, 2003 were principally attributable to increased income from the Company’s alternative investments and underwriting income generated from the Company’s property and casualty products compared to the year ended December 31, 2002.

Year ended December 31, 2002 compared to year ended December 31, 2001

Gross premiums written. Gross premiums written for the year ended December 31, 2002 were $647.4 million compared to $710.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2001, a decrease of 8.9%. Gross premiums written for property and casualty were $632.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2002 compared to $496.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2001. Gross premiums written for property and casualty increased principally due to increased demand for, and improved pricing of, the Company’s products and the expansion of the product offering to include traditional property and casualty reinsurance risks during 2002. Gross premiums written for life and annuity were $14.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2002 compared to $214.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2001. The Company believes that the lack of life and annuity underwriting production during the year ended December 31, 2002 was attributable to the low interest rate environment and weak global economy in 2002. The demand for the type of life and annuity reinsurance that the Company offers is typically weak during periods when interest rates are low.

Reinsurance premiums ceded. Premiums ceded for the year ended December 31, 2002 were $54.7 million compared to $116.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2001, a decrease of 53.0%. The reinsurance premiums ceded were principally related to the Company’s quota-share retrocessional agreement with Grand Central Re. The decline in premiums ceded in the year is a result of the decline in the volume of life and annuity business written by the Company and the change in the mix of property and casualty business written.

Net premiums written. Net premiums written for the year ended December 31, 2002 were $592.7 million compared to $594.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2001, a decrease of 0.3%. Net premiums written for property and casualty products for the year ended December 31, 2002 were $580.2 million compared to $412.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2001. Net premiums written for life and annuity products for the year ended December 31, 2002 were $12.5 million compared to $181.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2001.

Net premiums earned. Net premiums earned for the year ended December 31, 2002 were $388.0 million compared to $500.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2001, a decline of 22.5%. Property and casualty net premiums earned were $375.5 million, after the deduction of $44.4 million of earned premiums ceded, for the year ended December 31, 2002 compared to $319.3 million, after the deduction of $66.6 million of earned premiums ceded, for the year ended December 31, 2001. Life and annuity net premiums earned were $12.5 million, after the deduction of $2.2 million of earned premiums ceded, for the year ended December 31, 2002 compared to $181.6 million, after the deduction of $32.4 million of earned premiums ceded, for the year ended December 31, 2001. The difference between net premiums written and net premiums earned for the years ended December 31, 2002 and 2001 reflects the fact that most of the Company’s property and casualty reinsurance contracts are written on a prospective basis, with the premium earned over the period reinsurance protection is provided, whereas each of the Company’s life and annuity contracts assumes the existing risk of the reinsured, and, accordingly, the related premium is earned at the time the Company enters into the contract.

Net investment income. Net investment income, excluding realized and unrealized gains and losses, for the year ended December 31, 2002 increased $20.5 million to $64.4 million compared to $43.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2001, an increase of 46.7%. The increase was primarily attributable to the growth in the fixed maturities portfolio from $884.1 million to $1,279.6 million resulting from cash received from the collection of premiums written since December 31, 2001 and $6.4 million of additional investment income earned from premiums and deposits withheld by clients during the year ended December 31, 2002 compared to

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calendar year 2001. The average investment yield on the fixed maturities portfolio for the year ended December 31, 2002 was 5.19% compared to an average yield of 6.15% for the year ended December 31, 2001.

Net gains on alternative investments. Net gains on the alternative investment portfolio were $32.1 million, including $8.4 million from the Company’s private equity reinsurance investments, for the year ended December 31, 2002 compared to $29.8 million, net of $0.3 million loss from the Company’s private equity reinsurance investments for the year ended December 31, 2001, an increase of 7.7%. The alternative investment portfolio returned a 5.2% gain during the year ended December 31, 2002 compared to a 6.7% gain during the year ended December 31, 2001. The increase in net gains of $2.3 million resulted from the return from the Company’s private equity reinsurance investments and the larger size of the alternative investment portfolio, offset by the lower return earned on these investments in 2002 compared to 2001.

Losses, benefits and experience refunds. Losses, benefits and experience refunds were $361.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2002 compared to $514.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2001, a decrease of 29.8%. Property and casualty losses and experience refunds were $313.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2002 compared to $313.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2001. The increase in property and casualty losses and experience refunds was smaller than the increase in property and casualty net premiums written and net premiums earned as the Company’s product mix changed during the year 2002.

During the year ended December 31, 2002, incurred losses related to prior years contracts amounted to $49.9 million, and included amortization of deferred charges on retrospective property and casualty reinsurance contracts of $6.3 million. The Company recognized additional premiums and interest on those premiums, net of acquisition costs, of $37.8 million, substantially mitigating the losses incurred on prior year contracts. One contract written during calendar year 2000 accounted for $41.2 million of the prior year incurred losses amount. The contract was a whole account stop loss cover, with worker’s compensation as the principal underlying risk, providing reinsurance for calendar year 1999, where losses incurred and settled through December 31, 2002 by the underlying reinsured exceeded the Company’s estimates and consequently resulted in additional losses being recorded by the Company.

Life and annuity benefits and experience refunds were $48.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2002 compared to $201.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2001. The decrease was principally attributable to the lower volume of life and annuity premiums written and earned in 2002 compared to 2001. The Company recorded net adverse mortality and morbidity expense of $7.0 million during the year ended December 31, 2002 resulting principally from worse than expected claims experience on a coinsurance transaction involving group long term disability written during calendar year 2000.

Acquisition costs. Acquisition costs were $97.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2002 compared to $30.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2001, an increase of 216.2%. The increase in acquisition costs was a result of the Company’s increase in property and casualty reinsurance volume and a change in the mix and ceding commission rates of contracts written in 2002 compared to 2001. Acquisition costs during each of the years ended December 31, 2002 and 2001 consisted primarily of amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs incurred in connection with writing property and casualty business. Acquisition costs are customarily associated with the type of premium written by the Company. Generally, acquisition costs fluctuate with business volume and changes in product mix. The largest component of deferred policy acquisition costs are ceding commissions paid to the buyer of the Company’s reinsurance products.

Interest expense. Interest expense was $23.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2002 compared to $12.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2001, an increase of 90.9%. The increase resulted principally from interest expense on additional funds withheld from reinsurers of the Company and on increased deposit liabilities and increased interest expense on the swap transaction into which the Company entered in March 2002.

General and administrative expenses. General and administrative expenses were $21.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2002 compared to $21.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2001, an increase of

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1.4%. The increase reflected the costs associated with growing the Company’s operations and principally relates to staff additions, offset by decreased bonuses paid to management and employees in 2002 compared to 2001. The general and administrative expense ratio was 5.5% for the year ended December 31, 2002 compared to 4.2% for the year ended December 31, 2001.

Net income (loss). Net loss for the year ended December 31, 2002 was $5.8 million compared to net income of $2.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2001. The change to a net loss in 2002 compared to net income in 2001 resulted from the unfavorable development on the Company’s reinsurance reserves and lower investment returns than necessary to support the Company’s increased reinsurance liabilities.

Financial Condition

Cash and invested assets. Aggregate invested assets, comprising cash and cash equivalents, fixed maturities and alternative investments were $2,637.3 million at December 31, 2003 compared to $2,024.8 million at December 31, 2002, an increase of 30.2%. The increase in cash and invested assets from 2002 to 2003 resulted principally from $451.8 million in cash flows from operations generated in 2003, appreciation of the alternative investments portfolio of $124.0 million and a $50.0 million increase in the swap transaction accounted for as a bank loan.

Property and casualty losses and experience refunds. Property and casualty losses and experience refunds totaled $991.7 million at December 31, 2003 compared to $778.1 million at December 31, 2002, an increase of 27.5%. The increase in property and casualty losses and experience refunds was principally attributable to increased premiums earned during the year ended December 31, 2003 and expected claim settlements. The increase is partially offset by a decrease in these liabilities, resulting from an amendment, effective January 1, 2003, to the terms of a property and casualty contract written in a prior year. The amendment was a material change to the contract, causing the Company to record the amended contract as a deposit arrangement, thereby reducing the liabilities for property and casualty losses and experience refunds by $160.7 million and increasing the deposit liabilities by a corresponding amount. An analysis of the changes in property and casualty losses and experience refunds can be found in Note 4 to the audited consolidated financial statements of the Company included herein.

Life and annuity benefits and experience refunds. Gross life and annuity benefits and experience refunds totaled $480.1 million at December 31, 2003 compared to $405.0 million at December 31, 2002, an increase of 18.5%. The increase in 2003 was principally attributable to the benefit reserves of $107.2 million required on business written and earned during the current year, partially offset by benefit payments of $32.1 million on existing contracts in force.

Losses recoverable from reinsurers. Losses recoverable from reinsurers totaled $273.7 million at December 31, 2003 compared to $212.2 million at December 31, 2002, an increase of 29.0%, principally reflecting losses ceded under the Company’s retrocessional agreements. At December 31, 2003, two retrocessionaires account for 61.8% and 28.7% of the Company’s losses recoverable from reinsurers. The retrocessionaires have a financial strength ratings of “A-” and “A”, respectively, by A.M. Best Company. The Company retains funds from these two retrocessionaires to secure the obligations.

Bank loans. In March 2002, Max Re completed a $100.0 million sale of shares of Max Re Diversified to a third party financial institution. Simultaneous with the sale, Max Re entered into a total return swap with the purchaser of these shares whereby Max Re received the return earned on the Max Re Diversified shares in exchange for a variable rate of interest based on LIBOR plus a spread. Under GAAP, these transactions were viewed on a combined basis and accounted for as a financing transaction, which resulted in the recording of a $100.0 million bank loan.

On February 18, 2003, the Company and the third party financial institution mutually terminated the swap transaction described above and, immediately following the termination, the Company completed a $150.0

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million sale of shares of Max Re Diversified to the same third party financial institution and entered into a total return swap with the purchaser on similar terms as the terminated transaction. Max Re Diversified shares owned by Max Re with a fair value of $86.2 million at December 31, 2003 were pledged as collateral to which the Company is exposed to credit risk. Under GAAP, these transactions are viewed on a combined basis and accounted for as a financing transaction, which resulted in the recording of a $150.0 million bank loan. The swap termination date is February 2005, with provisions for earlier termination at the Company’s option or in the event that the Company fails to comply with certain covenants, including maintaining a minimum financial strength rating and a minimum Max Re Diversified net asset value. At termination, the purchaser has the option to sell the Max Re Diversified shares to the Company at a price equal to the fair value of the Max Re Diversified shares on the date of repurchase. The swap transaction enables the Company to transform a portion of its Max Re Diversified assets into fixed maturities investments that can be held in trusts for the benefit of certain ceding reinsurance companies that require fixed maturity trust assets to meet regulatory requirements.

Duration of liabilities. The average duration of the Company’s liabilities as of December 31, 2003 was approximately 4.2 years. This average duration was calculated using the actuarial estimates of cash flow of the contracts in force. The actuarial estimates of cash flow of the contracts include assumptions as to the size and timing of payments due from the Company under the contracts. Variations in the Company’s actual experience from its assumptions may cause the average duration of its liabilities to be shorter or longer.

Shareholders’ equity. The Company’s shareholders’ equity increased to $805.2 million at December 31, 2003 from $710.7 million, including minority interest, at December 31, 2002, an increase of 13.3%, principally reflecting income of $120.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2003, partially offset by unrealized holding losses on fixed maturities arising during the period of $21.2 million and dividends paid and minority interest distributions in the amount of $4.1 million.

On July 30, 2003, the holders of non-voting common shares of Max Re and warrants to acquire non-voting common shares of Max Re exchanged such shares and warrants for Common Shares of the Company and warrants to acquire Common Shares of the Company. The effect of this exchange resulted in the elimination of minority interest and an increase in shareholders’ equity of equal amounts as of the date of the exchange. This exchange did not have a dilutive effect on equity.

Liquidity and capital resources. The Company generated $451.8 million from operations during the year ended December 31, 2003 compared to $225.4 million in 2002, an increase of 100.4%, principally reflecting the shift in product mix, which generated increased gross premiums written during the year. The Company generated $53.8 million from financing activities, with the principal contributor being an increase in the bank loan facility of $50.0 million during the year. The cash generated from operating and financing activities was applied to the Company’s investing activities, through the net purchase of $341.6 million in fixed maturities and $54.5 million in alternative investments.

As a holding company, Max Re Capital’s principal assets are its investments in the common shares of its principal subsidiary, Max Re, and the common shares of its other subsidiaries. The Company’s principal source of funds is from interest income on cash balances and cash dividends from its subsidiaries, including Max Re. The payment of dividends is limited under Bermuda insurance laws. In particular, Max Re may not declare or pay any dividends if it is in breach of its minimum solvency or liquidity levels under Bermuda law or if the declaration or payment of the dividends would cause it to fail to meet the minimum solvency or liquidity levels under Bermuda law. At December 31, 2003, Max Re, which is required to have $382.8 million in statutory capital and surplus in order to pay dividends, had $698.0 million in actual statutory capital and surplus.

Capital resources. At December 31, 2003, the Company’s capital structure consisted of equity. Total capitalization after deducting loans to employees and including retained earnings and accumulated other comprehensive income amounted to $805.2 million as compared with $710.7 million at December 31, 2002. The Company has flexibility with respect to capitalization as the result of its access to the debt and equity markets.

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The Company regularly reviews its capital adequacy and believes its current level of capital is sufficient to support the Company’s current reinsurance and insurance operations. The Company is currently evaluating various capital resource alternatives to continue growing its business, and believes that issuing debt is likely in 2004.

In the ordinary course of business, the Company is required to provide letters of credit or other regulatory approved security to certain of its ceding clients to meet contractual and regulatory requirements.

The Company has three letter of credit facilities as of December 31, 2003, totaling $470.0 million. The Company’s primary letter of credit facility is with a syndicate of commercial banks, one of which is affiliated with a director of Max Re Capital. In June 2003, the Company amended the terms of this facility principally to lower the cost of the facility and reduced the capacity of the facility from $375.0 million to $270.0 million. In accordance with the facility agreement, the syndicate will issue letters of credit that may total up to $243.0 million secured by fixed maturities and up to $27.0 million secured by alternative investments. The Company believes that the terms of this letter of credit facility are comparable to the terms that the Company would expect to negotiate with an unrelated party. At December 31, 2003 and December 31, 2002, letters of credit totaling $249.9 million and $284.6 million, respectively, were issued and outstanding under this facility. Fixed maturities and cash equivalents with a fair value of $285.9 million and Max Re Diversified shares with a fair value of $74.3 million at December 31, 2003 were pledged as collateral for these letters of credit.

The Company also has a $100.0 million letter of credit facility with the New York branch of Bayerische Hypo- und Vereinsbank AG (“HVB”), a shareholder of the Company. HVB is the majority shareholder of Grand Central Re, which is managed by Max Re Managers and in which the Company has a 7.5% equity interest. The Company believes that the terms of this letter of credit facility are comparable to the terms that the Company would expect to negotiate at arms’ length with an unrelated party. At December 31, 2003 and December 31, 2002, letters of credit totaling $21.1 million and $58.5 million, respectively, were issued by HVB under this facility. All letters of credit issued under this facility are collateralized by a portion of the Company’s invested assets. Fixed maturities and cash equivalents with a fair value of $21.1 million and Max Re Diversified shares with a fair value of $81.1 million at December 31, 2003 were pledged as collateral for these letters of credit. Effective January 1, 2004, the letter of credit facility with HVB was reduced to $50.0 million.

In September 2003, the Company entered into a $100.0 million letter of credit facility with an independent commercial bank. At December 31, 2003, there were $nil million letters of credit issued under this letter of credit facility. Fixed maturities and cash equivalents with a fair value of $nil million were pledged as collateral for these letters of credit.

Each of the letter of credit facilities requires that the Company, and/or certain of its subsidiaries, comply with certain covenants, including a minimum consolidated tangible net worth and restrictions on the payment of dividends. The Company was in compliance with all the covenants of each of its letter of credit facilities at December 31, 2003.

On each of January 31, 2003, May 1, 2003 and July 25, 2003, the Company’s Board of Directors declared a quarterly shareholder dividend of $0.02 per share payable to shareholders of record on February 17, 2003, May 12, 2003 and August 8, 2003, respectively. On October 31, 2003, the Board of Directors declared a shareholder dividend of $0.03 per share payable to shareholders of record on November 14, 2003. Continuation of cash dividends in the future will be at the discretion of the Board of Directors and will be dependent upon the Company’s results of operations and cash flows, and its financial position and capital requirements, general business conditions, legal, tax, regulatory and any contractual restrictions on the payment of dividends and other factors the Board of Directors deems relevant. On January 30, 2004, the Board of Directors declared a dividend of $0.03 per share to be paid on February 23, 2004 to shareholders of record on February 13, 2004.

The Company has been assigned an insurer financial strength rating of “A- (Excellent)” by A.M. Best Company, Inc. and an insurer financial strength rating of “A (Strong)” by Fitch, Inc. These ratings reflect each

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rating agency’s opinion of the Company’s financial strength, operating performance and ability to meet obligations. If an independent rating agency downgrades or withdraws any of the Company’s ratings, the Company could be severely limited or prevented from writing any new reinsurance contracts, which would significantly and negatively affect its business. To date, the Company’s ratings have been affirmed by A.M. Best and Fitch on each rating review. Ratings are based upon factors relevant to policyholders and are not directed toward the protection of investors.

No off-balance sheet arrangements. The Company does not participate in transactions that generate relationships with unconsolidated entities or financial partnerships, such as entities often referred to as structured finance or variable interest entities (“VIEs”), which would have been established for the purpose of facilitating off-balance sheet arrangements or other contractually narrow or limited purposes. As of December 31, 2003, the Company was not aware of any unconsolidated VIE transactions.

Contractual Obligations

Risk Factors

See Factors Affecting Future Financial Results, filed as Exhibit 99.1 to this report, incorporated by reference herein.

The Company engages in an investment strategy that combines a fixed maturities investment portfolio and an alternative investment portfolio that employ strategies to manage investment risk. The Company attempts to maintain adequate liquidity in its fixed maturities investment portfolio to fund operations, pay reinsurance and insurance liabilities and claims and provide funding for unexpected events. The Company seeks to manage its credit risk through industry and issuer diversification, and interest rate risk by monitoring the duration and structure of the Company’s investment portfolio relative to the duration and structure of its liability portfolio. The Company is exposed to potential loss from various market risks, primarily changes in interest rates and equity prices. Accordingly, earnings would be affected by these changes. The Company manages its market risk based on Board-approved investment policies. With respect to its fixed maturities investment portfolio, the Company’s risk management strategy and investment policy is to invest in debt instruments of high credit quality issuers and to limit the amount of credit exposure with respect to particular ratings categories and any one issuer. The Company selects investments with characteristics such as duration, yield, currency and liquidity that are tailored to the cash flow characteristics of the Company’s property and casualty and life and annuity liabilities.

As of December 31, 2003, the Company did not hold any high-yield investments in its fixed maturities investment portfolio. Currently, the Company’s policy is not to hold securities rated lower than BBB-/BAA- in its fixed maturities investment portfolio. At December 31, 2003, the estimated impact on the fixed maturities investment portfolio from an immediate 100 basis point increase in market interest rates would have resulted in

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an estimated decrease in market value of 3.91% or approximately $65.6 million, and the impact on the fixed maturities investment portfolio from an immediate 100 basis point decrease in market interest rates would have resulted in an estimated increase in market value of 3.85% or approximately $64.6 million.

With respect to the Company’s alternative investment portfolio, the Company does not directly control the allocation of its assets to strategies or underlying funds, nor does the Company control the manner in which they are invested by the Company’s fund managers. However, the Company consistently and systematically monitors the strategies and funds in which it is invested, and the Company believes its overall risk is limited as a result of its selected strategies’ low volatility and low correlation to the bond market, the stock market and each other. At December 31, 2003, the estimated impact on the alternative investment portfolio from an immediate 100 basis point increase in market interest rates would have resulted in an estimated decrease in market value of 1.96% or approximately $16.3 million, and the impact on the alternative investment portfolio from an immediate 100 basis point decrease in market interest rates would have resulted in an estimated increase in market value of 1.96% or approximately $16.3 million.

Information with respect to this item is set forth under Item 15.

None.

Disclosure Controls and Internal Controls. The Company’s disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the “Exchange Act”) (“Disclosure Controls”) are controls and other procedures that are designed with the objective of ensuring that information required to be disclosed in the Company’s reports filed under the Exchange Act, such as this annual report, is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s rules and forms. Disclosure Controls are also designed with the objective of ensuring that such information is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. Internal control over financial reporting (“Internal Controls”) is a process designed by, or under the supervision of, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, and effected by the Board, management and other personnel, with the objective of providing reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP. Internal Controls also include policies and procedures that:

(1) pertain to the maintenance of records that in reasonable detail accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the Company;

(2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the Company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the Company; and

(3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of the Company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Limitations on the effectiveness of controls. Although the Company’s management, including the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer, believes that the Company’s Disclosure Controls and Internal

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Controls currently provide reasonable assurance that the Company’s desired control objectives have been met, management does not expect that the Company’s Disclosure Controls or Internal Controls will prevent all error and all fraud. A control system, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. Further, the design of a control system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, within the Company have been detected. These inherent limitations include the realities that judgments in decision-making can be faulty, and that breakdowns can occur because of simple error or mistake. Additionally, controls can be circumvented by the individual acts of some persons, by collusion of two or more people or by management override of the control. The design of any system of controls also is based in part upon certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all potential future conditions.

Evaluation of the Company’s Disclosure Controls. As of December 31, 2003, an evaluation was carried out under the supervision and with the participation of the Company’s management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of the Company’s Disclosure Controls. Based upon that evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded, subject to the limitations noted above, that the design and operation of these Disclosure Controls were effective to ensure that material information relating to the Company is made known to management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, particularly during the period when the Company’s periodic reports are being prepared.

Changes in Internal Controls. There were no significant changes in the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

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PART III

The information required in response to this Item is contained under the captions PROPOSALS ONE—ELECTION OF DIRECTORS OF THE COMPANY and SECTION 16(A) BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REPORTING COMPLIANCE in the Proxy Statement, dated on or about March 24, 2004, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) pursuant to Regulation 14A. These portions of the Proxy Statement are hereby incorporated by reference herein.

The Company has adopted a written code of ethics, the “Max Re Capital Ltd. Code of Business Conduct and Ethics,” that is applicable to all directors, officers and employees of the Company, including the Company’s principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller and other executive officers identified pursuant to this Item 10 who perform similar functions (collectively, the “Selected Officers”). In accordance with the rules and regulations of the SEC, a copy of the code was filed as an exhibit to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2003, and is available on the Company’s website. The Company will disclose any changes in or waivers from its code of ethics applicable to any Selected Officer on its website at http://www.maxre.bm or by filing a Form 8-K.

The information required in response to this Item is contained under the captions COMPENSATION OF DIRECTORS, PERFORMANCE GRAPH, EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION, AGGREGATED OPTION EXERCISES IN LAST FISCAL YEAR, DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLANS, EMPLOYMENT CONTRACTS AND TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT AND CHANGE-IN-CONTROL ARRANGEMENTS, COMPENSATION COMMITTEE INTERLOCKS AND INSIDER PARTICIPATION and COMPENSATION COMMITTEE REPORT ON EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION in the Proxy Statement, dated on or about March 24, 2004, filed with the SEC pursuant to Regulation 14A. These portions of the Proxy Statement are hereby incorporated by reference herein.

The information required in response to this Item is contained under the captions SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS, OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS in the Proxy Statement, dated on or about March 24, 2004, filed with the SEC pursuant to Regulation 14A. This portion of the Proxy Statement is hereby incorporated by reference herein.

The information required in response to this Item is contained under the caption CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS in the Proxy Statement, dated on or about March 24, 2004, filed with the SEC pursuant to Regulation 14A. This portion of the Proxy Statement is hereby incorporated by reference herein.

The information required in response to this Item is contained under the captions PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES in the Proxy Statement, dated on or about March 24, 2004, filed with the SEC pursuant to Regulation 14A. This portion of the Proxy Statement is hereby incorporated by reference herein.

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PART IV

(a)(2) Financial Statement Schedules:

All other schedules have been omitted as not required or not applicable under the instructions, or the required information is shown in the consolidated financial statements or notes thereto.

(a)(3) Exhibits

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(b) Reports On Form 8-K

On November 3, 2003, Max Re Capital filed a Current Report on Form 8-K reporting (i) its earnings for its third quarter ended September 30, 2003 and (ii) the declaration on October 31, 2003 of a dividend payable to shareholders of record on November 14, 2003.

On December 4, 2003, Max Re Capital filed a Current Report on Form 8-K reporting 2004 earnings guidance provided on December 3, 2003.`

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

Date: February 27, 2004

POWER OF ATTORNEY

Each person whose signature appears below hereby constitutes and appoints Robert J. Cooney and Keith S. Hynes, or either of them, his true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him and in his name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any or all amendments or supplements to this Form 10-K and to file the same with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorney-in-fact and agent full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing necessary or appropriate to be done with this Form 10-K and any amendments or supplements hereto, as fully to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact and agent, or his substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the Registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

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INDEPENDENT AUDITORS’ REPORT

The Board of Directors and Shareholders

Max Re Capital Ltd.

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Max Re Capital Ltd. and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2003 and 2002 and the related consolidated statements of income and comprehensive income, changes in shareholders’ equity and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2003. These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these consolidated financial statements based on our audits.

We conducted our audits in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Max Re Capital Ltd. and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2003 and 2002, and the results of their operations and their cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2003, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

/s/    KPMG                    

Chartered Accountants

Hamilton, Bermuda

January 26, 2004

F-1

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MAX RE CAPITAL LTD.

Consolidated Balance Sheets

December 31, 2003 and 2002

(Expressed in thousands of United States Dollars, except per share and share amounts)

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements

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MAX RE CAPITAL LTD.

Consolidated Statements of Income and Comprehensive Income

Years Ended December 31, 2003, 2002 and 2001

(Expressed in thousands of United States Dollars, except per share and share amounts)