AFX NEWS BRIEFING: Banking and insurance highlights to 09:15 BST.

(From AFX Europe (Focus))

2006-08-08 08:48:43 Converium to 'work diligently' to get A rating from S&P by year-end

ZURICH (AFX) - Converium Holding AG is "working diligently" to gain an upgrade to its Standard & Poor's credit rating to A from BBB+ as soon as possible, said CEO Inga Beale. 2006-08-08 07:47:52 Hannover Re Q2 EBIT rises, beats consensus on strong premium growth

HANNOVER (AFX) - Hannover Rueckversicherung AG said second quarter EBIT rose to 235.5 mln eur from 192.2 mln, exceeding market consensus, while gross written premiums also surpassed forecasts as it grew to 2.599 bln eur from 2.214 bln. 2006-08-08 07:37:36 Friends Provident H1 …