Basis of preparation and consolidation

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2014

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Basis of presentation and consolidation

Basis of preparation and consolidation

These unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements include Validus Holdings, Ltd. and its wholly and majority owned subsidiaries (together the "Company") and have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 in Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. In addition, the year-end balance sheet data was derived from audited financial statements but does not include all disclosures required by U.S. GAAP. This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and related notes included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013, as filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC").

In the opinion of management, these unaudited consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments (including normal recurring adjustments) considered necessary for a fair presentation of the Company's financial position and results of operations as at the end of and for the periods presented. To facilitate comparison of information, certain amounts in prior periods have been reclassified to conform to current period presentation. The consolidated statement of cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2013 includes a reclassification of $19,400 from cash flows used in financing activities to cash flows provided by operating activities to revise the presentation of subscriptions received in advance from third party investors. For the three months endedMarch 31, 2013, $10,077 within finance expenses has been reclassified into income attributable to operating affiliate investors to conform to current period presentation. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated. The results of operations for any interim period are not necessarily indicative of the results for a full year.

The preparation of these financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. While management believes that the amounts included in the Consolidated Financial Statements reflect its best estimates and assumptions, actual results could differ materially from those estimates. The Company’s principal estimates include:

•reserve for losses and loss expenses;

•premium estimates for business written on a line slip or proportional basis;

•the valuation of goodwill and intangible assets;

•reinsurance recoverable balances including the provision for uncollectible amounts; and

•investment valuation of financial assets.

The term “ASC” used in these notes refers to Accounting Standard Codification issued by the U.S. Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”).