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Assured Guaranty Corp.?s December 2008 U.S. Public Finance New Issue Volume Up 137% Over Prior Year Period

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^{Published in Business and Finance on Monday, January 12th 2009 at 7:26 GMT, Last Modified on 2009-01-12 07:27:20 by Market Wire}  

NEW YORK--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--Assured Guaranty Corp. ("Assured" or the "Company"), the principal direct financial guaranty subsidiary of Assured Guaranty Ltd. (NYSE:AGO), announced today the Company's U.S. public finance new issue volume for December 2008. During December 2008, Assured provided new issue guaranties on 114 transactions, the second highest number of monthly transactions for the year after April 2008 and the highest number of monthly transactions for the second half 2008. Total par insured was $1.5 billion during December 2008, representing approximately 7.5% of total U.S. public finance new issue volume. Assured's new business activity is up 137% over December 2007, during which Assured provided guaranties totaling $634 million of par insured on 26 transactions, or 2.2% of total U.S. public finance new issue volume.

"We are pleased to have had a record year in the U.S. public finance business in 2008 despite volatile market conditions," commented Mike Schozer, President of Assured Guaranty Corp. "Assured remains committed to working closely with issuers and underwriters in order to help America's states and towns access cost-effective financing needed to help improve our economy and build our nation's infrastructure."

Assured also announced that for full year 2008 the Company provided guaranties on 1,003 U.S. public finance new issue transactions totaling $26.7 billion in par insured, the highest level in the Company's history. These transactions represented approximately 6.9% of 2008's U.S. public finance new issue volume and approximately 37% of insured activity. The Company's new business activity in 2008 increased dramatically over 2007 when Assured guaranteed 144 transactions totaling $3.7 billion in par insured, representing only 0.9% of total U. S. public finance new issue volume and 1.9% of insured activity.

Assured Guaranty Corp. is a leading provider of financial guaranty insurance in the U.S. and international public finance, structured finance and mortgage-backed securities markets. Assured Guaranty Corp. is rated triple-A (stable) by Fitch Ratings Inc. and Standard & Poor's and Aa2 (stable) by Moody's Investor Service. Assured Guaranty Corp. is licensed in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

Assured Guaranty Ltd. is a Bermuda-based holding company. Its operating subsidiaries provide credit enhancement products to the U.S. and international public finance, structured finance and mortgage markets. More information can be found at [ www.assuredguaranty.com ].

Any forward-looking statements made in this press release reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events and financial performance and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in these statements. For example, the Company's forward-looking statements, including its statements regarding the volume of the public finance business, could be affected by a significant reduction in the amount of reinsurance ceded by one or more of our principal ceding companies, rating agency action such as a ratings downgrade, difficulties with the execution of the Company's business strategy, contract cancellations, developments in the world's financial and capital markets, more severe or frequent losses associated with products affecting the adequacy of the Company's loss reserve, changes in regulation or tax laws, governmental actions, natural catastrophes, the Company's dependence on customers, decreased demand or increased competition, loss of key personnel, technological developments, the effects of mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, changes in accounting policies or practices, changes in general economic conditions, other risks and uncertainties that have not been identified at this time, management's response to these factors, and other risk factors identified in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the dates on which they are made. 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.