Mergers & acquisitions (M&A)
Pick of the week
Post reporter Amy Ellis outlines some of the major stories from this week's issue of Post Magazine.
Lloyd's broker expands overseas footprint with acquisition
Windsor has completed a deal for the minority interest in BGH Risk Solutions, a liability broker that operates in Canada, New Zealand and Australia.
Towergate boss Cullum hails John Charcol swoop as a "perfect fit"
"To have the leading high net worth mortgage broker in the group gives us a huge opportunity to provide mortgages to our high net worth customers and SME owners," he added.
Towergate buys John Charcol
Towergate's financial services arm has finalised a deal to acquire mortgage broker John Charcol, Post understands.
Fairfax acquires Zenith
Fairfax, the acquisitive financial holdings company, has bought US workers compensation insurer Zenith for $1.4bn.
Broker targets £40m turnover after MBO
Leicester-based broker Brett & Randall has set a target of doubling its turnover to £40m by 2015 following completion of a management buy-out.
Esure to stop underwriting Halifax policies
Esure will cease to underwrite Halifax's motor policies after it was bought out by founder Peter Wood from majority stakeholder Lloyds Banking Group in a £185m deal.
KFFS set to "maximise" potential in £200m sale
Kwik Fit's insurance arm is expected to retain its brand if sold for the fourth time in just over a decade by its private equity owners.
European regulation to boost insurance M&A
According to Pricewaterhouse Coopers merger and acquisition activity in the sector is considerably brighter, as the move to Solvency II is likely to attract fresh interest in the insurance industry from a wider range of capital providers.
Editor's comment: Esure sale is yardstick for personal lines deals
The January sales may not have thrown up much in the way of bargains for those hoping to acquire insurance-related companies. But February is looking like it could prove a more successful month for those seeking a nice little earner at a knockdown price.
Kwik Fit looks to dispose of insurance business
According to a reports the company has hired bankers at Credit Suisse to carry out a review of Kwik-Fit Financial Services, which employs more than 1000 people.
Paris Re CEO leaves as PartnerRe cleans house
Paris Re CEO Hans-Peter Gerhardt has left the company in a clean-out of senior staff by Partner Re following last year's takeover by the Bermudian (re)insurer.
Lloyds sells Esure stake to founder Peter Wood for £185m
Lloyds Banking Group has sold its 70% stake in esure, the online insurer, to a management buyout vehicle to be called Esure Group Holdings, led by Esure chairman Peter Wood, for a cash consideration slightly in excess of book value in the Lloyds Banking…
Beazley sets up M&A team
Lloyd's insurer appoints John McNally to head a new team in London focusing on insuring the contingent risks that can otherwise impede merger and acquisition transactions.
Mergers & Acquisitions- Insurers: Coming back up
After a downturn in 2009, insurer merger and acquisition activity looks set to make a resurgence in the coming year. Amy Ellis reports.
Broking Mergers & Acquisitions: Calmer waters
Many have predicted the death of the insurance broking mergers and acquisition market. Roger Brown explains why this has not happened and why the current situation is just a return to historical norms.
RSA strikes deal for £40m GWP insurance group
RSA Insurance has acquired Al Ahlia Insurance Company SAOC for OMR19m1 (£31m) from ONIC.
Interview: Ross Howard - In capable hands
Katherine Blackler talks to Ross Howard, chief operating officer (Europe) at Towers Watson's reinsurance brokerage, about the merger between Towers Perrin and Watson Wyatt and what this year will bring for reinsurance brokers
Interview - David McMillan: Time for the fine tuning
Aviva's chief executive of general insurance David McMillan has turned a bunch of losers — his son's football team — into winners. Daniel Dunkley discovers his plans for an insurer that is already top of the league in many sectors.
2010 to be a year of 'profitable stagnation', says Thiele
Partick Thiele, the chief executive of PartnerRe, has said that 2010 will be a year of "profitable stagnation", providing that no major catastrophes arise.
OFT considers Marsh and HSBC deal
The Office of Fair Trading has issued an invitation to interested third parties to comment on Marsh's planned takeover of HSBC Insurance Brokers.
Buffett may boost his stake in Germany's Munich Re to over 5%
Warren Buffett owns the rights to Munich Re shares that would bring his stake in the reinsurer to over 5%, according to newswire Bloomberg.
Lit Comp gears up for expansion after sale
After-the-event insurance provider Lit Comp has been taken over, following a successful £5.48m bid by investment company Maven Capital Partners.
Don't expect Berkshire Hathaway and Munich Re to merge says Wall Street
Berkshire Hathaway's announcement that they had upped their shareholding in Munich Re won't lead to a takeover of the German reinsurance giant, analysts have said.