Mergers & acquisitions (M&A)
Markerstudy gets PRA approval for Co-op deal
Markerstudy’s long-running takeover of Co-op’s insurance underwriting business could be completed by Christmas after the Prudential Regulation Authority signed off on the deal, Post can reveal.
Interview: Julian James, Sompo International
Sompo International’s international insurance CEO Julian James sat down for a ‘virtual chinwag’ with Harry Curtis to talk returning from retirement, the business’s Lloyd’s exit and brand ambitions, the hardening market and ‘Armageddon scenarios’.
Kingfisher alleges deceit and software breaches in £25m claim against ex-Fresh owners
Kingfisher UK Holdings has accused the former owners of personal lines specialist broker Fresh Insurance of covering up that its software used the Motor Insurance Bureau’s My Licence system in a way that breached its agreement with the MIB and the Data…
Union GMB calls for government intervention in AA deal
Trade union GMB called on the government to protect the AA from being “asset stripped” as the motoring group accepted a take-over offer from private equity firms.
Go Compare parent share price jumps 18% as group agrees Future sale terms
Shares at Goco, parent company of Go Compare, were almost 18% up this morning as the company agreed terms of an acquisition offer from British publisher Future, in a deal valuing the group at £594m.
AA accepts take-over offer from private equity firms
Motoring group the AA has confirmed it reached an agreement on the terms of recommended cash acquisition under which Towerbrook Capital Partners and Warburg Pincus International will acquire the business.
Houghton targets £200m GWP in five years as Synova backs Glendinning MBO
Leeds-headquartered JM Glendinning is planning to buy 15 businesses over the next five years after its private equity-backed management buyout, group CEO Nick Houghton told Post.
PWC pulls Slater & Gordon into £63m Watchstone case
PWC has filed a claim against Slater & Gordon as it brought out its defence in the legal dispute with Watchstone, which is seeking £63m in damages from the accountants for alleged breaches of contract, confidence and fiduciary duty as well as conspiracy.
Hester poised for £17.7m and Egan £6.7m from RSA sale
RSA group CEO Stephen Hester could pocket £17.74m from the sale of the insurer with UK and international CEO Scott Egan in line for a £6.67m pay out, according to analysis of the latest documents published by the provider as part of the proposed takeover…
Towergate sells Milburn to UBT in £2.2m deal
Towergate Insurance Brokers has sold Milburn Insurance Brokers to UBT (EU) in a £2.2m deal that completed on 1 November.
Analysis: Who are RSA buyers Intact and Tryg?
RSA's would-be co-owners Intact and Tryg intend to split the insurer once a deal closes. Post investigates what the parties' track records could mean for its future.
Needham buys book as FCA shuttered broker Inspire goes into liquidation
Inspire Insurance Services has gone into liquidation after the Financial Conduct Authority ordered the Coventry-based broker to shut up shop last month.
Miller to expand employee ownership after sale
The existing partners of Miller will be reinvesting into the business to keep a “substantial minority ownership” and targeting broader employee ownership as part of the deal that sees the firm switch hands from Willis Towers Watson to Cinven and GIC.
Covéa fined €20m by Paris court in civil suit with Scor
Covéa and its CEO and chairman Thierry Derez have been fined €20.1m (£17.9m) by a Paris court for a breach of legal and fiduciary duties and obligations on the part of Derez in his role as a director of Scor.
No losers as Cinven and GIC buy Miller from WTW, say brokers
Brokers have hailed private equity house Cinven and Singaporean sovereign wealth fund GIC buying Miller from Willis Towers Watson as a deal with no losers.
Briefing: Is RSA's sale to an overseas bidder a sign of the UK’s declining stature as a global insurance player?
With RSA poised to be sold to a consortium of a Danish and Canadian investors, the number of internationally recognised UK-domiciled insurers is set to reduce by one. Post content director Jonathan Swift asks: is it time to dust off plans for the Royal…
Vote now for the winner of the Industry Impact Award at the 2020 British Insurance Awards
This prestigious award recognises the importance of business deals, partnerships and key hires, and the 2020 winner will be decided by you.
GRP’s Mike Bruce on broker M&A speeding up in Covid-hit UK
The level of broker consolidation has risen again this year, says GRP’s group CEO Mike Bruce as he predicts more investments to come from long-term investors with vendors keen to sell due to pandemic uncertainty, rumoured tax changes, strong valuations…
Vincent Gardner leaves Ethos Broking M&A director role
Vincent Gardner has left the post of group mergers and acquisitions director at Ethos Broking, Post can reveal.
Briefing: The Seven Year Pitch - Why has it taken Stephen Hester so long to sell RSA?
Almost seven years after he took over as group CEO, Stephen Hester looks like he is finally closing in on a sale for RSA. The big question, as Post content director Jonathan Swift asks, is why has it taken so long?
RSA in £7.2bn sale talks
RSA has confirmed it is in takeover talks with Canadian insurer Intact Financial Corporation and Danish provider Tryg about a £7.2bn deal that would split up the business.
Analysis: FCA sets sights on broker failures
The Financial Conduct Authority’s Dear CEO letter at the start of September revisited its concerns about insurance intermediaries being at risk of financial failure during the Covid-19 crisis and the need to plan for orderly wind-downs.
ERS to enter specialist commercial as CEO Ian Parker steps down
ERS confirmed CEO Ian Parker will step down after seven years, as the motor-focused insurer revealed it is entering specialist commercial insurance.
Ageas sells Tesco Underwriting stake for at least £125m
Tesco Bank will pay Ageas at least £125m for its 50.1% stake in Tesco Underwriting as it confirmed the deal first revealed by Post last year.