Mergers & acquisitions (M&A)
Portuguese broker MDS targets Spain
Portuguese retail broking giant MDS has confirmed expansion plans for Spain.
Canopius acquires K Drewe and Look
The largest privately owned Lloyd’s company, Canopius, has acquired the businesses of K Drewe Insurance Brokers Limited and Look Insurance Services Limited.
Portuguese broker MDS targets Spain
Portuguese retail broking giant MDS has confirmed expansion plans for Spain.
Greenwoods raids Clarke Willmott for insurance unit
Law firm Greenwood has acquired the insurance team of Southampton-based Clarke Willmott.
Stackhouse Poland breaks through £50m GWP barrier with Plexstar acquisition
Broker Stackhouse Poland has acquired specialist professional indemnity broker Plexstar Insurance Services.
Erwin: growth to come from broking firm uncertainty
Westinsure's incoming chief executive Norrie Erwin has said regulatory uncertainty in the broking sector will boost the firm's growth.
Interview - Janet Connor: targeting the over 50s demographic
Managing director of Rias Janet Connor chats to Amy Ellis about targeting the over-50s demographic, embracing aggregators and non-insurance diversification.
CBG eschews acquisitions after tough 2010
CBG will not make any acquisitions in 2011, following a challenging year in which the Manchester-based broker's revenue dropped to £7.71m (2009: £8.96m).
Rias to launch on aggregator
Over-50s insurer Rias is set to move onto aggregator websites for the first time in a bid to keep up with the competition.
Auto Windscreens to sign first major partner 'in weeks'
Auto Windscreens expects to sign up its first major insurance partner since its acquisition by Markerstudy "within weeks".
MDS acquires 50% stake in Coral
Iberian and Latin American broker MDS Holdings has acquired a 50% stake in intermediary Coral.
Interview - John O'Roarke: taking LV to the next stage
John O'Roarke has seen the highs and lows of a career in insurance. He talks to Daniel Dunkley about his journey to LV and his plans for the next stage in the firm's development.
Ageas toughens stance on household insurance rates
Ageas chief executive Barry Smith has said the insurer "needs to do more" to improve its household insurance offering and encourage preventative action following losses amassed during the winter freeze.
John O’Roarke rules out LV commercial lines acquisitions
LV’s strategy for growth in the commercial market will not involve an acquisition - including NIG - according to the firm’s general insurance managing director John O’Roarke.
Quinn attracts three suitors
Three proposals for the purchase of Quinn Insurance have been submitted to Ireland's finance minister Michael Noonan, according to the Irish press.
Quinn attracts three suitors
Three proposals for the purchase of Quinn Insurance have been submitted to Ireland's finance minister Michael Noonan, according to the Irish press.
Howden to acquire Israeli broker
Howden Israel has reached an agreement to acquire Davidoff Insurance Brokers.
Interview – Peter Halpin: keeping Swinton on the acquisition track
Swinton CEO Peter Halpin had a lot to live up to - following, as he did, in Patrick Smith’s footsteps. He talks to Leigh Jackson about taking the company forward and continuing its impressive acquisition record.
CCV looks to top 12 annual acquisitions
Callum Capital Ventures is aiming to exceed its current rate of one acquisition a month, after completing the purchase of South Wales-based Hanbury insurance.
Acquisition-hungry Swinton spells out 2011 buy strategy
High street broker Swinton is targeting at least 25 acquisitions in 2011, after completing five such deals so far this year.
Amlin blames earthquakes for £250m drop in profit
Amlin will monitor rate increases in earthquake zones in 2011, after blaming significant catastrophe activity for a £250m drop in profit for 2010.
Editor’s comment: two new faces to watch
With Google this week snapping up beat that Quote for a little under £40m, and web design firm Vast Visibility simultaneously buying two specialist bike and van price comparison sites, aggregators are very much the insurance ‘buy du jour’.
Web design firm buys motor comparison sites
Insurance comparison site The Bike Insurer has been acquired by web design firm Vast Visibility, Post has learnt.
Concern over Google buying BTQ
Google intends to run Beat That Quote as a separate business in the near term, following its £37.7m acquisition of the aggregator.