Keyword
brokerages
What a buyers’ market means for brokerage M&A
December 1, 2023 David GambrillHow can consolidators afford to buy brokerages when interest rates on bank loans to finance deals have steeply increased? Firms that are actively engaged in brokerage buying and selling told CU they have become more selective. “We are getting a…
These red flags may waive a brokerage buyer off a deal
November 24, 2023 David GambrillRising interest rates are changing the brokerage M&A environment and giving sellers a shorter timeline to produce the projected earnings. And chances are, if they haven’t produced reliable returns already, the buyers may balk on a purchase, said Yan Charbonneau,…
How higher interest rates and inflation affect brokerage M&A
October 19, 2023 Jason ContantFinancial institutions, more often than not, have surplus capital. “To satisfy their shareholders, either they need to invest that capital or buy into businesses so they can have a return,” notes Suzanne Pountney, president of Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario…
What consolidators look at before buying a brokerage
October 16, 2023 Jason ContantBuyers of Canadian P&C brokerages are becoming more selective in their M&A targets, with an increased focus on future profitability, Vancouver-based advisory firm Smythe LLP told Canadian Underwriter. Purchasers are still quoting high revenue multiples and prices aren’t necessarily decreasing,…
Why you might need a diversity, equity and inclusion partner
September 28, 2023 Alyssa Di SabatinoNeed some help with your brokerage’s efforts to develop a more diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace? Consider partnering with another organization to create recruiting or other interim partnerships, suggested Craig Pinnock, chief financial officer of Northbridge Financial Corporation. “These are the…
McDougall-McFarlan merger just the beginning for Definity
May 15, 2023 by David GambrillMcDougall’s $232-million merger with Ontario brokerage McFarlan Rowlands last week is only the beginning for Definity, which is seeking more M&A growth to put it into the Top-5 P&C insurance companies in Canada. In its 2023 Q1 earnings call, Definity…
Which factors impact DEI programs at P&C brokerages
April 3, 2023 Philip PoradoThe size of a Canadian P&C brokerage and the makeup of its senior leadership continues to drive whether employees have access to formal diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs. A Canadian Underwriter online survey, fielded in Jan. and Feb. 2023, and…
How a recession could affect M&A deals in P&C insurance
March 3, 2023 by David GambrillThreats of an economic recession in Canada are not likely to dampen mergers and acquisitions activity in the property and casualty insurance brokerage sector in 2023, one M&A expert predicts. Although M&A activity contracted in some industry sectors towards the…
How to digitize traditional brokerages without breaking the bank
February 28, 2023 Alyssa DiSabatinoMany brokerages adopted technology sooner than planned because of the pandemic. And now acceptance of remote work is pushing brokerages to accelerate — or in some cases, start implementing — digital strategies. It’s easy to make a case for digitizing…
BrokerLink’s first deal of 2023
February 7, 2023 by David GambrillAlberta-based Myrnam Insurance Ltd. is BrokerLink’s first acquisition of 2023. The deal expands BrokerLink’s presence in St. Paul, Alta., and surrounding areas. As a fourth-generation, family-owned business, Myrnam Insurance has been providing auto, property, business and farm insurance across Alberta…
This holding company’s first foray into Canadian P&C insurance
December 8, 2022 by David GambrillThe Jim Pattison Group, a holding company that does $14-billion in business, has become a minority investor in Alberta-based brokerage HighStreet Insurance Group. The strategic investment marks the entry of the holding company into the Canadian P&C insurance space. Terms…
Who was the world’s biggest brokerage in 2021?
June 7, 2022 by David GambrillMirror, mirror, on the wall, who’s the biggest brokerage of them all? Marsh McLennan, with revenue of US$9.5 billion and a global market share of approximately 15.4% in 2021, said a new report by Insuramore, a London, U.K.-based insurance and…