Canadian Underwriter

Keyword
M&A


Business for sale sign.
News BrokersInsurance

What a buyers’ market means for brokerage M&A

December 1, 2023 David Gambrill

How 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

business woman is pointing where to sign on document, with documents in background
News AnnouncementsBrokersInsuranceMergers and AqcuisitionsMGAs

Aviva Canada to acquire “capital light” MGA

November 27, 2023 by David Gambrill

Aviva Canada is acquiring Optiom O2 Holdings Inc., a managing general agent (MGA) that specializes in vehicle replacement insurance in Canada. The $170-million Cdn deal is subject to regulatory approval and is expected to close in the first quarter of

Red warning flag
News BrokersInsurance

These red flags may waive a brokerage buyer off a deal

November 24, 2023 David Gambrill

Rising 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,

The words 'private equity' appearing above a laptop
News BrokersInsuranceMarkets / CoveragesMergers and AqcuisitionsProfessional Development

Has private equity interest in P&C brokerages peaked?

November 21, 2023 by Jason Contant

Private equity interest in the Canadian P&C brokerage space is showing no sign of slowing down, industry observers said last week at KPMG’s 2023 Insurance Conference in Toronto.  Private equity groups remain eager to acquire Canadian brokerages, said Andrew Mathias,

Will rising costs to borrow money destroy brokerage merger deals?
News BrokersInsurance

Will rising interest rates kill brokerage M&A?

November 20, 2023 David Gambrill

Reports of the death of brokerage mergers and acquisitions in an era of higher interest rates have been greatly exaggerated. Back in early 2023, Canadian Underwriter’s National Broker Survey noticed a curious phenomenon: brokers’ interest in M&A growth had dipped

Man hold a light bulb with a strategy icon
News ClaimsClaims CanadaCommercial LinesEarnings / RatingsInsuranceMarkets / CoveragesTechnology

How the M&A environment will affect carriers’ business models

November 17, 2023 by Jason Contant

Canadian P&C insurance industry carriers and service providers will need to transform their business models to help control claims and operating costs in an M&A environment featuring competing demands for capital, speakers said Thursday at KPMG’s 2023 Insurance Conference in

Mergers and acquisitions with a technology background
News BrokersCommercial LinesInsuranceMarkets / CoveragesMergers and Aqcuisitions

What P&C brokerage buyers are really looking for

November 8, 2023 by Jason Contant

Buyers of Canadian P&C brokerages are becoming more selective about the brokerages they will pursue, with an increase in demand for commercial lines-focused brokerages, a new report from advisory firm Smythe LLP says. P&C consolidators continue to diversify their acquisitions,

Talent acquisition concept
News AnnouncementsMergers and Aqcuisitions

International actuarial firm acquires MSA Research

November 2, 2023 by David Gambrill

Valani Global, an actuarial modeling and financial reporting firm with operations in Canada and the United States, has acquired MSA Research, a Canadian analytical research firm specializing in the insurance industry. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. “This acquisition

Pressing the 'buy' key to represent purchase of an insurance brokerage
News BrokersInsurance

How higher interest rates and inflation affect brokerage M&A

October 19, 2023 Jason Contant

Financial 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

Handshake representing a business merger.
News BrokersMergers and Aqcuisitions

What consolidators look at before buying a brokerage

October 16, 2023 Jason Contant

Buyers 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,

Connected puzzle pieces with acronym M&A
News BrokersCommercial LinesInsuranceMarkets / CoveragesMergers and AqcuisitionsProducts

BrokerLink completes largest Alberta acquisition to date

October 12, 2023 by Jason Contant

BrokerLink has completed its largest acquisition to date in Alberta with the purchase of Alpine Insurance Inc., the brokerage announced Wednesday. The brokerage also acquired Ontario-based Eagen Insurance Brokers Inc. Both deals were effective Oct. 1. “Alpine Insurance marks BrokerLink’s

M&A with wooden blocks
News BrokersCommercial LinesInsuranceMarkets / CoveragesMergers and AqcuisitionsProductsProfessional Development

BrokerLink continues expansion with Atlantic Canada acquisition

September 13, 2023 by Jason Contant

BrokerLink continues its growth in Atlantic Canada with the acquisition of Nova Scotia-based brokerage Roger E. Strum Limited. Headquartered in Windsor, N.S., Strum Insurance has offered professional guidance for home, auto, motorcycle, recreational vehicle, boat and business insurance for more