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…
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…
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,…
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,…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…