769 articles for M&A
Beware of brokerage M&A triggering a licensing issue
May 1, 2024 by David GambrillIf you merge or acquire a new brokerage, make sure your brokers have the proper licences to serve the out-of-province insurance needs of any new clients absorbed into the business, a recent broker regulator decision states. Insurance Council of B.C.…
How the brokerage talent shortage fuels M&A activity
April 5, 2024 by Alyssa DiSabatinoBrokerage candidate shortages are one of the major drivers of M&A activity — but there’s still a way for small brokerages to compete in the talent war, one P&C recruitment expert tells CU. As competition for talent upticks across Canada,…
Desjardins expands into broker channel through M&A deal
March 27, 2024 by David GambrillDirect writer Desjardins is acquiring the Insurance Company of Prince Edward Island (ICPEI), an insurer that distributes solely through the broker channel. “With this acquisition, we’re strengthening Desjardins’ position in the Canadian commercial insurance market,” Guy Cormier, Desjardin’s president and…
IIO-Hamilton/Niagara Chapter- Selling a Brokerage in the Current M&A Landscape
March 27, 2024 by Bonnie AtkinsonThinking of selling your brokerage? You’re not alone. The pace of acquisition in the broker distribution channel is accelerating more than ever before. There is a lot to contemplate when selling a brokerage. In this session we will provide an…
PE-driven M&A is slowing, despite record deals in 2023
February 20, 2024 by Alyssa DiSabatinoDespite some consolidators slowing their pace — namely, private equity firms — Canadian insurance brokerage M&A reached a record level of deals in 2023. There were 108 publicly announced deals last year, Smythe LLP, a P&C insurance advisory and consulting…
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…
Will rising interest rates kill brokerage M&A?
November 20, 2023 David GambrillReports 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…
How the M&A environment will affect carriers’ business models
November 17, 2023 by Jason ContantCanadian 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…
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…
M&A predictions for second half of 2023
August 28, 2023 by Alyssa DiSabatinoM&A deals dropped globally in the first half of 2023, but are expected to rebound after a brief lull, said global law firm Clyde and Co. Ever-changing market cycles, geopolitical uncertainty and general economic volatility has meant an uncertain growth…
How Intact CEO views the M&A landscape
August 11, 2023 by Jason ContantM&A transactions involving large-value brokerage deals do not reflect a trend and likely aren’t sustainable, Intact Financial Corporation CEO Charles Brindamour suggested during a recent earnings call. “If I go towards distribution, which are smaller transactions, I think we’ve seen…
A busy summer for M&A at two of Canada’s largest brokerages
August 9, 2023 by Alyssa DiSabatinoSummertime M&A has not been slowing down for BrokerLink and Westland Insurance who have respectively completed three and two more deals in August. For BrokerLink, the three latest deals account for a total of twelve in 2023 thus far, focused…