Canadian Underwriter

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

Reversed view of Fork in the Road means coming together
News AnnouncementsBrokersMergers and Aqcuisitions

Merger creates scale for two Ontario brokerages

November 28, 2023 by David Gambrill

Selectpath Insurance, a Navacord brokerage, has partnered with Myers Insurance to enlarge the southwestern Ontario presence of each brokerage. Headquartered in Wallaceburg, Ont., and with an office in Corunna, Myers Insurance is a second-generation multi-lines brokerage run by president Jim

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,

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

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News AnnouncementsInsuranceMergers and AqcuisitionsMGAsRisk

Accelerant scoops up Omega Insurance Holdings

October 27, 2023 by David Gambrill

Accelerant Holdings U.K. Ltd. has officially entered the Canadian property and casualty insurance market, closing the deal to acquire Omega Insurance Holdings Inc. from Till Capital Corporation. Accelerant will pay Till Capital approximately $13 million Cdn in exchange for all

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

Road forks meet to represent a merger
News Insurance

U.K.-based firm buys two Canada brokerages

September 12, 2023 Canadian Underwriter Staff

Looks as if the summer 2023 P&C brokerage merger train will keep on rolling into the fall. Specialist insurance and reinsurance broker BMS Group has acquired Canada-based insurance brokers, Smith & Reid Insurance Brokers Ltd. and O’Neil Insurance. Smith &

Contract waiting for a signature
News AnnouncementsBrokersCommercial LinesInsuranceMergers and Aqcuisitions

Acquisition broadens NFP’s Ontario base

June 8, 2023 Philip Porado

NFP has acquired Rhodes & Williams Ltd. in a transaction that closed May 24, the company said in a press release. The move expands NFP’s Ontario presence “and increases its P&C capabilities and scale across personal risk and commercial lines,”

Mergers and acquisitions due diligence is important
News BrokersInsuranceMergers and Aqcuisitions

Will fewer mergers reduce reps and warranties insurance pricing?

June 7, 2023 Jason Contant

Pricing in the representations and warranties (R&W) insurance market has softened relative to the hard market conditions experienced from the start of 2021 into the first half of 2022, industry professionals told CU. R&W insurance protects against financial loss arising

Two hands shaking over top of a city with puzzle pieces below
News BrokersMergers and Aqcuisitions

This holding company’s first foray into Canadian P&C insurance

December 8, 2022 by David Gambrill

The 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

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News BrokersInsuranceMergers and AqcuisitionsProfessional DevelopmentTechnology

Do digitally efficient brokerages make better acquisition targets?

December 2, 2022 Alyssa DiSabatino

Brokerage owners shouldn’t just invest in digitization for its own sake, says one financial advisor. They should do it to make a purchase and integration easier for consolidators. Consolidators don’t necessarily expect small brokerages to digitize before acquisition, said Alex

digital quotation tool for consumers buying insurance
News BrokersEmploymentInsuranceMergers and Aqcuisitions

Does digitizing help smaller brokerages appeal to buyers?

November 28, 2022 Alyssa Di Sabatino

Small or family-owned brokerages prioritizing digitization strategies will be in a better position to grow through a merger or acquisition, experts told Canadian Underwriter. But it may be easier said than done, given financial or resource constraints faced by many