Passage of landmark health care reform legislation last March is forcing participants in the insurance industry, especially agents, to mobilize in efforts to secure changes to the legislation that ensure they have a role in the industry going forward.
Houston International Insurance Group is the new name for two companies following completion of the merger between Southwest Insurance Partners and Lightyear Delos Acquisition Corp.
Investment bank Keefe, Bruyette & Woods (KBW) said mergers and acquisitions accelerated during the 2010 second half, indicating that larger companies with abundant capital are looking for "opportunistic growth."
While mergers and acquisitions activity has been more talk than action for the Bermuda market lately, A.M. Best said conditions are ripe for business to pick up in this area.
There are continued signs of American International Group reentry into the capital markets as the company announced two new managers and the U.S Treasury Department said it hired an investment banking firm.
"The pace will pick up as the market begins to turn. Those carriers that haven't been able to keep pace with technology are going to find themselves potentially acquired because they are not competitive.
MGAs and MGUs are targets for M&A because of their perception as "virtual insurance companies" and their ability to generate underwriting profits.
Lawsuits filed in reaction to low deal prices for mergers and acquisitions helped fuel an increase in the overall level of third-quarter securities lawsuits, even as suits related from the credit crisis petered out, experts said recently.