The Insurance Services Office plan to go public may have been impacted by the unsettled equities markets, but the company is positioning for another possible acquisition.

The firm has its eyes on a company “with a lot of intellectual capital,” said Frank J. Coyne, the Jersey City-based ISO's chief executive officer, president and chairman, speaking at ISO's annual meeting in Las Vegas.

Mr. Coyne did not make mention of the status of Verisk Analytics Inc.–the name of the holding company that would encompass ISO if its initial public offering were to come to fruition.

Ken Thompson, ISO senior vice president and general counsel, said the company at this point is in the “quiet period” prescribed by securities law governing an IPO.

He did note, however, that the marketplace has been in a record period in terms of the length of time without an IPO launch. “I think [that is] because of the extraordinary volatility of the markets…The markets are so unsettled,” said Mr. Thompson.

He said the company continues to operate in its normal fashion and does plan to grow through acquisition.

According to the IPO registration that was first filed in August, the company would not be raising capital, but the IPO would give the firm's existing shareholders the opportunity to sell their shares and gain liquidity.

A number of insurers own stakes in ISO–including American International Group, The Hartford Financial Services Group and Travelers.

The giant data firm describes itself as the largest aggregator and provider of detailed actuarial and underwriting data pertaining to U.S. property and casualty insurance risks.

It provides technology for detecting fraud in the U.S. p-c insurance, healthcare and mortgage industries, and sophisticated methods to predict and quantify loss in diverse contexts ranging from natural catastrophes to health insurance.

The company reported that over the past five years, it has grown revenues at a compound annual growth rate of 13.8 percent. For the six months ended June 30, the company reported net income of $81 million.