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Alan Gray, Inc. | Industry Insights
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| James M. Olivo |
| Director, Strategic Advisory Group |
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| Q) Did you see any change in M&A activity in 2010? |
| A) A little. A lot of companies, both buyers and sellers, had been sitting on the sidelines waiting for the Insurance industry to strengthen and for access to credit to ease. Those things were beginning to happen, albeit slowly. It won't be until at least one of these events occurs before activity really picks up. |
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| Q) Are there any types of transactions that are picking up? |
| A) We are definitely seeing an increase in run-off blocks of business being put on the market. Insurers with businesses which have been discontinued for a few years are looking to extract some value from the remaining book by selling them to professional run-off companies. This creates opportunities for firms like Alan Gray, Inc. (AGI), as we provide both due diligence services to acquiring companies, as well as support in managing the run-off. |
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| Q) Do you see any trends regarding your Insurance company clients? |
| A) Many of our clients are looking to strengthen their balance sheet. The large releases of reserves over the past few years seem to be diminishing, so insurers are looking for other ways to extract value from their balance sheets. Loss portfolio transfers and commutations of books of business are increasing, as insurers look to clean up their balance sheets and generate revenue where possible. |
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| Q) How about the brokerage industry? Any trends there? |
| A) Absolutely. The brokers are in a difficult position right now, as their margins are getting squeezed by their clients. This has caused many insurance and reinsurance brokers to look to either charge for services which they have traditionally given away for free, or cut those services entirely. Firms like AGI need to be prepared to step in and offer those services both in a cost-effective and high quality manner. |
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