Brit Insurance's £888m sale to spark deals - Business - Evening Standard
       

Brit Insurance's £888m sale to spark deals

A predicted flood of takeover deals in the insurance sector looked ever more likely today as Brit Insurance wrapped up its sale to private-equity firms Apollo and CVC for £888 million.

The sponsor of the England cricket team and Surrey's Oval ground is being sold for £10.75 a share in cash plus a possible extra 25p a share depending on the value of the company's assets at the end of the year.

Brit also reported sales figures for the first nine months of the year which reveal why it may have been keen to do a deal. Premiums slumped 8.5% to £1.22 billion.

Shares in all Lloyd's of London insurers are down of late due to low insurance rates and poor returns from invested premiums. That leaves many vulnerable to takeover, say analysts.

Last week Beazley made a £156 million bid for smaller rival Hardy, which was initially rebuffed.

Brit's chief executive Dane Douetil said trends in the third quarter were similar to those in the first half of the year and underwriting remained competitive.

Comments

Don't Miss
Gala night for the Queen of arts - stars turn out in their hundreds to pay tribute

Happy & glorious

Stars turn out in their hundreds to pay tribute to Queen
Prints charming: patterned trousers for summer

Prints charming

Patterned trousers for summer
Promethipedia: the lowdown on Ridley Scott's new blockbuster Prometheus

Promethipedia

The lowdown on Ridley Scott's new blockbuster Prometheus
The Middletan: Kate Middleton has the most requested tan in London

The Middletan

Kate Middleton has the most requested tan in London
Amy Childs bares all like Britney

Dare to bare

Amy Childs vajazzles like Britney
Thais go Gaga: singer’s ‘fake rolex’ tweet sparks new tour row... but fans still mob her at airport

Thais go Gaga

Singer mobbed at airport
Trip the bright fantastic - in vertiginous neon

Fashion

Trip the bright fantastic - in vertiginous neon
Chelsea Champions League celebrations - in pictures

Victory parade

Chelsea Champions League celebrations
High-flying heroes

High flying heroes

David Oyelowo reveals all about new film Red Tails
The Twitter Diaries: Think Bridget Jones tries social networking

The Twitter Diaries

Think Bridget Jones tries social networking