Mergers and Acquisitions in the Global Life and Health Insurance Industry

Regulatory Reforms to Bolster Global Merger Activity in 2015

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Apr 28, 2015, 02:29 ET

LONDON, April 28, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- This study analyses over a 1,000 merger and acquisition deals in the life and health insurance industry. The deals are analyzed globally on various parameters such as buyer type, seller type, buyer revenue range, seller revenue range, target revenue range, transaction value range, and average deal size. The global industry is divided into 5 regions: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Africa and the Middle East. Each region is analyzed separately and deal rationale is provided. Cross-border acquisitions are also analysed as a part of this study. In addition, the analysis provides details on target attractiveness, buyer capability, and prospects for mergers in each region for 2015.

Key Findings
The life and health (L&H) insurance industry is witnessing rapid transformation in terms of the regulatory, socio economic, and technological framework in which it operates. These changes and reforms are expected to induce merger and acquisition (M&A) activity in the L&H insurance space globally. Merger activity drives revenue growth and industry consolidation and is affected by a variety of factors, including:
- Profitability trends: Increased profitability leads buyers to indulge in M&As.
- Valuation trends: Higher valuations may deter mergers and spur private equity (PE) exits.
- Reserves and capital adequacy: The need to strengthen financial parameters may spur acquisitions.
- Regulatory and governance issues: The restructuring of business units by several companies for regulatory compliance may lead to M&A activity.

M&A activity in the L&H insurance industry is declining in deal volumes but witnessed an increase in average deal value in 2014. Improved performance in the industry, renewed investor confidence, improved reserves, and strategic initiatives by many insurance firms have improved the prospects of merger activity globally. L&H insurance companies are focusing on greater capital efficiency and cash flow generation by seeking mergers in developing countries with low penetration but high growth potential to strengthen their distribution network.

Europe continued to be the hub of merger activity in 2014, with a large proportion of domestic mergers and a few outbound transactions in Asia-Pacific, and Africa and the Middle East. North American L&H insurance companies, on the other hand, are actively restructuring their business units and increased their shares in M&A deal volumes in 2014. While Africa and the Middle East have huge growth potential in the L&H insurance space, a lack of transparency is hampering M&A activity. Asia-Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean feature domestic merger activity where L&H insurers from developed countries seek to strengthen their distribution network in low-penetration countries within the region.
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