Equity-based insurance broker business AUB Group Ltd (ASX: AUB) has announced a major acquisition.
What is AUB acquiring?
AUB, which is a business worth around $1.25 billion, has announced that it’s acquiring 360 Underwriting Solutions.
360 Underwriting Solutions is a group of ten underwriting agencies which provides specialist insurance solutions for brokers and customers, with a combined gross written premium (GWP) of $170 million.
This business is actually already an established partner of Austbrokers and the acquisition allows AUB Group to strengthen and expand the scale and role of its agencies to support the Austbrokers network and other broking clients.
Restructure
AUB Group will restructure its business. It will have a ‘General Commercial Underwriting’ division which will acquire 360 Underwriting Solutions, as well as equity stakes in four existing AUB Group agencies. This new entity will have a total GWP of $270 million.
The total value of the equity interests to be transferred into General Commercial Underwriting is $127 million. This is being facilitated by cash payments of $25 million as well as shares in the new entity.
The founders and vendors of 360 Underwriting will be shareholders of the new entity and will lead the business.
The acquisition and benefits of the restructure will marginally add to profit/earnings per share (EPS) in FY21, with increased benefits in FY22.
AUB will also establish a new ‘Strata Agencies’ division with GWP of $82 million and it will also establish a ‘SURA Specialty’ division of the remaining agencies with $112 million of GWP.
Summary thoughts
This seems like a smart move. Growing the market position is usually a wise choice. I’m not sure if AUB shares a buy based on this news – I don’t know enough about the business or the industry.
In the financials industry, I’m only really attracted to fund managers like Magellan Financial Group Ltd (ASX: MFG).
