We
reported last year that global M&A in the insurance sector
was rebounding after a decline resulting from the financial crisis.
Now, the OPTIS Partners'
M&A database has reported a record high for North American
insurance agency M&A in Q1 2016.
OPTIS reveals that an all-time high of 107
deals involving North American agencies were announced in Q1. Many
transactions are unreported, meaning that there were likely even
more deals.
This comes on the heels of OPTIS' findings that 2015 was a record
year for North American M&A, with 451 transactions.
The majority of transactions were carried out
by private-equity backed brokers, which made 242 acquisitions in
2015 and 50 in Q1 of this year. OPTIS reported that insurance
brokerages have proven to be a vehicle that can meet investors'
demands even in times of economic uncertainty and stock market
volatility.
