April 15, 2024
BNP Paribas, the euro zone’s biggest bank, has agreed to buy a 9% stake in Ageas from China’s Fosun Group for about 730 million euros ($780 million), making it the biggest shareholder in the Belgian insurer. The deal ends months …
March 25, 2024
Ageas said it will halt its pursuit of UK insurer Direct Line Insurance Group Plc after two takeover proposals were rejected this year. The Belgian insurer had put forth an offer valuing Direct Line at about £3.2 billion ($4.1 billion) …
March 21, 2024
Direct Line posted a 2023 operating loss as it grapples high motor claims inflation, but reinstated its dividend as the British home and motor insurer tries to fend off takeover offers from Belgian rival Ageas. The 189.6 million pound ($242.6 …
March 15, 2024
BNP Paribas SA is considering a potential acquisition of Fosun International Ltd.’s stake in Belgian insurer Ageas, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The French lender has been holding discussions on a possible purchase of Fosun’s holding in …
March 13, 2024
Britain’s Direct Line said on Wednesday it had rejected a revised 3.17 billion pound ($4.06 billion) takeover bid from Belgian rival Ageas, repeating that it “significantly undervalued” the home and motor insurer. Direct Line, a household name in insurance in …
March 12, 2024
Italian insurance giant Assicurazioni Generali SpA has the financial means for acquisitions that fit its template for value creation, according to Chief Executive Officer Philippe Donnet. “We are considering very strict discipline for M&A which allows value creation,” Donnet said …
March 8, 2024
Belgian insurer Ageas has brought in an additional adviser as it presses ahead with a potential takeover offer for Britain’s Direct Line, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. Ageas has lined up Deutsche Bank to work alongside its …
March 7, 2024
Assicurazioni Generali SpA is analyzing a range of potential takeover candidates as part of the insurer’s growth plans, with some of them worth more than €10 billion ($10.9 billion), according to people familiar with the matter. The Italian insurer would …
March 1, 2024
The UK has become a hotbed for mergers and acquisitions this year as dealmakers hunt for bargains in the country’s underperforming stock market. Direct Line Insurance Group Plc and electronics retailer Currys Plc both rejected bids from overseas buyers this …
February 28, 2024
Direct Line Insurance Group Plc said its board unanimously rejected a bid from Ageas, describing the offer as “uncertain” and “unattractive.” The Belgian insurer said in a regulatory filing Wednesday that “it is in the preliminary stages of considering a …