Marsh: Annual Transactional Risk Report
September 5 2016
Demand for transactional risk insurance continued to increase during 2015 across all regions as investors looked to reduce deal risk. The Asia-Pacific region in particular accounted for the largest year-over-year increase.
Strategic investors and private equity firms turned to transactional risk insurance to close deals in record numbers during 2015. Globally, Marsh’s mergers and acquisition (M&A) professionals placed 450 transactional risk policies during the year, a 32% increase from 2014. Limits placed increased year-over-year by 45% to USD11.2 billion, driven principally by larger deal sizes as well as more insurance limits being purchased per transaction.
The transactional risk insurance market continues to expand, as existing underwriters increase their capacity and new underwriters enter the space. We are also seeing greater awareness of and interest in this deal tool coming from Latin America, driven by cross-border deals into Latin America from the US and UK.
Originally used almost exclusively by private equity firms, we have seen a dramatic uplift of corporate buyers using transactional risk insurance to better compete for assets, especially in auction situations. The split between private equity and corporate buyers continues to even out, moving from 61%/39% in 2014 to 56%/44% in 2015, which is a trend we expect to continue.
Finally, the number of insurers that provide transactional risk policies has grown dramatically, especially over the past year. With historically low rates in property and casualty insurance classes, underwriters are looking for premium growth in specialty lines. There are now in excess of 25 insurers globally that offer transactional risk insurance on a primary or excess basis, a 30% increase in the past year alone.
-
AIG’s McMurdo to join Steadfast MGA as CUO personal lines
- August 20
The move comes as the broking group's MGA division acquires AIG's HNW home and contents portfolio.
-
QBE’s Hammond on transformation and growth
- July 2
The Asia chief executive discusses Covid-19, going digital and restructuring.
-
Swiss Re: Nat cats and man-made disasters in 2018
- April 10
Climate change, increased urbanisation and a growing concentration of assets were on the risk agenda for 2018.
-
Willis Towers Watson: 2019 Asia Market Report
- March 19
Economic uncertainty, more complex risks and tighter underwriting are all influencing Asia's markets.
-
BHSI | Managing non-Asian exposure in long-tail lines
While US-exposed business can look attractive to Asian carriers, managing the volatility around the long-term results and the ability to model those losses are crucial, say BHSI’s Marc Breuil and Marcus Portbury.
-
Sedgwick | To Handle CAT Claims Well, Multi-Step Preparation is Key
When it comes to risk, it’s not a matter of “if” it’s a matter of “when” an event will occur.
-
HSBC Asset Management | Is it time to relook at Asian currency bonds?
With diversification and performance high on investors’ agendas, it seems a good time for global portfolios to revive allocations in Asian local currency bonds – including Hong Kong dollar (HKD) bonds.
-
PineBridge Investments | Why Asian insurers are exploring private credit and CLOs
The recent rollout of risk-based capital regimes across Asia calls for a closer alignment between insurers’ assets and liabilities. We explore potential ways to maintain a healthy investment yield and robust returns on regulatory capital.
