Kuvare Holdings has broken through the thick new sheets of dealmaking ice.
Higher interest rates and economic uncertainty have frozen announcements of mergers, acquisitions and other major deals in many sectors, but some companies in the life and annuity market have managed to start or close transactions anyway.
Kuvare, for example, announced the use of cash from an outside investor to form Kindley Re Ltd., a new, Bermuda-based life and annuity reinsurance company.
Another company, Aquarian Holdings, has announced the consummation of efforts to acquire control over Somerset Reinsurance Ltd., an existing Bermuda-based life and annuity reinsurer.
What It Means
Mergers, acquisitions and other deals may continue to reshape the supply of life and annuity options available to your clients, and possibly, continue to create opportunities for insurance agents and investment advisors to sell their practices.
The Moves
Here's a look at the kinds of deals players in the life and annuity sector have been announcing this month.
1. Bermuda
Kuvare, a Chicago-based life and annuity company, said it worked with Davidson Kempner Capital Management, a New York-based investment firm with $36 billion in assets under management, to form Kindley Re.
Kindley Re will " co-invest at least $400 million with Kuvare in qualifying life insurance and annuity transactions," according to Kuvare.
Kindley Re could help reinsure existing blocks of Kuvare business, and it could also assume a percentage of the risk associated with some of the new business Kuvare-affiliated insurers write. The list of Kuvare affiliates includes Lincoln Benefit Life, Guaranty Income Life and United Life.
Kuvare affiliates will help run Kindley Re's operations and manage its assets.
Kuvare was founded in 2015 by Dhiren Jhaveri and a group of investors.
Aquarian, a New York-based company, announced the Somerset Re deal in 2022.
Aquarian now owns a large stake in Somerset Re. Hannover Re and Weiss Family Interests also owns stakes in the company.