Fosun International Limited and Meadowbrook Insurance Group, Inc. announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Fosun will acquire Meadowbrook for US$8.65 per share in cash, representing an aggregate transaction value of approximately US$433 million. The transaction follows a thorough review of strategic alternatives by the Meadowbrook board of directors and represents a 24% premium over Meadowbrook’s closing price on December 29, 2014 and a premium of 39% to Meadowbrook’s three-month average closing price for the period ending December 29, 2014. The transaction also represents a multiple of approximately 1.04x Meadowbrook’s tangible book value per share as of September 30, 2014.
Meadowbrook Insurance Group, Inc., based in Southfield, Michigan, is a leader in the specialty program management market. Meadowbrook includes several agencies, claims and loss prevention facilities, self-insured management organizations and six property and casualty insurance underwriting companies. Meadowbrook has twenty-eight locations in the United States including California. It is a risk management organization, specializing in specialty risk management solutions for agents, professional and trade associations, and small to medium-sized insureds.
Fosun is a leading investment group headquartered in Shanghai, China with over $50 billion in total assets and operations around the world. The acquisition of Meadowbrook will enable Fosun to establish a significant presence in the U.S. property and casualty market. Currently, Fosun has more than one third of its total assets invested in insurance businesses around the world, including investments in Yong’an P & C Insurance, Pramerica Fosun Life Insurance and Peak Reinsurance, as well as Fidelidade Group, Portugal’s largest insurance company.Fosun’s most recent investment in the insurance sector was an acquisition of a 20% equity interest in Ironshore Inc. in August 2014.
Guo Guangchang, Chairman of Fosun, said, “This transaction allows Fosun to establish a presence in the important U.S. P & C market, consistent with our strategy of expanding our core insurance business. Meadowbrook has a talented employee base, comprehensive offering of high-quality specialty insurance products, robust distribution network and a strong commitment to meeting the evolving needs of its policyholders.The transaction represents another milestone for Fosun and will enable Fosun to further strengthen its insurance-oriented comprehensive financial capabilities.”
Robert S. Cubbin, President and Chief Executive Officer of Meadowbrook, said, “Combining with Fosun further strengthens our capital base as we continue to focus on supporting the needs of our customers, partners and policyholders, improving our underwriting performance and driving profitability.” Mr. Cubbin continued, “This transaction is the culmination of a thorough strategic review process to maximize shareholder value. We believe this is a positive outcome for our shareholders, who will receive significant value; our employees, who will benefit from enhanced opportunities as part of a larger, global organization; and our customers, partners and policyholders, who will benefit from an even stronger specialty risk, insurance and service provider.”
The transaction has been unanimously approved by all of the directors of the Meadowbrook board of directors present at the meeting and has been unanimously approved by the Fosun board of directors. Following the closing of the transaction, which is expected in the second half of 2015, Meadowbrook will continue to maintain its headquarters in Southfield, Michigan and will operate under the Meadowbrook brand name. The transaction is subject to the approval of Meadowbrook’s shareholders as well as regulatory approvals and the satisfaction of other specified closing conditions.