Spotlight on Global Risks

Many new global risks have developed since we last published our Emerging Trends newsletter.

Here are a few headline-making topics that we’ve covered specifically for the insurance community. 

• Failed M&A: As Aon and Willis Towers Watson terminated their $34 billion merger agreement—just five weeks after the U.S. Department of Justice sued to block the deal—we can’t stop thinking about the effects the deal would have had on shareholders. Check out Shareholders, Step Aside!
• Olympic Games: The long awaited (and delayed) 2020 Olympics have just started and many don’t seem to care. In fact, only 17 million people watched the opening ceremony, a decrease of 36% from the 2016 Games. Here’s our coverage of the many exposures at this year’s competition: The 2020 Olympics in 2021.
• Floods Across the World: Insurers and reinsurers are expecting losses in the billions of Euros as a result of catastrophic flooding across parts of Europe and China, with the events poised to become some of the costliest flood episodes on record. Check out Parametric Flood Cover Makes Its Mark.
• The New Space Race: Richard Branson’s and Jeff Bezos’ successful flights to space, with their respective space tourism companies, signal the official start of the private human spaceflight industry. We delved into space tourism in NewSpace: A Risk-Acceptance Culture.

The Latest in Broker M&A

Looking for recent M&A action? Here are the latest deals from our industry Ticker!

• Relation acquired the assets of SIG to strengthens its existing capabilities and further expands the platform’s geographic presence in the Northeast (July 22)
• Subject to receiving appropriate regulatory approvals, Liberty Mutual will acquire Malaysian insurer AmGeneral, which is currently 51% owned by AmBank Group and 49% owned by Insurance Australia Group (July 19)
• HUB International acquired the assets of Georgia’s Risk Point Consulting, which specializes in professional sports and college athletics contractual bonus coverage and over-redemption insurance. (July 16)
• Obsidian adds California presence by acquiring the admitted carrier Western Home from Western National (July 7)