Liberty Mutual agrees to buy State Auto in $2.29 billion deal
The transaction will add about 3,400 independent agencies in 33 U.S. states to Liberty Mutual's business.
(Bloomberg) — Liberty Mutual Holding Co. agreed to buy State Auto Financial Corp. for about $2.29 billion in cash, adding roughly 3,400 independent agencies in 33 U.S. states.
The purchase price of $52 a share is three times higher than State Auto’s closing price on Friday, July 9. Shares of Columbus, Ohio-based State Auto were down 2.7% this year through Friday and surged to a record $50 at 9:30 a.m. ET on Monday (July 12) morning.
“State Auto Group’s capabilities and product expertise are an ideal complement to Liberty Mutual’s domestic personal lines and small commercial business,” Liberty Mutual Chief Executive Officer David Long said in a statement Monday.
According to data compiled by Bloomberg, there has been about $9.3 billion worth of mergers and acquisitions among property and casualty insurers so far in 2021. That’s about half of the sector’s deal volume in the same period last year, including Allstate Corp.’s roughly $4 billion acquisition of National General Holdings Corp.
Liberty Mutual is owned by its policyholders and is one of the more acquisitive insurers with that structure. It expanded in commercial coverage in 2017 with the purchase of Ironshore Inc. from Fosun International Ltd., and in 2008, it added share in the auto market by buying Safeco Corp. for more than $6 billion.
“Further consolidation in auto insurance is unsurprising,” Matthew Palazola, an analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, said in an email. “We believe the largest players with scale and deep pockets will continue to expand distributions channels. Liberty’s deal solidifies its position with independent agents.”
Palazola added that the premium Liberty Mutual paid could be motivated by a desire to expand its property and casualty business after divesting its group life insurance unit a few years ago.
— With assistance from Jack Pitcher and Matthew Monks.
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