Acquisition

RNS Number : 0579F

Helios Underwriting Plc

17 February 2015

 

17  February 2015

Helios Underwriting plc

("HUW" or the "Company")

Acquisition of Lloyd's Limited Liability Vehicle

HUW is pleased to announce that, in line with its strategy of increasing underwriting capacity through acquisition, it has agreed to acquire Nameco (No 507) Limited, a limited liability member of Lloyd's ("LLV") for a total consideration of £0.9 million in cash.  The 2015 underwriting capacity of the LLV is £1.7 million; this compares with HUW's 2015 capacity of £21.4 million prior to this acquisition.  There is an obligation that Funds at Lloyd's will be provided by HUW in an amount of approximately £0.5 million.  Completion is subject to change of control consent from Lloyd's.  The LLV participates in a spread of Lloyd's syndicates broadly similar to HUW's own participation.

Commenting upon the acquisition, Nigel Hanbury, the Company's Chief Executive Officer, said:

"We are delighted to have agreed a further LLV acquisition which will further increase our underwriting capacity.  This is in line with our stated strategy of acquiring corporate members as suitable opportunities arise.  We continue to believe that there remain significant opportunities for further growth available to the Company."

For further information please contact:

HUW Nigel Hanbury - Chief Executive	020 7863 6655 / [e-mail]
Smith & Williamson Corporate Finance David Jones	020 7131 4000
Westhouse Securities Robert Finlay	020 7601 6100

About HUW

HUW provides a limited liability direct investment into the Lloyd's insurance market and is quoted on the London Stock Exchange's AIM market (ticker: HUW).  HUW's subsidiary underwriting vehicles trade within the Lloyd's insurance market as corporate members of Lloyd's writing approximately £21 million of capacity for the 2015 account.  The portfolio provides a good spread of classes of business being concentrated in property insurance and reinsurance. For further information please visit www.huwplc.com.

Additional information

Nameco (No 507) Limited ("Nameco 507") is a limited liability member of Lloyd's which HUW has agreed to acquire from the executors of David Jordan; in the year ended 31 December 2013, Nameco 507 made a profit before tax of £0.2 million on gross premiums written of £1.4 million.  Nameco 507's expected net asset value at completion is approximately £1.0 million, including underwriting capacity with an estimated market value of £0.5 million.

Set out below are Nameco 507's 2012 and 2013 open years of account forecasts:

YOA	Nameco 507 syndicate capacity (£'000)	Forecast of syndicate profit (30 September 2014)
		Mid point (£'000)	Mid point (%)	Range (%)
2012	1,464	148	10.12%	7.32 - 12.92%
2013	1,503	144	9.56%	5.69 - 13.42%

Source: Syndicate data and HUW analysis (before early release)

Set out below are details of Nameco 507's syndicate participations for the 2012 to 2015 years of account:

YOA	2012		2013			2014		2015
Syndicate	(£'000)	(%)*	(£'000)	(%)*		(£'000)	(%)*	(£'000)	(%)*
33	96	6.5%	96	6.4%	101		5.6%	101	6.0%
218	3	0.2%	3	0.2%	3		0.2%	3	0.2%
386	49	3.3%	49	3.3%	76		4.2%	65	3.8%
510	206	14.1%	206	13.7%	206		11.5%	206	12.2%
557	52	3.5%	2	0.1%	2		0.1%	2	0.1%
609	48	3.3%	48	3.2%	48		2.7%	48	2.9%
623	158	10.8%	165	11.0%	179		10.0%	166	9.9%
727	49	3.3%	49	3.2%	49		2.7%	49	2.9%
958	112	7.6%	82	5.5%	66		3.7%	69	4.1%
1176	13	0.9%	13	0.9%	13		0.7%	13	0.8%
1200	54	3.7%	54	3.6%	54		3.0%	54	3.2%
1729	-	-	-	-	34		1.9%	34	2.0%
2010	89	6.1%	89	5.9%	89		5.0%	78	3.2%
2014	-	%	-	%	91		5.1%	121	7.2%
2121	55	3.8%	55	3.7%	96		5.4%	96	5.7%
2525	1	0.1%	1	0.1%	1		0.1%	1	0.1%
2526	1	0.1%	1	0.1%	-		-	-	-
2791	172	11.7%	172	11.4%	151		8.5%	133	7.9%
3334	28	1.9%	-	-	-		-	-	-
4242	55	3.8%	55	3.7%	55		3.1%	62	3.7%
5820	-	-	52	3.5%	102		5.7%	102	6.1%
6103	27	1.8%	34	2.2%	24		1.4%	10	0.6%
6104	40	2.8%	52	3.5%	72		4.0%	72	4.3%
6105	38	2.6%	21	1.4%	66		3.7%	66	3.9%
6106	24	1.6%	27	1.8%	-		-	-	-
6110	36	2.4%	64	4.3%	-		-	-	-
6111	61	4.2%	77	5.1%	89		5.0%	87	5.2%
6113	-	-	37	2.5%	47		2.6%	-	-
6117	-	-	-	-	76		4.2%	50	3.0%
Total	1,464	100.0%	1,503	100.0%	1,789		100.0%	1,689	100.0%

* Percentage of total syndicate portfolio

 

END

 

 

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