Magazine date:
Jun 2010 The rating agency Moody's is expecting a restart of acquisitions in the coming months. The years 2008 and 2009 are far behind in this regard, totalling just 23 billion USD. The year 2007 had reported twice as many acquisitions. Insurers are just leaving the period when they were trying to protect their balance sheet from the volatile financial markets and adapt to the new competitive environment. Moody's noted several favorable factors to new acquisitions including prudential standards imposed on insurance companies and banks and the restructuring of some financial groups having been bailed out by the State.