American International Group yesterday said it would buy property and casualty reinsurer Validus Holdings for $5.56 billion in cash to strengthen its general insurance business

AIG’s offer of $68 per share represents a 45.5 per cent premium to Validus’ Friday close.

Validus’ shares were up nearly 16 per cent at $54 before the bell.

The deal, part of chief executive Brian Duperreault’s turnaround plan, is expected to immediately add to AIG’s earnings per share and return on equity.

The deal, expected to close in mid-2018, will also boost AIG’s talent and underwriting business apart from general insurance, the company said.

Citigroup Global Markets Inc, Perella Weinberg Partners LP and Debevoise Plimpton LLP advised AIG on the transaction, while Validus was advised by J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Skadden, Arps, Slate and Meagher.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.