Fairfax Financial News

Irish Insurers Face Higher Reserves; Fairfax Financial to Invest in FBD Holdings

Irish insurers will have to set aside significantly more reserves to cover car-crash, workplace injuries and other claims as compensation payouts surge, according to the industry’s regulator. The nation’s central bank will tell insurers the results of a review of …

S&P: Reinsurance M&A Will Be Driven by Berkshire Hathaway Model

Reinsurance M&A activity should continue well into 2016 as competitive pressures continue unabated, Standard & Poor’s said in a new report. The ratings firm said that the Berkshire Hathaways of the world – investment holding companies seeking to enter the …

Fairfax Completes Acquisition of American Safety

American Safety Insurance Holdings, Ltd. has announced the successful completion of its previously announced acquisition by Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited. After Fairfax increased its offer, American Safety shareholders will receive $30.25 in cash for each common share they owned as …

Canada’s Fairfax to Buy American Safety in $306 Million Cash Deal

Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd., a Canadian insurer, agreed to buy American Safety Insurance Holdings Ltd. for $306 million in an all-cash deal that will bring $480 million of investable assets. American Safety shareholders will receive $29.25 per share, a 22 …

Prosecutors Weigh Using Racketeering Law Against SAC

U.S. prosecutors are considering charging Steven A. Cohen’s SAC Capital Advisors as a criminal enterprise engaged in a long pattern of insider trading in stocks, according to a person familiar with the matter. Prosecutors may use the Racketeer Influenced and …

Fairfax Runoff Sub RiverStone to Acquire All Shares of Brit Insurance Ltd.

The Netherlands-based Brit Group and Canada’s Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited have announced that RiverStone, Fairfax’ runoff subsidiary, has entered into an agreement with Brit to purchase all of the outstanding shares of UK-based Brit Insurance Limited (BIL), which wrote UK …

Fairfax’s Watsa Sees More Turmoil; Maintains Hedges

Fairfax Financial Holdings is maintaining its market hedges due to concerns about the global economic outlook and in spite of the recent turnaround in stock and bond prices, the insurer’s founder and chief executive said Friday. Prem Watsa, who made …

Fairfax Financial’s Hedges Shelter Insurer from Financial Crisis

Toronto-based Fairfax Financial, which raked in billions during the 2008 financial crisis by using market hedges, is once again a go-to stock for shaken investors. Although the company has been criticized by some for its opaqueness and complicated structure, its …