GIC Re IPO opens today. Should you invest?

GIC Re is the largest reinsurance company in India in terms of gross premiums accepted in fiscal 2017

General Insurance Corporation of India Limited (GIC Re’s) initial public offer (IPO) opens today for subscription. The company aims to garner over Rs 11,000 crore. The price band has been fixed at Rs 855 – Rs 912 per share. The IPO would be India’s third biggest ever, after Coal India’s Rs 15,200 crore and Reliance Power’s Rs 11,700 crore issues.

The IPO consists of an offer for sale (OFS) of 10.75 crore shares (12.5% stake pre-issue) worth Rs 9,804 crore at the higher price band and a fresh issue of 1.72 crore shares worth Rs 1,569 crore. The amount raised from the fresh issue will be used for augmenting the capital base to support future business growth and to maintain current solvency levels.

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GIC Re is the largest reinsurance company in India in terms of gross premiums accepted in fiscal 2017. The company, according to CRISIL Research, accounted for nearly 60% of the premiums ceded by Indian insurers to reinsurers in FY17.

Should you subscribe to the IPO? This is what leading brokerages and research houses across the country suggest:

PRABHUDAS LILLADHER

GIC Re showed strong net premium growth at 73% YoY mainly led by four‐fold jump in crop insurance premium collections in FY17 due to the implementation of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) scheme whereas fire insurance continues to grow stable at ~23%. GIC Re does not look to increase third party motor business and health group business which has historically had high losses and has not been a profitable business line. At the upper band of Rs 912, the company trades at 27.4x Mar‐17 EPS which we believe is fairly priced, but given the liquidity in the markets and company’s performance in the recent past, we recommend to Subscribe for long term gains..Read More

SBI Life Insurance lists at 5% premium to IPO price of Rs 700

The stock listed at Rs 735, a 5% premium against its initial public offer price of Rs 700 per share on the National Stock Exchange.

SBI Life Insurance Company made a quite debut by listing at Rs 735, a 5% premium against its initial public offer (IPO) price of Rs 700 per share on the National Stock Exchange (NSE).

At 10:02 AM; the stock was trading at Rs 734 on the NSE. It hit a high of Rs 740 and low of Rs 730 so far. A combined 11.5 million shares exchanged hands on the NSE and BSE.

The company’s Rs 8,400 crore IPO was subscribed 3.587 times. The portion meant for qualified institutional buyers (QIBs) was oversubscribed 12.56 times, while that of non-institutional investors received 70% subscriptions and retail investors 85%, data available with the NSE showed.

SBI Life is a joint venture between India’s largest lender State Bank of India and BNP Paribas Cardif, the insurance holding company of France.

SBI Life Insurance IPO is the largest private insurer in terms of new business premium (NBP) generated with 20.04% market share and has assets under management (AUM) of Rs 97,700 crore. The company is riding on ULIP business (71% APE mix) which has lower regulatory risk, lower capital requirement and long term opex benefit, but also has lower margins and is highly dependent on capital market performance.

“SBI Life is increasingly focusing to improve protection business share which is high margin and have moderate opex. Hence, we believe Operating RoEV to remain stable at 23% currently and improve post over‐run margins to around 18% by FY19 from currently 15%. At the upper band of Rs 700, the company would trade at 3.18x Sep‐19 EV which we believe is fully priced and hence we recommend to Subscribe for long term gains,” analysts at Prabhudas Lilladher said in IPO note. Read Full Article

ICICI Prudential Life Insurance lists below issue price

ICICI Prudential Life Insurance lists below issue price

ICICI Prudential Life Insurance has listed at Rs 330, 1.2% below its issue price of Rs 334 per share, on the National Stock Exchange (NSE).

At 10:01 am, the stock was trading at Rs 331.60, after hitting a high of Rs 333.80 post its listing.

ICICI Prudential Life Insurance has raised Rs 6,057-crore through initial public offer (IPO), become the first insurer to list.

The company's public issue was oversubscribed 10.5 times. The quota set aside for qualified institutional buyers was subscribed 11.83 times while for the non-institutional investor category, it was 28.55 times. The retail portion was oversubscribed 1.42 times, the exchange data shows.

The insurer is a venture between banking major ICICI Bank and UK's Prudential Corporation Holdings. Singapore's Temasek and PremjiInvest are also the shareholders.

At the end of financial year 2016 (FY16), ICICI Prudential was the biggest private sector insurer in the Country having a market share of 11.3%. The company has 521 offices with around 10,663 employees and 121,016 advisors all over India as of FY16. ICICI Prudential Life’s total premium and net profit has risen at a CAGR of 8% and 5% in the past four years, respectively.

Article Source : Business Standard

Budget 2016: Insurance industry seeks hike in tax exemption limit

Government should raise tax exemption limit for health insurance and introduce fiscal measures to help increase its penetration, say industry officials.

The suggestions forms part of insurance sector wish-list for the Budget 2016-17 to be presented in Parliament on February 29.

"There is an impending need for further tax exemption as health insurance is still not adopted as a necessity for one's self and family.

"Further exemption will encourage people to get a health insurance policy with extended covers which is a necessity in today's time given the current medical inflation in the country", Future Generali India Union Budget 2016 Insurance MD & CEO K G Krishnamoorthy Rao told PTI.

In the Union Budget 2015-16, government had increased the limit for income tax exemption for health insurance.

Rao said it helped the company see fair increase in number of people opting for policies with up to Rs 10 lakh cover.

Read Full Article Over Here : Business Standard News

Union Budget 2016: Insurers seek tax sops for term, home insurance in Union Budget

Insurance companies are seeking additional tax benefits for those investing in life insurance products for a longer tenure, apart from making special provisions for home insurance in the upcoming Union Budget 2016.

Rajesh Sud, MD & CEO of Max Life Insurance said that life insurance products that are long term with tenure of 10 years and above should be given tax exemption over and above the current limits of Rs 1.5 lakh. He added that financial savings should be encouraged by giving more money in the hands of people.

Low penetration of insurance has been a concern in the country. With tax incentives, insurers believe more number of individuals will be motivated to buy an insurance policy.

Read our full coverage on Union Budget 2016

With the insurance regulator also pushing for more protection or pure term products, insurers have also sought a separate exemption limit for term insurance.