ALTHOUGH insurance companies have not been star performers on the MSEB over the past year, interest in these stocks could pick up should two pending mergers – for which talk had started last year – materialise this year.
Industry observers believe the completion of a large-scale merger and acquisition (M&A) such as a back door listing of Great Eastern Life Assurance (M) Bhd involving PacificMas Bhd, and the merger talks between Allianz General Insurance Malaysia Bhd and RHB Capital Bhd could jump-start the consolidation pace within the insurance industry.