Aon expands mid-market reach with $17 billion USI deal
Aon PLC (NYSE:AON) has agreed to acquire insurance brokerage USI from KKR for $17 billion including debt, the companies said Monday, as Aon expands its reach among medium-sized businesses.
USI provides risk management, health insurance and retirement plan services for businesses and individuals, and reports about $3 billion in annual revenue.
The purchase price is $17 billion, or $16.7 billion on a net basis, reflecting approximately $278 million of certain tax attributes, the companies said.
The net purchase price represents approximately 14.5x on a synergized trailing twelve-month adjusted EBITDA basis.
Aon expects to fund the transaction, as well as related transaction expenses and other costs, with new debt raised across a range of maturities, subject to market conditions.
"Combining with USI will establish the premier U.S. middle-market platform, deepen our context advantage and position Aon to accelerate organic growth," Aon CEO Greg Case said in a statement.
The deal marks the latest exit for KKR, which acquired USI along with another investment firm for $4.3 billion in 2017.
The private equity firm recently reported a record $1.29 billion in quarterly asset sales.
