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蘇黎世保險集團(Zurich Insurance Group)周一宣布，將放棄收購RSA保險集團(RSA Insurance Group)，后者是一個規模較小的英國競爭對手。蘇黎世的此次聲明發生在其業績出現下滑之后，業績下滑尤以普通保險業務最為顯著。
蘇黎世還透露，該公司正在對那些普通保險業務的經營狀況進行深入的審核。今年8月，一系列爆炸沖擊了中國港口城市天津，蘇黎世預計與此相關的保險索賠會給公司帶來2.75億美元的損失。
蘇黎世是歐洲最大的保險公司之一，它于今年7月聲稱，考慮對RSA保險集團主動發起收購。上個月，蘇黎世表示，愿意出價56億英鎊——約合87億美元，555億元人民幣——收購RSA。
蘇黎世于周一稱已經終止與RSA集團的磋商，又稱今年上半年其普通保險業務盈利不及預期的狀況，預計會延續至第三季度。
根據與天津爆炸相關的索賠和最近的準備金審核結果，蘇黎世集團預計，其普通保險業務將在第三季度出現約兩億美元的營業虧損。今年上半年，其普通保險業務的營業利潤減少了31%，降至12億美元。
蘇黎世在新聞稿中稱：“鑒于近期公司普通保險業務的業績惡化，蘇黎世于今天早晨宣布，已終止與RSA集團就可能的收購出價而進行的磋商。”
這一消息使RSA在倫敦交易所的股價跌至399便士，降幅21.7%。
RSA集團總部位于倫敦，為個人和企業客戶提供保險，其險種包括房屋保險、車輛保險、責任保險和海上保險。RSA集團市值約為50億英鎊。
該公司在全球雇傭有1.9萬名員工，2014年的凈保費收入為74.7億英鎊。
蘇黎世于1872年成立，提供橫跨多條產品線的普通險和人壽險。它在超過170個國家擁有5.5萬名雇員，其2014年的凈保費收入達487億美元。
今年8月，蘇黎世稱，愿意以每股550便士的價格收購RSA，但條件是完成對該保險公司的盡職調查，且RSA董事會建議股東接受出價。
RSA集團曾表示，如果其他條款能夠得到滿足，董事會愿意推薦這一出價。
在周一的新聞稿中，RSA證實其與蘇黎世之間的討論已經終止，但稱蘇黎世的盡職調查“沒有發現任何妨礙交易繼續進行的因素”。
“自那以后，RSA在工作計劃的實施上，保持著卓越的進展，這已為我們的半年業績所證明，”RSA稱。
RSA于2014年2月聘請斯蒂芬·赫斯特(Stephen Hester)擔任首席執行官，他曾于蘇格蘭皇家銀行(RBS)擔任相同職位。在2008年的政府救市行動之后，他掌管了RBS的大權。2013年12月，在RSA的愛爾蘭業務出現資本缺口之后，RSA首席執行官西蒙·李(Simon Lee)辭去職位。
赫斯特加入RSA以來，為了籌集資本、鞏固資產負債表，出手了一些業務。
1996年，英國最大的兩家保險公司皇家保險(Royal Insurance)與太陽聯合(Sun Alliance)合并，形成了RSA。（中國進出口網）
Zurich Insurance Group said on Monday that it was abandoning its pursuit of RSA Insurance Group, a smaller British rival, after a deterioration in its business performance, particularly in Zurich’s general insurance unit.
Zurich also said that it was conducting an in-depth review of those general insurance operations and that it expected losses of about $275 million on insurance claims related to a series of explosions that rocked the port city of Tianjin, China, in August.
The company, one of the largest insurers in Europe, had said in July that it was considering making an unsolicited bid for RSA. Last month, it indicated that it was willing to offer 5.6 billion pounds, or about $8.7 billion, for RSA.
On Monday, Zurich said that its discussions with RSA had been terminated and that weaker-than-expected profit in its general insurance business in the first half of this year was expected to continue in the third quarter.
Given the claims related to the Tianjin explosions and the outcome of a recent review of its reserves, Zurich said that it expected its general insurance business to post an operating loss of about $200 million in the third quarter. The operating profit in the general insurance business declined 31 percent to $1.2 billion in the first half of the year.
“In light of the above recent deterioration in the trading performance in the group’s general insurance business, Zurich announced this morning that it has terminated its discussions in connection with a possible offer for RSA,” Zurich said in a news release.
The news sent shares of RSA down 21.7 percent to 399 pence in early trading in London.
RSA, which is based in London, offers insurance to consumers and businesses, including home, automobile, liability and marine insurance. The company is worth about 5 billion, based on its market capitalization.
The insurer employs about 19,000 people worldwide and wrote 7.47 billion in net premiums in 2014.
Zurich, founded in 1872, offers general and life insurance across several product lines. It has about 55,000 employees in more than 170 countries and had net written premiums of $48.7 billion in 2014.
In August, Zurich said it was willing to offer to pay 550 pence a share for RSA, a bid that was conditioned on completing a due diligence review of the insurer and receiving a recommendation from RSA’s board of directors that shareholders accept the offer.
RSA had indicated its board was willing to recommend the offer if other terms were met.
In a news release on Monday, RSA confirmed that its discussions with Zurich had ended, but that Zurich’s due diligence review “had not found anything that would have prevented them from proceeding with the transaction.”
“Since that time, RSA has continued to make good progress in the delivery of its action plans, as evidenced by our half-year results,” RSA said.
RSA brought in Stephen Hester, a former chief executive of Royal Bank of Scotland, as chief executive in February 2014. He had taken the helm of R.B.S. after a government bailout in 2008. In December 2013, Simon Lee, RSA’s top executive, quit after a capital shortfall in its Irish operations.
Since joining RSA, Mr. Hester has sold businesses and raised capital in order to bolster its balance sheet.
RSA was created in 1996 by the merger of two of the largest British insurers, Royal Insurance and Sun Alliance.
