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Significant Transactions
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2013
Significant Transactions Disclosure  
Significant Transactions
Significant Transactions
 
Sale of Essentia Insurance Company
Effective January 1, 2013, OneBeacon completed the sale of Essentia Insurance Company (“Essentia”), an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary which wrote collector car and boat business, to Markel Corporation. Concurrently therewith, OneBeacon and Hagerty Insurance Agency (“Hagerty”) terminated their underwriting arrangement with respect to the collector car and boat business. OneBeacon recognized a pre-tax gain on sale of $23.0 million ($15.0 million after tax) in the first quarter of 2013. The business associated with this agreement generated net written premiums of $52.5 million and $145.8 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, or 15.7% of OneBeacon's net written premiums for both periods.

WM Solutions
In the first quarter of 2013, WM Solutions acquired American Fuji Fire and Marine Insurance Company (“American Fuji”), an American International Group, Inc. (“AIG”) runoff subsidiary. The transaction resulted in a gain of $6.9 million recorded in other revenue.

Sale of OneBeacon Runoff Business
On October 17, 2012, one of OneBeacon’s indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries, OneBeacon Insurance Group LLC, entered into a definitive agreement with Trebuchet US Holdings, Inc. (“Trebuchet”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Armour Group Holdings Limited (together with Trebuchet, “Armour”), to sell its runoff business. Pursuant to the terms of the agreement, at closing OneBeacon will transfer to Trebuchet all of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock of certain legal entities that will contain the assets, liabilities (including gross and ceded loss reserves) and capital supporting the runoff business as well as certain elements of the runoff business infrastructure, including staff and office space. The transaction is subject to regulatory approval and is expected to close in the second quarter of 2014. As a result of the agreement, the OneBeacon runoff business is reported as discontinued operations (see Note 15).

Sale of AutoOne
On February 22, 2012, OneBeacon completed the sale of AutoOne to Interboro Holdings, Inc. (“Interboro”). OneBeacon formed AutoOne in 2001 to provide products and services to automobile assigned risk markets primarily in New York and New Jersey. OneBeacon transferred to the buyer AutoOne Insurance Company (“AOIC”) and AutoOne Select Insurance Company (“AOSIC”), which contained the assets, liabilities (including loss reserves and unearned premiums), and the capital of the AutoOne business, and transferred substantially all of the AutoOne infrastructure including systems and office space as well as certain staff.  As a result of the sale, AutoOne is reported as discontinued operations (see Note 15).

Common Shares Repurchased and Retired
During the past several years, White Mountains’ board of directors has authorized the Company to repurchase its common shares, from time to time, subject to market conditions. The repurchase authorizations do not have a stated expiration date. As of September 30, 2013, White Mountains may repurchase an additional 545,496 shares under these board authorizations. In addition, from time to time White Mountains has also repurchased its common shares through tender offers that were separately approved by its board of directors.
During the three months ended September 30, 2013, no shares were repurchased. During the nine months ended September 30, 2013, the Company repurchased 141,535 common shares for $79.8 million at an average share price of $564, which were comprised of 140,000 common shares repurchased under the board authorization and 1,535 common shares repurchased pursuant to employee benefit plans. Shares repurchased pursuant to employee benefit plans do not fall under the board authorizations referred to above.
During the three months ended September 30, 2012, the Company repurchased 50,000 common shares under the board authorization for $26.4 million at an average share price of $528. During the nine months ended September 30, 2012, the Company repurchased 1,037,191 common shares for $517.4 million at an average share price of $499, which were comprised of (1) 217,801 common shares repurchased under the board authorization for $107.6 million at an average share price of $494; (2) 816,829 common shares repurchased through a fixed-price tender offer for $408.6 million at a share price of $500; and (3) 2,561 common shares repurchased pursuant to employee benefit plans.