logo
Markel announces completion of MECO acquisition

Markel announces completion of MECO acquisition

Cision Canada02-06-2025
LONDON, June 2, 2025 /CNW/ -- Markel Insurance, the insurance operations within Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL), today announced that it has completed its acquisition of specialist marine MGA, The MECO Group Limited (MECO), following regulatory approvals.
Andrew McMellin, President of Markel International, stated: "We're thrilled to finalise this acquisition and officially welcome MECO's people to Markel. MECO is a well-regarded brand, known for its professionalism, operational quality, and robust distribution channels in regions where we're actively expanding our presence. I look forward to the opportunities we can leverage as we join forces."
Chris Else, Chief Executive of MECO, remarked: "This development represents an important milestone in the evolution of the MECO Group. Markel is a rapidly growing organisation that has built its success on a strong balance sheet, clear strategic vision, and philosophy of local empowerment. From early discussions with the leadership team, it was evident that their core values, as a people-powered business, make Markel an excellent fit for MECO as we embark on this new and exciting chapter."
MECO, which has offices in London, Dubai, Shanghai and Hamburg, will trade as MECO Specialty, as part of the Specialty division of Markel International's Wholesale operation, led by Tom Hillier, Managing Director - Specialty.
About Markel Insurance
We are Markel Insurance, a leading global specialty insurer with a truly people-first approach. As the insurance operations within the Markel Group Inc. (NYSE: MKL), we leverage a broad array of capabilities and expertise to create intelligent solutions for the most complex specialty insurance needs. However, it is our people – and the deep, valued relationships they develop with colleagues, brokers and clients – that differentiates us worldwide.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

3 Cheap Stocks Under $100 That Look Like Absolute Steals Right Now
3 Cheap Stocks Under $100 That Look Like Absolute Steals Right Now

Globe and Mail

timea minute ago

  • Globe and Mail

3 Cheap Stocks Under $100 That Look Like Absolute Steals Right Now

Key Points Pinterest, United Parcel Service, and Comcast are some of the cheapest big-name stocks you can buy right now. They all trade at low earnings multiples and can be strong long-term investments. 10 stocks we like better than Pinterest › If you don't want to chase all-time highs and buy stocks at extremely high valuations, the good news is that there are many decently priced options. And below, I'm going to focus on what I think are some of the best deals available. Three stocks that trade at less than $100 per share and can be bargain buys right now include Pinterest (NYSE: PINS), United Parcel Service (NYSE: UPS), and Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA). A couple are facing concerning headwinds, but here's why they can all be great long-term investments. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Continue » Pinterest Pinterest is a popular social media site where people go for ideas related to just about anything. Whether it's home renovation projects, baking, or recent shopping hauls, there's a ton of content to sift through. The platform is particularly popular with Gen Z, which Pinterest says accounts for more than 40% of its monthly user base. Entering this week, shares of Pinterest have been trading around $35, and that's with the stock rising 24% since the start of the year. And yet, it's still a cheap buy, trading at just 13 times its trailing earnings. Its price/earnings-to-growth multiple, or PEG, is around 0.8. That's based on analyst expectations over the next five years, and it implies that Pinterest is one heck of a cheap growth stock. The company's top line rose by 17% in its most recent quarter (which ended on June 30), to just under $1 billion. Monthly active users rose by 11% to 578 million. With a market cap of only $24 billion, Pinterest is a business that could get a whole lot more valuable given how popular it is with younger audiences. It can be a terrific long-term buy. United Parcel Service There's not much growth happening for United Parcel Service these days. The logistics company is battling significant macroeconomic headwinds due to tariffs. It's trading at less than $90, and the last time you could have bought the stock at a much cheaper price than that was in 2013. UPS is facing some near-term challenges, but it's hard to not like the business over the long haul. The world of e-commerce is still getting bigger, and demand for global shipments isn't likely to slow down. There may be short-term adversity, but if you're a long-term investor, you don't need to worry too much about UPS given its dominance in the industry. The company is making tough but smart decisions, such as scaling back on volume from Amazon in an effort to improve profitability. And it is profitability, not simply sales, that should drive decisions. Although it may not be a popular move and it may hurt the top line, if it improves profit margins, that could be a big win in the end. UPS is trading at a price-to-earnings multiple (P/E) of 13, and in the long run it could have plenty of upside as economic conditions improve. Comcast Rounding out this list of cheap stocks is media and tech company Comcast. It's trading around $34, and its P/E is less than 6 -- an astoundingly low valuation for one of the largest entertainment companies in the country. Its high debt load (around $100 billion) is undoubtedly turning away a lot of risk-averse investors. But with Comcast spinning off many cable TV networks later this year, that could help reduce costs and allow it to focus on higher-growth opportunities in areas such as streaming. The business may have become too bloated, and simplifying its approach could work well for investors. Overall, Comcast still has excellent brands in its portfolio, and it's highly profitable, with an operating margin of around 20% over the past six months. I'm optimistic that by becoming leaner, the business can be better positioned for growth in the future. At such a cheap valuation, it may be too tempting to pass up since it offers an excellent margin of safety. Should you invest $1,000 in Pinterest right now? Before you buy stock in Pinterest, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Pinterest wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $671,466!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,115,633!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,077% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 185% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of August 18, 2025

3 Energy Stocks I'm Eyeing in 2025
3 Energy Stocks I'm Eyeing in 2025

Globe and Mail

time2 hours ago

  • Globe and Mail

3 Energy Stocks I'm Eyeing in 2025

Key Points Chevron's cash flow should surge next year. Enterprise Products Partners has a major wave of expansion projects coming online this year. EQT expects to benefit from surging gas demand. 10 stocks we like better than Chevron › I already own several energy stocks, including Chevron (NYSE: CVX), Enterprise Products Partners (NYSE: EPD), and EQT Corp. (NYSE: EQT). However, I've had my eye on this trio all year. I like what I see ahead, which is leading me to consider buying even more shares. Here's why I'm eyeing the possibility of adding to these energy stocks in 2025. The coming cash flow gusher Chevron is about to hit a major inflection point. The oil giant is starting up several major expansion projects, including the Future Growth Project in Kazakhstan and some new developments in the Gulf of Mexico (also known as the Gulf of America in the U.S.). The recent acquisition of Hess has further enhanced Chevron's growth potential. These and other catalysts have Chevron on track to produce an additional $12.5 billion in annual free cash flow starting next year. That's a massive surge for a company that produced $15 billion in free cash flow last year. Thanks to the Hess deal, the company's free cash flow should continue growing into the 2030s. Chevron's strong and growing cash flows will let it return even more money to shareholders. The company has raised its dividend for 38 years and leads the industry in dividend growth over the past decade. Chevron also plans to repurchase $10 billion to $20 billion of its stock each year. With a dividend yield approaching 4.5% and an expected cash flow growth spurt ahead, Chevron appears poised to deliver strong total returns in the coming years. The upcoming growth wave Enterprise Products Partners also has an upcoming growth wave. The master limited partnership (MLP) stands to benefit from commissioning $6 billion of capital projects this year, including new natural gas processing plants, Phase 1 of the Neches River Terminal, and the Bahia pipeline. The company also recently agreed to acquire some natural gas gathering assets for $580 million, further strengthening its operations and growth profile. These investments will boost Enterprise's cash flows over the coming quarters. The MLP has more projects on the docket for 2026. It currently expects to invest between $2.2 billion and $2.5 billion in capital projects next year, including a couple of additional gas processing plants, Neches Phase 2, and an expansion of the Enterprise Hydrocarbons Terminal. These projects will provide it with even more incremental sources of stable cash flow heading into 2027. Enterprise's growth wave will see its income increase as its capital spending falls. There will be about $2 billion less in 2026 than in 2025. That will provide the MLP with additional free cash flow to increase its 7%-yielding distribution and repurchase its units. This combination of higher growth and cash returns should fuel strong total returns for investors. Capitalizing on lots of catalysts EQT is now one of the country's largest and lowest-cost natural gas producers. It is the only vertically integrated gas producer in the U.S., owning both upstream production and midstream infrastructure assets. This strategy enables EQT to generate more free cash than its peers, putting it in an even stronger position to benefit from surging gas demand driven by the growth of AI data centers and the onshoring of manufacturing. The gas giant is already starting to see a step-change in its free cash flow following the completion of its Mountain Valley Pipeline project. It has produced almost $2 billion in cumulative free cash flow over the past three quarters. It's using its financial flexibility to make bolt-on acquisitions that further enhance its scale while also paying down debt. EQT recently closed its $1.8 billion purchase of Olympus Energy. Even with that acquisition, the company remains on track to achieve its target of reducing debt to below $7.5 billion by year's end, down from $13.6 billion at this time last year. It's also on pace to reach its long-term debt target of $5 billion by the end of next year. Once it reaches that goal, EQT will have more flexibility to return additional cash to shareholders through higher dividends and share repurchases. Compelling, near-term catalysts Chevron, Enterprise Products Partners, and EQT Corp all have near-term growth drivers that will boost their free cash flow and should allow for larger shareholder payouts. This potential for higher total returns has me eyeing whether I should buy more shares before their stocks run higher. Should you invest $1,000 in Chevron right now? Before you buy stock in Chevron, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Chevron wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $671,466!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,115,633!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,077% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 185% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of August 18, 2025

CGI and Kesko enter strategic partnership to accelerate digital transformation Français
CGI and Kesko enter strategic partnership to accelerate digital transformation Français

Cision Canada

time3 hours ago

  • Cision Canada

CGI and Kesko enter strategic partnership to accelerate digital transformation Français

HELSINKI, Finland, Aug. 20, 2025 /CNW/ - CGI (TSX: GIB.A) (NYSE: GIB), one of the largest independent IT and business consulting services firms in the world, and retail services company Kesko have signed an agreement for a strategic partnership to accelerate digital transformation. The partnership covers a wide range of IT services, including end-user services, capacity and cloud services, as well as integrations. In addition, CGI will support the K Group retail network in digital development initiatives. "K Group's goal is to be a forerunner in digital services within the retail sector. In the competitive bidding process, our aim was to find a partner with the best capability to support our business growth and development by leveraging the newest technologies efficiently. The development of automation and AI-based solutions plays a significant role in renewing our business and improving productivity. CGI's strong international expertise combined with local presence convinced us of the company's ability to support us in achieving our objectives," says Arto Hiltunen, CIO at Kesko. "The current trend in the IT sector is that forerunner companies like Kesko are now building strategic collaboration models in which partners participate closely in business development and growth as shared goals and risks. We thank Kesko for the trust in forming a genuine and deep partnership, where the achievement of strategic goals is guided by joint metrics and investments," says Leena-Mari Lähteenmaa, President, CGI Finland, Poland and Baltics. CGI helps retail, consumer and services organizations leverage AI and data-driven strategies to boost profitability by delivering friction-free omnichannel customer experiences, enhancing supply chain agility, streamlining store operations, advancing sustainable transformation, and optimizing IT investments. Read more: About CGI Founded in 1976, CGI is among the largest independent IT and business consulting services firms in the world. With 93,000 consultants and professionals across the globe, CGI delivers an end-to-end portfolio of capabilities, from strategic IT and business consulting to systems integration, managed IT and business process services and intellectual property solutions. CGI works with clients through a local relationship model complemented by a global delivery network that helps clients digitally transform their organizations and accelerate results. CGI Fiscal 2024 reported revenue is CA$14.68 billion and CGI shares are listed on the TSX (GIB.A) and the NYSE (GIB). Learn more at SOURCE CGI Inc.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store