American Financial Group Announces Closing of Transport Insurance Company Sale
CINCINNATI, Nov. 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE: AFG) (Nasdaq: AFG) today reported the closing of the previously announced sale of Transport Insurance Company to Randall & Quilter Investment Holdings Limited. AFG does not expect to record any material gain or loss on this transaction in the 2004 fourth quarter.
Transport is an inactive company with only run-off insurance liabilities, including asbestos and environmental exposures which represented approximately 12% of AFG's Property and Casualty Group total asbestos and environmental reserves. Under the sale agreement, Randall & Quilter has assumed all financial and administrative responsibility for completing the runoff of Transport's liabilities and collecting reinsurance recoverables.
Through the operations of the Great American Insurance Group, AFG is engaged primarily in property and casualty insurance, focusing on specialized commercial products for businesses, and in the sale of retirement annuities, supplemental insurance and life products.
This press release contains certain statements that may be deemed to be "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. All statements in this press release not dealing with historical results are forward-looking and are based on estimates, assumptions and projections. Examples of such forward-looking statements include statements relating to: the Company's expectations concerning market and other conditions, future premiums, revenues and earnings; and rate increases.
Actual results could differ materially from those expected by AFG depending on certain factors including but not limited to: the unpredictability of possible future litigation if certain settlements do not become effective, changes in economic conditions including interest rates, performance of securities markets, and the availability of capital, regulatory actions, changes in legal environment, judicial decisions and rulings, tax law changes, levels of catastrophes and other major losses, adequacy of loss reserves of the insurance businesses and other reserves, particularly with respect to amounts associated with asbestos and environmental claims, availability of reinsurance and ability of reinsurers to pay their obligations, competitive pressures, including the ability to obtain rate increases and other changes in market conditions that could affect AFG's insurance operations.
SOURCE American Financial Group, Inc.
CONTACT: Anne N. Watson, Vice President-Investor Relations of American
Financial Group, Inc., +1-513-579-6652