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2014 Q4

 

Fourth Quarter 2014

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Large-Sized Agencies Thrive, Values up for 3rd Straight Quarter

The predominant transaction type financed by PPC LOAN in the Fourth Quarter of 2014 was the sale of a $3 Million Earned Premium agency (or larger) with an Outside Buyer as the purchaser. The end result was that these larger-sized agencies sold for an average multiple of 2.79 during the Fourth Quarter of 2014, leading the way to a third straight quarter of growth in Allstate Agency Values as measured by the Simple Average.

Allstate Agency Price to 12MM Earned Premium Ratio (National Average)
$0 to $100,000
$100,001 to $200,000
$200,001 to $300,000
$300,001 and up
Simple Average
Low
High
2000
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
0.202
0.117
0.262
2001
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
0.209
0.133
0.311
2002
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
0.197
0.119
0.255
2003
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
0.199
0.147
0.254
2004
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
0.236
0.157
0.393
2005
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
0.259
0.175
0.398
2006
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
0.298
0.188
0.402
2007
2.37
2.65
2.92
3.01
2.96
1.21
4.56
2007
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
0.292
0.121
0.456
2008
2.32
2.41
2.74
3.13
2.71
1.45
4.06
2008
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
0.271
0.145
0.406
2009
2.14
2.35
2.50
2.78
2.46
0.82
3.97
2009
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
0.247
0.082
0.397
2010
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
0.24
0.106
0.353
2010 1st QTR
1.94
2.29
2.52
2.91
2.39
1.06
3.53
2010 2nd QTR
2
2.27
2.47
2.8
2.37
1.17
3.16
2010 3rd QTR
2.22
2.26
2.5
2.74
2.43
1.42
3.31
2010 4th QTR
1.94
2.33
2.49
2.76
2.41
1.95
3.28
2011 4th QTR
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
0.231
0.12
0.366
2011 1st QTR
1.78
2.36
2.49
2.73
2.47
1.2
3.57
2011 2nd QTR
1.99
2.37
2.41
2.53
2.33
1.2
3.66
2011 3rd QTR
1.89
2.16
2.45
2.7
2.25
1.5
3.66
2011 4th QTR
2.05
2.23
2.45
2.52
2.34
1.62
3.37
2012 4th QTR
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
0.229
0.127
0.336
2012 1st QTR
1.87
2.2
2.41
2.54
2.3
1.47
3.07
2012 2nd QTR
1.84
2.27
2.4
2.56
2.3
1.46
3.29
2012 3rd QTR
1.96
2.22
2.33
2.59
2.28
1.27
3.24
2012 4th QTR
2.14
2.21
2.43
2.55
2.39
1.53
3.36
2013 4th QTR
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
0.247
0.107
0.349
2013 1st QTR
2.1
2.15
2.38
2.51
2.3
1.28
2.95
2013 2nd QTR
N/A
1.99
2.3
2.57
2.34
1.88
3.07
2013 3rd QTR
2.19
2.18
2.39
2.68
2.5
1.59
3.07
2013 4th QTR
N/A
2.2
2.48
2.74
2.5
1.07
3.49
2014 1st QTR
1.74
2.32
2.35
2.7
2.38
1.07
3.16
2014 2nd QTR
N/A
2.43
2.47
2.76
2.62
1.73
3.52
2014 3rd QTR
N/A
2.52
2.54
2.77
2.66
1.97
3.45
2014 4th QTR
N/A
2.43
2.54
2.79
2.69
1.94
3.52
Use the arrows to see agency values over time.

Smaller-sized agency owners who are targeting a growth goal of $3 Million in Earned Premium or greater certainly get excited about the additional commission income received when growth is realized, but quite possibly the greatest result of agency premium growth is the ability to demand a higher multiple for the agency at the time of sale. Selling a large-sized agency for a higher multiple results in a significant increase in an Allstate Agency Owner’s personal net worth, a perk that cannot be overlooked when weighing the costs associated with pursuing agency growth. The market of agency purchasers have stated loud and clear that they prefer the opportunity to purchase a large-sized agency as the numbers continue to support higher multiples for agencies with Earned Premiums in excess of $3 Million.

“What is the right multiple to pay for an ADB qualifying agency?”

If not daily, it is certainly a weekly event that PPC LOAN receives a call from a prospective Allstate agency purchaser looking to buy a small-sized agency that qualifies for the Agency Development Bonus program “ADB.” It is almost always the case that the buyer in question has some level of heartburn as to what they want to pay for this smaller-sized agency. They don’t always know how to articulate it, but these buyers are trying to rationalize paying their seller a premium for the perks Allstate provides through the ADB program.

The income received by a buyer for new business written is significant in the ADB program and, when utilized properly, can position the buyer to realize significant agency premium growth. The opportunity for growth in the ADB program is not in question; what is in question is, “What is the right multiple to pay for an ADB qualifying agency?”

To answer this question, I think we must first realize the purpose of the ADB program and how critical it is that each Agency Development Bonus dollar be reinvested back in the business for the pursuit of premium growth. No buyer purchases a $750,000 Earned Premium agency hoping to grow it to $1,000,000 in Earned Premium. With debt payments, one or two staff salaries, rent and advertising costs, you simply cannot make a living. Buyers want to realize significant growth to the point that their cash flow is strong and they have a business that has real value. To realize this goal, ADB money must be used for agency working capital and not used to pay a premium to the previous owner in the form of an inflated purchase price.

It will be interesting to watch how the market of agency purchasers and agency sellers negotiate price multiples for agencies that qualify for the ADB program. I feel strongly that any debt service associated with the purchase of a small-sized agency needs to be repaid with the renewal commission on those policies that were purchased. Any “premium” paid to the seller for the benefit the buyer is going to receive by being ADB qualified will impede the buyer’s ability to succeed in growing the agency and defeat the purpose of the ADB program.

Percentage of Agency Sales by Size Group
$0 to $100,000
$100,001 to $200,000
$200,001 to $300,000
$300,001 and up
2007 1st QTR
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
2007 2nd QTR
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
2007 3rd QTR
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
2007 4th QTR
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
2008 1st QTR
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
2008 2nd QTR
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
2008 3rd QTR
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
2008 4th QTR
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
2009 1st QTR
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
2009 2nd QTR
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
2009 3rd QTR
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
2009 4th QTR
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
2010 1st QTR
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
2010 2nd QTR
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
2010 3rd QTR
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
2010 4th QTR
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
2011 1st QTR
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
2011 2nd QTR
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
2011 3rd QTR
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
2011 4th QTR
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
2012 1st QTR
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
2012 2nd QTR
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
2012 3rd QTR
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
2012 4th QTR
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
2013 1st QTR
17%
28%
27%
28%
2013 2nd QTR
N/A
21%
38%
41%
2013 3rd QTR
7%
15%
26%
52%
2013 4th QTR
N/A
25%
42%
33%
2014 1st QTR
6%
15%
58%
21%
2014 2nd QTR
N/A
17%
29%
54%
2014 3rd QTR
N/A
5%
43%
52%
2014 4th QTR
N/A
3%
36%
61%
Use the arrows to see agency values over time.

During the First Quarter of 2014, larger-sized agencies with new and renewal commission income of $300,000 or greater represented only 21% of agencies sold. During the Second and Third Quarters of 2014, these largest sized agencies represented more than 50% of the total, and have now peaked at 61% in 2014 Q4.

With larger-sized agencies selling for the largest multiples, the simple average has increased during the last three Quarters of 2014, as agencies with more than $300,000 in New and Renewal Commission income represented a larger percentage of total sales. This trend reminds us of the importance of focusing on the sales multiple for each size group.

Allstate Agency Value Ratios
Agency Price to New/Renewal Commissions
Agency Price to Total Revenues
2007 1st QTR
2.95
2.37
2007 2nd QTR
2.74
2.39
2007 3rd QTR
2.75
2.35
2007 4th QTR
2.49
2.18
2008 1st QTR
2.95
2.38
2008 2nd QTR
2.74
2.39
2008 3rd QTR
2.75
2.35
2008 4th QTR
2.49
2.18
2009 1st QTR
2.65
2.28
2009 2nd QTR
2.5
2.22
2009 3rd QTR
2.42
2.17
2009 4th QTR
2.37
2.17
2010 1st QTR
2.39
2.08
2010 2nd QTR
2.37
2.09
2010 3rd QTR
2.43
2.13
2010 4th QTR
2.41
2.09
2011 1st QTR
2.47
2.18
2011 2nd QTR
2.33
2.05
2011 3rd QTR
2.25
2
2011 4th QTR
2.3
2.06
2012 1st QTR
2.3
2.02
2012 2nd QTR
2.32
2.05
2012 3rd QTR
2.28
2.05
2012 4th QTR
2.39
2.11
2013 1st QTR
2.3
2.06
2013 2nd QTR
2.33
2.11
2013 3rd QTR
2.5
2.21
2013 4th QTR
2.5
2.19
2014 1st QTR
2.38
2.17
2014 2nd QTR
2.62
2.28
2014 3rd QTR
2.66
2.31
2014 4th QTR
2.69
2.32
Use the arrows to see agency values over time.