Prudential Financial Inc. announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire Allstate Financial’s variable annuity business through a reinsurance transaction. Prudential’s initial investment in the business, including total consideration to Allstate, related taxes, and capital requirements, is expected to be approximately $560 million. Over the course of a transition period of up to 24 months from closing, Prudential will assume the administration of Allstate Financial’s in-force variable annuities, with account values of approximately $16 billion as of Dec. 31, 2005, moving Prudential’s position in the advisor-sold variable annuity marketplace from fifth to third as measured by assets under administration and management and from seventh to fourth as measured by sales.
As part of the transaction, Prudential will be granted exclusive distribution rights to sell variable annuity products through Allstate’s proprietary distribution force of approximately 13,700 independent contractors and financial professionals. The transaction will also enable Prudential to build and enhance its relationships with Allstate’s nonproprietary channel including a number of major national wirehouses and regional securities firms, the most productive of which is Morgan Stanley with whom Allstate has a 21-year variable annuity sales relationship. Allstate Financial will continue to market variable annuity products through its bank distribution relationships by transitioning to an Allstate-branded, Prudential-designed variable annuity. The acquisition is expected to close in the second quarter of 2006.