NORWALK, Conn. (PRWEB) July 30, 2018

Health care merger and acquisition activity soared in the second quarter of 2018. The number of deals announced reached 462, up 8% compared with the previous quarter, and 21% higher than the same quarter in 2017. Combined spending in the second quarter reached $144.5 billion, up 28% compared with the $112.9 billion spent in the previous quarter, and 47% higher than the $98.4 billion spent in the second quarter of 2017, according to HealthCareMandA.com (see attached chart).

Health care services represented 62% of the second quarter's transaction total, lower than the 64% share reported in the previous quarter. The pace was set by the Long-Term Care sector, which posted 106 deals, its second-highest quarterly total ever. Growth was strong in other services sectors, including Behavioral Health Care (+91% compared with the year before), Home Health & Hospice (+75%), Managed Care (+125%), Physician Medical Groups (+61%) and Rehabilitation (+29%).

On the technology side, transaction growth was strong in the eHealth (+38% compared with the year before) and Pharmaceutical (+150%) sectors. The eHealth sector has grown beyond revenue cycle management and electronic health records to include telemedicine services for a range of patient populations, data analytics and remote monitoring systems for patients with chronic conditions.

Spending was affected by a single deal, Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.'s acquisition of Shire plc for $81.5 billion, including debt. That deal accounted for 56% of the quarter's $144.5 billion total. The same was true in the first quarter of 2018, when Cigna announced its $67 billion deal for pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts Holdings. That deal made up 59% of the quarter's $112.9 billion total.

"The healthcare market is benefiting from a growing economy, relatively cheap equity and even from the tariffs and talk of trade wars," said Lisa E. Phillips, editor of HealthCareMandA.com. "Investors are eager to put their money to work in the United States, and healthcare services are as local as you can get."

For more information on the HealthCareMandA.com investment research source, or for a membership to any of Irving Levin Associates' services, please call 800-248-1668. Irving Levin Associates, Inc., established in 1948, is headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut and is online at http://www.levinassociates.com. This privately held corporation publishes annual and quarterly research reports, monthly and weekly newsletters, and maintains merger and acquisition databases on the health care and senior housing markets. If you would like to receive future releases, please email pressreleases@levinassociates.com.

Lisa E. Phillips, Editor
Phone: (203) 846-6800

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SINGAPORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a” (Excellent) of China Taiping Insurance (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. (CTPIS) (Singapore). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable. CTPIS is a wholly owned subsidiary of China Taiping Insurance Holdings Company Limited, which is ultimately majority owned by China Taiping Insurance Group Ltd. (TPG), a China state-owned financial and insurance group.

The ratings reflect CTPIS’ balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management (ERM). In addition, CTPIS benefits from rating enhancement as a member of the TPG group.

CTPIS’ balance sheet strength is underpinned by risk-adjusted capitalisation, which is expected to remain at the strongest level over the intermediate term, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR). Additionally, CTPIS benefits from strong financial flexibility as demonstrated by capital injections provided by the TPG group in recent years to support the development of its life insurance operations. The company’s investment portfolio consists of cash, deposits and fixed-income securities, albeit with some exposure to higher-risk asset classes such as equities. CTPIS has a moderate reinsurance usage to support the underwriting of large limit risks and life insurance products; however, the credit risk is partially mitigated by the company’s utilisation of a well-rated reinsurance panel.

CTPIS’ operating performance is assessed as adequate, with a return-on-equity ratio of 6% in 2025 (2024: 5.8%). The 2025 operating income was mainly supported by profitable non-life business, while the life business showed improvement during the year. Operating performance remained profitable in the first half of 2026. CTPIS’ investment income is comprised mainly of interest and dividend income and continues to support overall profitability.

AM Best assesses CTPIS’ business profile as neutral. The company is a medium-size composite insurer, domiciled in Singapore, with a long-established position within that country’s non-life segment and an increasing position in the life segment. CTPIS maintains a well-diversified underwriting portfolio, with life insurance operations contributing approximately half of gross premiums written in 2025, albeit the portfolio is geographically concentrated in Singapore. The company benefits from its affiliation with the TPG group, which provides it a level of preferential access to insured risks associated with China-based enterprises in the Singapore market.

The rating enhancement reflects both the implicit and explicit support CTPIS receives from the TPG group. While CTPIS’ operations account for a small portion of the group’s consolidated revenue and earnings, it is considered strategically important to the group in terms of accessing the Singapore insurance market and growing its overseas business.

Ratings are communicated to rated entities prior to publication. Unless stated otherwise, the ratings were not amended subsequent to that communication.

This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Best’s website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Best’s Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Best’s Credit Ratings. For information on the proper use of Best’s Credit Ratings, Best’s Performance Assessments, Best’s Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Best’s Ratings & Assessments.

AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specialising in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

Copyright © 2026 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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Sin Yee Chuah, CFA
Senior Financial Analyst
+65 6303 5022
sinyee.chuah@ambest.com

Victoria Ohorodnyk
Senior Director, Analytics
+65 6303 5020
victoria.ohorodnyk@ambest.com

Christopher Sharkey
Associate Director, Public Relations
+1 908 882 2310
christopher.sharkey@ambest.com

Al Slavin
Senior Public Relations Specialist
+1 908 882 2318
al.slavin@ambest.com

Source: AM Best