HUW is pleased to announce that, in line with its strategy of increasing underwriting capacity through acquisition, it has agreed to acquire Nameco (No 507) Limited, a limited liability member of Lloyd's ("LLV") for a total consideration of £0.9 million in cash.  The 2015 underwriting capacity of the LLV is £1.7 million; this compares with HUW's 2015 capacity of £21.4 million prior to this acquisition.There is an obligation that Funds at Lloyd's will be provided by HUW in an amount of approximately £0.5 million.  Completion is subject to change of control consent from Lloyd's.  The LLV participates in a spread of Lloyd's syndicates broadly similar to HUW's own participation.

Commenting upon the acquisition, Nigel Hanbury, the Company's Chief Executive Officer, said:

"We are delighted to have agreed a further LLV acquisition which will further increase our underwriting capacity.  This is in line with our stated strategy of acquiring corporate members as suitable opportunities arise.  We continue to believe that there remain significant opportunities for further growth available to the Company."

For further information please contact:

HUW

Nigel Hanbury - Chief Executive

020 7863 6655 / nigel.hanbury@huwplc.com

Smith & Williamson Corporate Finance

David Jones

020 7131 4000

Westhouse Securities

Robert Finlay

020 7601 6100

About HUW

HUW provides a limited liability direct investment into the Lloyd's insurance market and is quoted on the London Stock Exchange's AIM market (ticker: HUW).  HUW's subsidiary underwriting vehicles trade within the Lloyd's insurance market as corporate members of Lloyd's writing approximately £21 million of capacity for the 2015 account.  The portfolio provides a good spread of classes of business being concentrated in property insurance and reinsurance.For further information please visit www.huwplc.com.

Additional information

Nameco (No 507) Limited ("Nameco 507") is a limited liability member of Lloyd's which HUW has agreed to acquire from the executors of David Jordan; in the year ended 31 December 2013, Nameco 507 made a profit before tax of £0.2 million on gross premiums written of £1.4 million.  Nameco 507's expected net asset value at completion is approximately £1.0 million, including underwriting capacity with an estimated market value of £0.5 million.

Set out below are Nameco 507's 2012 and 2013 open years of account forecasts:

YOA

Nameco 507

syndicate capacity

(£'000)

Forecast of syndicate profit

(30 September 2014)

Mid point

(£'000)

Mid point

(%)

Range

(%)

2012

1,464

148

10.12%

7.32 - 12.92%

2013

1,503

144

9.56%

5.69 - 13.42%

Source: Syndicate data and HUW analysis (before early release)

Set out below are details of Nameco 507's syndicate participations for the 2012 to 2015 years of account:

YOA

2012

2013

2014

2015

Syndicate

(£'000)

(%)*

(£'000)

(%)*

(£'000)

(%)*

(£'000)

(%)*

33

96

6.5%

96

6.4%

101

5.6%

101

6.0%

218

3

0.2%

3

0.2%

3

0.2%

3

0.2%

386

49

3.3%

49

3.3%

76

4.2%

65

3.8%

510

206

14.1%

206

13.7%

206

11.5%

206

12.2%

557

52

3.5%

2

0.1%

2

0.1%

2

0.1%

609

48

3.3%

48

3.2%

48

2.7%

48

2.9%

623

158

10.8%

165

11.0%

179

10.0%

166

9.9%

727

49

3.3%

49

3.2%

49

2.7%

49

2.9%

958

112

7.6%

82

5.5%

66

3.7%

69

4.1%

1176

13

0.9%

13

0.9%

13

0.7%

13

0.8%

1200

54

3.7%

54

3.6%

54

3.0%

54

3.2%

1729

-

-

-

-

34

1.9%

34

2.0%

2010

89

6.1%

89

5.9%

89

5.0%

78

3.2%

2014

-

%

-

%

91

5.1%

121

7.2%

2121

55

3.8%

55

3.7%

96

5.4%

96

5.7%

2525

1

0.1%

1

0.1%

1

0.1%

1

0.1%

2526

1

0.1%

1

0.1%

-

-

-

-

2791

172

11.7%

172

11.4%

151

8.5%

133

7.9%

3334

28

1.9%

-

-

-

-

-

-

4242

55

3.8%

55

3.7%

55

3.1%

62

3.7%

5820

-

-

52

3.5%

102

5.7%

102

6.1%

6103

27

1.8%

34

2.2%

24

1.4%

10

0.6%

6104

40

2.8%

52

3.5%

72

4.0%

72

4.3%

6105

38

2.6%

21

1.4%

66

3.7%

66

3.9%

6106

24

1.6%

27

1.8%

-

-

-

-

6110

36

2.4%

64

4.3%

-

-

-

-

6111

61

4.2%

77

5.1%

89

5.0%

87

5.2%

6113

-

-

37

2.5%

47

2.6%

-

-

6117

-

-

-

-

76

4.2%

50

3.0%

Total

1,464

100.0%

1,503

100.0%

1,789

100.0%

1,689

100.0%

* Percentage of total syndicate portfolio


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