Beazley has rejected Zurich Insurance Group's £7.7 billion takeover offer, saying the 1,280 pence per share bid materially undervalues the FTSE 100 insurer and its prospects as an independent company.

The Lloyd's of London specialist insurer disclosed that Zurich had made multiple approaches since June last year, with the latest offer falling below a previous proposal of 1,315 pence per share that valued Beazley at £8.4 billion. The Swiss group went public with its interest earlier this week after making several previously undisclosed bids.

"The board is very confident in Beazley's standalone prospects as a publicly listed company and in the attractiveness of Beazley's business model fundamentals," the company said in a statement to shareholders. Beazley advised investors to take no action following the approach.

The rejection marks the fifth time Beazley's board has declined Zurich's advances since last June. According to Artemis.bm, the board received three proposals in June and engaged with Zurich appropriately, including providing limited due diligence information in a good faith effort to reach a shared understanding of value.

Beazley highlighted recent strategic initiatives as drivers of shareholder value, including establishing a Bermuda insurer to complete its global market presence and focusing on innovation-led growth in alternative risk transfer. The company has made investments in transition underwriting expertise and plans to cement a leading position in cyber insurance-linked securities.

Zurich chief executive Mario Greco told the Financial Times earlier this week that the Swiss insurer has been preparing to launch a syndicate at Lloyd's whilst awaiting Beazley's response. He denied mounting a hostile takeover despite going public over the heads of Beazley's board, led by chairman Clive Bannister.

"We wanted to be transparent and put forward a proposal that we believe offers full and fair value for shareholders and is intended to encourage constructive engagement," Greco told the Telegraph.

Analysts from Jefferies noted a potential softening in Beazley's stance, observing that the company now describes the offer as materially undervalued rather than significantly undervalued. They suggested Zurich could afford a higher bid, perhaps exceeding the June proposal price.

Shares in Beazley fell 3.6 per cent following the rejection announcement, trading at 1,083 pence, well below Zurich's offer price. The stock had surged 40 per cent on Monday when the bid was first revealed.

A successful takeover would strengthen Zurich's position in specialist insurance and provide direct access to the Lloyd's market, where Beazley operates as a major syndicate. The combined entity would generate approximately $15 billion in sales. However, a merger would likely raise questions about job cuts given overlaps between the two companies, with Zurich employing 4,500 UK staff and Beazley 2,500.

The approach represents the latest in a series of foreign bids for British insurers, following AIG's move last year to take a stake in Convex, another speciality insurer operating at Lloyd's and in Bermuda.

---