ALLSTATE CORP
8-K, 1999-07-12
FIRE, MARINE & CASUALTY INSURANCE
Previous: BLANCH E W HOLDINGS INC, DEF 14A, 1999-07-12
Next: CINERGY CORP, S-4, 1999-07-12





                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                                Washington, D.C.
                              ---------------------


                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT


                     PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15 (d) OF THE

                         SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934


          Date of report (Date of earliest event reported) July 9, 1999



                            The Allstate Corporation
               (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)




   Delaware                        1-11840                       36-3871531
(State or Other                 (Commission                   (IRS Employer
 Jurisdiction of                 File Number)                  Identification
 Incorporation)                                                   Number)


2775 Sanders Road, Northbrook, Illinois                           60062
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)                       (Zip Code)


Registrant's telephone number, including area code (847) 402-5000





                                   Page 1 of 7
                             Exhibit Index at page 4


<PAGE>



Item 5.  Other Events


     On July 9, 1999, the Registrant issued the press release attached hereto as
Exhibit 99.




Item 7.  Financial Statements and Exhibits


         (c)      Exhibits



Exhibit No.                                      Description

   99                                       Registrant's press release dated
                                            July 9, 1999
































                                   Page 2 of 7


<PAGE>




                                   SIGNATURES




          Pursuant to the  requirements of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934,
     the  Registrant  has duly  caused this report to be signed on its behalf by
     the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.





                                               THE ALLSTATE CORPORATION




                                               By s\ Robert W. Pike

                                               Name: Robert W. Pike
                                               Title: Vice President, Secretary
                                                      and General Counsel




July 9, 1999






                                   Page 3 of 7



<PAGE>



                                Index to Exhibits




                                                                   Sequential
                                                                   Page
Number                     Description                             Number



 99                Registrant's press release dated               5
                   July 9, 1999

















                                   Page 4 of 7

<PAGE>


                                                                  Exhibit No. 99
The Allstate Corporation
News
                                                        FOR MORE INFORMATION:
                                                        April Hattori
                                                        Allstate Media Relations
                                                        847-402-8373

For Immediate Release

ALLSTATE ENTERS FAST GROWING INSURANCE WORKSITE MARKETING ARENA WITH ACQUISITION
OF AMERICAN HERITAGE LIFE INVESTMENT CORP.


(NORTHBROOK,  IL)  July  9,  1999 - As  part  of its  strategy  to  expand  into
additional   channels  with  additional   products  and  brands,   The  Allstate
Corporation  (NYSE:ALL) announced today it has reached a definitive agreement to
acquire  American  Heritage  Life  Investment  Corp.   (NYSE:AHL)  for  a  total
consideration of $1.1 billion. The Boards of both Allstate and American Heritage
Life Investment Corp (AHLIC) have approved the transaction.

This  transaction -- which closely follows the acquisition of CNA Personal Lines
and a strategic alliance with Putnam Investments to market variable annuities --
will further  broaden and strengthen  Allstate's  multi-channel,  multi-product,
multi-brand strategy.

AHLIC is the parent of  American  Heritage  Life  Insurance  Company,  the third
largest  distributor of life,  disability  and health  insurance to employees at
their  workplace.  Last year, it had revenues of $480  million,  and recorded an
operating profit of $36.4 million.

"The  acquisition  of AHLIC  provides us with the  opportunity  to expand into a
rapidly growing segment of the life insurance business through a highly regarded
name and channel,  and with a management  team which has a proven and successful
track record in this market," said Allstate  Chairman,  President and CEO Edward
M. Liddy.

"American Heritage Life is already the third-largest  work-site marketer, and we
believe  the  business  can be  expanded  significantly.  By  adding  Allstate's
significant capital and national presence, we fully expect to leverage the power
of our two companies," Liddy said.

                                   Page 5 of 7

<PAGE>



"This company has shown solid and profitable  growth for 23 consecutive  years,"
said AHLIC Chairman T. O'Neal Douglas. "However, it was clear that we could best
capture the rapidly  expanding  growth  opportunities  in the marketplace with a
partner.  We see Allstate as having the capital,  the marketing  support and the
distribution  expertise to help us meet the opportunities  this expanding market
provides, and enable us to expand our market presence across the country."

The  existing  management  of American  Heritage  Life will  continue to run the
business  under the  present  brand  name and the  headquarters  will  remain in
Jacksonville, Florida. American Heritage Life is licensed to conduct business in
49 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. It focuses primarily on the
sale of products to workers with  moderate to middle  incomes in companies  with
fewer than 1,000  employees.  These smaller  companies employ some 87 percent of
the American workforce.

"To date, the majority of American  Heritage  Life's products have been marketed
in the Southeastern United States," said Thomas J. Wilson, president of Allstate
Life Insurance.  "There is a significant  opportunity to use Allstate's national
presence to expand the business  throughout  the country.  This,  coupled with a
market that is growing 15 percent annually as employees  increasingly  decide to
purchase  products  through their  workplace,  clearly  offers an  unprecedented
growth opportunity."

American  Heritage Life Investment  Corp.  shareholders  will receive $32.25 for
each AHLIC share,  receivable in Allstate shares or cash. In addition,  Allstate
will assume AHLIC's  obligations under its outstanding  mandatorily  redeeemable
preferred  securities.  The  transaction  values  AHLIC at $1.1  billion  and is
subject  to  approval  by  the  company's  shareholders,   requisite  regulatory
authorities  and other customary  conditions.  It is expected to be completed by
the end of the year.

As part of today's agreement,  shareholders  owning  approximately 39 percent of
the  outstanding  AHLIC  common  stock  signed an agreement to vote all of their
shares in favor of the acquisition. In addition, they agreed to vote against any
other proposed acquisition from a third party for six months. AHLIC also granted
to Allstate an option to acquire up to 19.9  percent of newly  issued  shares of
American  Heritage Life Investment Corp.,  exercisable in certain  circumstances
involving a third party's interference with the transaction. The parties entered
into the  option  to  increase  the  likelihood  that the  transaction  would be
completed according to the terms of the definitive agreement.

                                   Page 6 of 7
<PAGE>


Allstate  intends to  repurchase  in the open market a number of shares equal to
those issued in the proposed  acquisition.  It is anticipated that a substantial
portion  of the  repurchase  will  be  completed  prior  to the  closing  of the
acquisition.  Further, it is expected that these repurchases will be in addition
to those authorized under Allstate's  existing $2 billion repurchase program. As
of June 30, 1999,  Allstate had  repurchased  $820 million worth of shares under
the existing authorization.

Allstate  expects the  transaction to have a minimally  dilutive  effect for the
first two years following closing.

The Allstate  Corporation is the nation's  largest  publicly held personal lines
insurance  company.  Its main business units include Allstate  Personal Property
and Casualty,  which provides  insurance for more than 14 million households and
has  approximately  15,500 agents in the U.S. and Canada,  and Allstate Life and
Savings,  which markets a number of life insurance and savings  products under a
variety of brands  through a number of channels  and is  currently  the nation's
12th largest life insurance business.










This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell, or the  solicitation of
any  offer  to  buy,  any  security  in any  jurisdiction  in  which  an  offer,
solicitation or sale would be unlawful.



                                  Page 7 of 7

<PAGE>


© 2022 IncJournal is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission