The 1980s witnessed the final merger to form AEGON, as well as the company's stock market entry.
AGO and Ennia Join Forces
In 1983, AGO and Ennia joined forces to create a new force in the global insurance industry: AEGON. The company continued to expand internationally throughout the 1980s. In 1986, AEGON bought Western Reserve Life in Ohio. This was followed a few months later by the acquisition of the Baltimore-based life insurer Monumental Corp. By June 1988, AEGON had united its growing US business under a single roof: AEGON USA, with headquarters in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
AEGON’s international expansion was not confined to North America. The 1980s saw a series of further acquisitions in Europe, particularly in Spain. By 1987, the company was one of the ten largest insurance companies in the country measured by premium income.
Access to International Capital Markets
In the 1980s, AEGON floated its shares on a number of leading stock exchanges, giving the company its first access to international capital markets, and the vital funding for its continued growth.
By the early 1980s, AEGON was listed on the Amsterdam and London exchanges. In 1991, AEGON went one step further and listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
At the time, the flotation was heralded as "the most important arrival from Holland since Peter Stuyvesant founded New Amsterdam in 1653."
Today, AEGON shares are traded in Amsterdam, London and New York.
Further Expansion >>