• PageUp will leverage EQT’s expertise to accelerate international expansion and drive product innovation in talent management software.
• EQT’s investment builds on PageUp’s strong track record of expansion through organic growth and strategic acquisitions.
• The partnership reinforces EQT’s commitment to supporting high-growth software businesses in Asia Pacific and international markets.

STOCKHOLM, Oct. 31, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — EQT and PageUp Group today announced that EQT, a purpose-driven global investment organization, has acquired Australian-founded PageUp, a global leader in SaaS talent acquisition, recruitment marketing, and talent management solutions from existing majority owners, Battery Ventures.

The deal will enable PageUp to leverage EQT’s deep expertise in scaling high-growth global technology businesses to capture greater opportunities in the talent management software space, accelerate its international expansion, and enhance product innovation.

Founded in 1997, PageUp now delivers its cutting-edge talent acquisition and recruitment marketing software to top-tier corporates, universities, hospitals, and public-sector customers worldwide via offices in Australia, North America, and Europe. PageUp’s product suite powers the end-to-end talent management of global brands such as Flight Centre Travel Group, Ramsay Healthcare Australia, Bank of Ireland, Boston Medical Centre, and University of North Texas Systems.

EQT’s investment, through its BPEA Fund VIII (“EQT Private Capital Asia”), builds on PageUp’s operating momentum in achieving substantial organic and acquisition-led growth in recent years. This has included the acquisitions of Clinch in 2019 and eArcu and PathMotion in 2021. With EQT’s investment and strategic backing, PageUp will accelerate its expansion into priority international markets and deepen its offering in key sectors and verticals.

PageUp represents EQT’s latest investment in the Human Capital Management (“HCM”) software sector, which it views as an attractive and dynamic segment as HR professionals leverage technology to meet the challenges of attracting and retaining an evolving global workforce. PageUp adds to EQT’s global portfolio of investments in HCM software businesses across strategies, which includes Peakon, Unmind, Hume, Sana Labs, and HRBrain.

The investment further builds on EQT’s experience supporting market-leading Asia Pacific-based software businesses to capture global market opportunities. EQT will work with PageUp to construct a board of HR technology veterans from members of EQT’s industrial advisor network, pursue targeted inorganic growth opportunities in key markets worldwide, and accelerate the company’s AI product roadmap with help from EQT Digital.

Nicholas Macksey, Partner in the EQT Private Capital Asia advisory team, said: “PageUp’s impressive track record of innovation and growth makes it a standout leader in the talent management space. We are excited to partner with PageUp at this defining moment for the company. We look forward to leveraging EQT’s global reach and sector expertise to accelerate PageUp’s international expansion and amplify its product innovation, particularly in dynamic, high-growth markets. As the human capital management landscape rapidly evolves, we are committed to helping PageUp unlock new opportunities for its clients worldwide. This investment reinforces EQT’s strength in supporting software businesses that align with our core investment themes, allowing us to apply our deep expertise to foster innovation and drive impact in key industries.”

Following the successful completion of the transaction, Mark Rice has announced his intention to retire as CEO of PageUp. Over 13 years (initially as COO/CFO and as CEO for the last six years), Mark has led the Group’s dynamic and profitable growth and driven its international expansion both organically and through several successful acquisitions.

Commenting on the successful acquisition and his decision to retire as CEO, PageUp Group’s outgoing CEO Mark Rice said: “EQT’s investment is a ringing endorsement of our business and the significant opportunities for market and product expansion ahead. After 13 years leading the business, and with EQT’s investment now secured, I have decided that now is the right time for me to retire as CEO, safe in the knowledge the company I have helped build is in safe hands. I am immensely proud of what we have accomplished at PageUp as a team and this decision was made easier knowing the business is well-positioned with supportive partners for its next phase of growth.”

Mark will oversee a transition period with incoming CEO Eric Lochner. Eric has over 25 years of leadership experience scaling SaaS companies globally, most notably HR Tech companies Kenexa, Achievers, and Careerbuilder.com. Eric Lochner said: “Under Mark’s stewardship, PageUp has gone from strength to strength. I am delighted to have accepted the opportunity to step into the CEO role and look forward to working with our new partners in transforming our clients’ hiring experiences and empowering individuals to find opportunities where they are happy, engaged, and fulfilled. With EQT’s expertise and support, we’ll accelerate our strategy with increased focus on customer experience and innovation, including the continued integration of responsible AI to rapidly evolve our platform and enhance the automation of talent management.”

William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to PageUp Group on this transaction. Barclays and Barrenjoey acted as the exclusive financial advisor to EQT on this transaction. 

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With this transaction, BPEA Private Equity Fund VIII is expected to be 80-90 percent invested (including closed and/or signed investments, announced public offers, if applicable, and less any expected syndication) based on target fund size and subject to customary regulatory approvals.

The information contained herein does not constitute an offer to sell, nor a solicitation of an offer to buy, any security and may not be used or relied upon in connection with any offer or solicitation. Any offer or solicitation in respect of BPEA Private Equity Fund VIII will be made only through a confidential private placement memorandum and related documents which will be furnished to qualified investors on a confidential basis in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. The information contained herein is not for publication or distribution to persons in the United States of America. Any securities referred to herein have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and may not be offered or sold without registration thereunder or pursuant to an available exemption therefrom. Any offering of securities to be made in the United States would have to be made by means of an offering document that would be obtainable from the issuer or its agents and would contain detailed information about the issuer of the securities and its management, as well as financial information. The securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration.

Contact
EQT Press Office, [email protected]

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RICHMOND, Va., Oct. 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Markel Group Inc. (NYSE: MKL) today reported its financial results for the third quarter of 2024. The Company also announced today it filed its Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2024 with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Markel Group aspires to build one of the world’s great companies and deploys three financial engines in pursuit of this goal: Insurance, Investments and Markel Ventures.

“We’ve consistently emphasized the value of our family of businesses that have found a home under the Markel Group umbrella. The results of 2024 so far underscore that benefit. Many of our businesses performed exceptionally, others made solid improvements where there was room for improvement, and a few faced slowdowns or challenges,” said Tom Gayner, Chief Executive Officer. “Overall, we achieved strong results, and we’re confident in our long-term ability for that to continue to be the case.”

The following table presents summary financial data, by engine, for the quarters and nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023.

	Quarter Ended September 30,				Nine Months Ended September 30,
(dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)	2024		2023		2024		2023 Advertisement
Operating revenues:
Insurance	$    2,185,758		$        2,208,352		$    6,519,744		$        6,327,165
Investments:
Net investment income	233,384		191,015 Advertisement		671,042		518,536
Net investment gains (losses)	917,530		(265,917)		1,689,794		591,173
Other	14,971		(5,033) Advertisement		45,174		(13,791)
Total Investments	1,165,885		(79,935)		2,406,010		1,095,918
Markel Ventures	1,259,621		1,246,769 Advertisement		3,854,008		3,738,028
Total operating revenues	$    4,611,264		$        3,375,186		$  12,779,762		$      11,161,111
Operating income:
Insurance (1)	$        145,273 Advertisement		$             69,870		$        458,023		$           444,571
Investments:
Net investment income	233,384		191,015		671,042		518,536
Net investment gains (losses) Advertisement	917,530		(265,917)		1,689,794		591,173
Other	14,971		(5,033)		45,174		(13,791)
Total Investments Advertisement	1,165,885		(79,935)		2,406,010		1,095,918
Markel Ventures	106,627		130,420		388,040		392,648
Consolidated segment operating income (2) Advertisement	1,417,785		120,355		3,252,073		1,933,137
Amortization of acquired intangible assets	(46,459)		(47,545)		(134,981)		(136,367)
Total operating income Advertisement	$    1,371,326		$             72,810		$    3,117,092		$        1,796,770
Comprehensive income (loss) to shareholders	$    1,329,458		$         (107,500)		$    2,482,199		$        1,103,414
Diluted net income per common share Advertisement	$           66.25		$                3.14		$         160.42		$               90.69
Combined ratio	96.4 %		99.1 %		95.1 %		95.4 %

(1)     See “Supplemental Financial Information” for the components of our Insurance engine operating income. Advertisement

(2)     See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for additional information on this non-GAAP measure.

Highlights of results from the quarter and nine months:

• Operating revenue growth of 37% and 15% for the quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2024, respectively, as well as significant growth in operating income, was driven by our Investments engine.
• Our Investments engine benefited from more favorable market value movements within our equity portfolio in 2024 compared to 2023. Generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) require that we include unrealized gains and losses on equity securities in net income. This may lead to short-term volatility in revenues and operating income that temporarily obscures our underlying operating performance.
• Net investment income within our Investments engine increased 22% and 29% for the quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2024, respectively, reflecting higher interest rates and increased investment holdings in 2024 compared to 2023.
• Our Insurance engine benefited from strong performance by our international operations, the favorable impact of underwriting actions by our U.S. operations and continued growth in our program services business in 2024, while the performance of our Reinsurance segment was negatively impacted by elevated levels of losses on certain product lines.
• Underwriting results for the quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2024 included $62 million of net losses and loss adjustment expenses attributed to Hurricane Helene, or three points and one point on the quarter-to-date and year-to-date consolidated combined ratio, respectively.
• Our Markel Ventures engine grew operating revenues in 2024 driven by our consumer and building products businesses, while operating income decreased due in part to lower operating margins at certain of our businesses.

We believe our financial performance is most meaningfully measured over longer periods of time, which tends to mitigate the effects of short-term volatility and also aligns with the long-term perspective we apply to operating our businesses and making investment decisions. The following table presents a long-term view of our performance.

	Nine Months Ended September 30,		Years Ended December 31,
(dollars in thousands)	2024		2023		2022		2021 Advertisement		2020
Operating income (loss):
Insurance (1)	$     458,023		$     348,145		$     928,709		$     718,800		$     136,985
Investments (2)	2,406,010 Advertisement		2,241,419		(1,167,548)		2,353,124		989,564
Markel Ventures	388,040		519,878		404,281		330,120		306,650 Advertisement
Consolidated segment operating income (3)	3,252,073		3,109,442		165,442		3,402,044		1,433,199
Amortization and impairment	(134,981)		(180,614)		(258,778) Advertisement		(160,539)		(159,315)
Total operating income (loss)	$  3,117,092		$  2,928,828		$      (93,336)		$  3,241,505		$  1,273,884
Net investment gains (losses) (2)	$  1,689,794 Advertisement		$  1,524,054		$ (1,595,733)		$  1,978,534		$     617,979
Compound annual growth rate in closing stock price per share from December 31, 2019 to September 30, 2024	7 %

(1)	See “Supplemental Financial Information” for the components of our Insurance engine operating income.
(2)	Investments engine operating income includes net investment gains (losses), which are primarily comprised of unrealized gains and losses on equity securities. Advertisement
(3)	See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for additional information on this non-GAAP measure.

* * * * * * * *

A copy of our Form 10-Q is available on our website at mklgroup.com, under Investor Relations-Financials, or on the SEC website at www.sec.gov. Readers are urged to review the Form 10-Q for a more complete discussion of our financial performance. Our quarterly conference call, which will involve discussion of our financial results and business developments and may include forward-looking information, will be held Thursday, October 31, 2024, beginning at 9:30 a.m. (Eastern Time). Investors, analysts and the general public may listen to the call via live webcast at ir.mklgroup.com. The call may be accessed telephonically by dialing (800) 715-9871 in the U.S., or (646) 307-1963 internationally, and providing Conference ID: 4614568. A replay of the call will be available on our website approximately one hour after the conclusion of the call. Any person needing additional information can contact Markel Group’s Investor Relations Department at [email protected].

Supplemental Financial Information
The following table presents the components of our Insurance engine operating income.

	Quarter Ended September 30,				Nine Months Ended September 30,				Years Ended December 31,
(dollars in thousands) Advertisement	2024		2023		2024		2023		2023		2022		2021		2020
Insurance operating income (loss):
Insurance segment Advertisement	$  109,584		$       25,092		$  350,073		$     256,247		$  162,176		$  549,871		$  696,413		$  169,001
Reinsurance segment	(33,531) Advertisement		(5,812)		(20,200)		33,606		(19,265)		83,859		(55,129)		(75,470)
Other insurance operations	69,220		50,590 Advertisement		128,150		154,718		205,234		294,979		77,516		43,454
Insurance	$  145,273		$       69,870		$  458,023 Advertisement		$     444,571		$  348,145		$  928,709		$  718,800		$  136,985

Non-GAAP Financial Measures
Consolidated segment operating income is a non-GAAP financial measure as it represents the total of the segment operating income from each of our operating segments and excludes items included in operating income. Consolidated segment operating income excludes amortization of acquired intangible assets and goodwill impairments arising from purchase accounting as they do not represent costs of operating the underlying businesses. The following table reconciles operating income to consolidated segment operating income.

	Quarter Ended September 30,				Nine Months Ended September 30,				Years Ended December 31, Advertisement
(dollars in thousands)	2024		2023		2024		2023		2023		2022		2021		2020
Operating income (loss) Advertisement	$  1,371,326		$     72,810		$  3,117,092		$  1,796,770		$  2,928,828		$    (93,336)		$  3,241,505		$  1,273,884
Amortization of acquired intangible assets	46,459 Advertisement		47,545		134,981		136,367		180,614		178,778		160,539		159,315
Impairment of goodwill	—		— Advertisement		—		—		—		80,000		—		—
Consolidated segment operating income	$  1,417,785		$   120,355		$  3,252,073 Advertisement		$  1,933,137		$  3,109,442		$   165,442		$  3,402,044		$  1,433,199

About Markel Group
Markel Group Inc. is a diverse family of companies that includes everything from insurance to bakery equipment, building supplies, houseplants, and more. The leadership teams of these businesses operate with a high degree of independence, while at the same time living the values that we call the Markel Style. Our specialty insurance business sits at the core of our company. Through decades of sound underwriting, the insurance team has provided the capital base from which we built a system of businesses and investments that collectively increase Markel Group’s durability and adaptability. It’s a system that provides diverse income streams, access to a wide range of investment opportunities, and the ability to efficiently move capital to the best ideas across the company. Most importantly though, this system enables each of our businesses to advance our shared goal of helping our customers, associates, and shareholders win over the long term. Visit mklgroup.com to learn more.

Cautionary Statement
Certain of the statements in this release may be considered forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about our beliefs, plans or expectations, are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on our current plans, estimates and expectations. There are risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in or suggested by such statements. Factors that may cause actual results to differ are often presented with the forward-looking statements themselves. Additional factors that could cause actual results to differ from those predicted are set forth in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, including under “Business Overview,” “Risk Factors,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” “Safe Harbor and Cautionary Statement,” and “Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk,” and in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, including under “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” “Safe Harbor and Cautionary Statement,” and “Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk”. We assume no obligation to update this release (including any forward-looking statements) as a result of new information, developments, or otherwise. This release speaks only as of the date issued.

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OSLO, Norway, Oct. 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The Board of Directors of Aker Solutions ASA (“Aker Solutions”) has proposed to pay out an extraordinary cash dividend of NOK 21.00 per share, pending approval in an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) to be held on November 22, 2024.

• Dividend amount: NOK 21.00 per share
• Total dividend amount (excluding own shares): NOK 10 billion
• Last day including right: 22 November 2024 
• Ex-date: 25 November 2024 
• Record date: 26 November 2024 
• Payment date: 2 December 2024
• Date of approval (EGM): 22 November 2024 

The Board of Directors of Aker Solutions has today resolved to propose paying an extraordinary dividend of NOK 21.00 per share. Aker Solutions has a total of 492 167 089 outstanding shares, of which 13 708 424 shares are held by Aker Solutions at the date hereof. Own shares will not be entitled to the dividend. The proposed extraordinary dividend is based on the approved annual accounts for 2023. Notice of the EGM will be distributed separately. 

“The extraordinary dividend proposed by the Board of Directors reflects the value creation in Aker Solutions over time. After the dividend payment, the company will maintain a solid balance sheet, enabling continued development of the company and its employees, in addition to creating solid shareholder returns”, said Leif-Arne Langøy, Chairman of the Board at Aker Solutions.

“I am proud of the fact that we are delivering on our ambitious targets and that we continue to serve our investors through an attractive capital allocation strategy”, said Kjetel Digre, Chief Executive Officer at Aker Solutions. 

CONTACT: 
Preben Ørbeck
investor relations
[email protected] 
+47 470 10 611

Hallvard Norum
media contact
[email protected] 
+47 913 80 820

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