Sun Life to buy US benefits firm DentaQuest for $2.5bn in biggest deal since 2001

TORONTO: Sun Life Financial said it will acquire U.S. dental benefits provider DentaQuest for $2.48 billion in its biggest deal in two decades, becoming the latest cashed-up Canadian insurance company pursuing growth outside its home market.

The deal to acquire the United States' second-largest dental benefits provider, with more than 33 million members, will add about $100 million to its U.S. underlying income in its first full-year after closing, executives at Canada's second-largest life insurer said on an analyst call on Monday.

Sun Life announced the deal late on Sunday.

It is the biggest acquisition since Sun Life bought Clarica Life Insurance, from where Chief Executive Kevin Strain joined the company, for C$7.3 billion ($5.8 billion) in 2002, according to a spokeswoman.

Sun Life shares rose 1.7% to C$66.20 in morning trading in Toronto, compared with a 0.4% decline in the stock benchmark.

After synergies, expected to be $60 million, the firm is expected to add 24 Canadian cents to underlying earnings per share and 50 basis points to its return on equity, Canaccord Genuity analyst Scott Chan said, adding the transaction is "expected to support Sun Life's peer-leading ROE metrics."