AIZ Boosts Post-Purchase Capabilities With RL Circular Operations

Assurant, Inc. AIZ has acquired RL Circular Operations and related subsidiaries. This partnership is intended to strengthen AIZ’s post-purchase and expand its circular logistics footprint in Australia and New Zealand. 

RL Circular Operations, formerly known as TIC Reverse Logistics, is a reverse logistics division of TIC Group. It is widely recognised as the leading post-purchase workflow and reverse logistics service provider for retailers, manufacturers, and suppliers in Australia and New Zealand. TIC Group, founded in 1989, operates across post-purchase customer experience, centralized return centers, and asset recovery business lines.

Rationale Behind the Deal

This strategic acquisition of RL Circular Operations and its subsidiaries fortifies Assurant’s post-purchase service capabilities in Australia and New Zealand. The deal also intends to use AI-based technologies that drive sustainable practices in retail and device lifecycle management programs in the region.

With the integration of RL Circular Operations' expertise, Assurant will deliver more efficient post-sales services across APAC as a response to the rising consumer demand for seamless returns as well as sustainable lifecycle solutions. 

This investment of AIZ in integrated capabilities will contribute to lifecycle extension, reduce material waste, improve efficiency, enhance customer trust, and facilitate asset monetization.

This acquisition of RL Circular Operations expands Assurant’s ability to deliver end-to-end device lifecycle management while reducing reliance on third-party logistics providers for post-purchase services. This, in turn, will enhance its competitive position in the retail channel, particularly in the two priority APAC markets across Australia and New Zealand. The deal will further reinforce AIZ’s ability to embrace new ideas, deliver greater value to clients and partners across the region, and expand extended warranty and mobile value chain capabilities. 
This partnership will bring new growth opportunities as Assurant’s global capabilities and investments in AI and robotics, united with RL’s expertise, will help uplift services and drive innovation across Australia and New Zealand.

Assurant Drives Growth Through Strategic Collaboration

The businesses of AIZ represent a group of leading, protection and service-oriented offerings focused on compelling growth opportunities. The company intends to grow businesses by strengthening partnerships globally while continuing to invest in technology, including digital and AI. Its approach to mergers, acquisitions and other growth opportunities reflects a strategic and disciplined approach to capital management.

Through its Global Lifestyle segment, the multi-line insurer provides mobile device solutions, extended service contracts and related services for consumer electronics and appliances, and credit and other insurance products, which are referred to as Connected Living. This segment derives revenues from service contracts and sales of products primarily from AIZ’s Connected Living business. Therefore, this buyout is likely to bolster and expand the insurer’s Connected Living business, which, in turn, contributes to the top-line growth of the company.

The recent RL Circular Operations deal follows Assurant’s recent acquisition of OptoFidelity’s mobile test automation portfolio in Finland in October 2025. This acquisition enabled AIZ to meet the growing demand and drive greater circularity by reusing devices from trade-in and other sources for the partners. OptoFidelity’s technology further strengthened Assurant’s ability to scale, optimize resources, and easily integrate with existing processes to support future innovation.

Assurant’s Zacks Rank & Price Performance

Shares of this Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) multi-line insurer have gained 10.5% in the past year, outperforming the industry’s growth of 2.6%.

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Other Stocks to Consider

Some other top-ranked stocks from the multi-line insurance industry are CNO Financial Group, Inc. CNO, Enact Holdings, Inc. ACT and Principal Financial Group, Inc. PFG, each carrying a Zacks Rank #2 at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

CNO Financial has a solid track record of beating earnings estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and matched in one, with an average being 6.46%. In the past year, shares of CNO have risen 7.1%.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CNO’s 2026 earnings implies year-over-year growth of 4.3%, from the consensus estimate of the corresponding years.

Enact Holdings has beaten earnings estimates in one of the trailing four quarters. In the past year, shares of ACT have gained 19.8%.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ACT’s 2026 earnings implies year-over-year growth of 3.8%, from the consensus estimate of the corresponding years.

Principal Financial has a solid track record of beating earnings estimates in one of the trailing four quarters and missing in the other three, with an average being 0.69%. In the past year, shares of PFG have climbed 8.3%. 

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for PFG’s 2026 earnings implies year-over-year growth of 13.4%, from the consensus estimate of the corresponding years.

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