Brookfield reinsurance arm offers to buy American Equity in $4.3 bln deal

Canadian investment firm Brookfield's insurance arm has offered to buy American Equity Investment Life Holding in a deal valued at nearly $4.3 billion, the annuities provider said on Tuesday.

The deal comes months after AEL rejected a nearly $4 billion takeover offer from insurance firm Prosperity Life and its principal shareholder Elliott Investment Management, saying the bid "significantly undervalued" the company. Shares of AEL were up 12% at $50.9 in premarket trading.