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{{Verification|date=October 2024}}{{Short description|Swiss insurance holding company}}
{{Infobox company
|name             = Bâloise Holding AG
|logo             = Baloise Logo 2022.svg
|type             = [[Aktiengesellschaft]] 
|traded_as        = {{SWX|BALN}}
|foundation       = 1863 <small> (Basler Versicherungsgesellschaft gegen Feuerschaden) </small> <br /> 1962 <small> (Bâloise Holding) </small>
|founder          =
|location_city    = [[Basel]]
|location_country = [[Switzerland]]
|locations        =
|area_served      =
|key_people       = Michael Müller <small>([[chief executive officer|CEO]])</small>, Carsten Stolz <small>([[chief financial officer|CFO]])</small>, Andreas Burckhardt <small>([[Chairman]])</small>
|industry         = [[Financial services]]
|products         = [[Insurance]], [[bank]]ing, [[pension]]s
|services         =
|revenue          = [[Swiss franc|CHF]] 8.981 billion <small>(2015)</small><ref name="AR2015">{{cite web |url=https://www.baloise.com/dam/jcr:665889c1-f0db-4d67-aafc-591c30f0b648/annual-report-2015.pdf |format=PDF|title=Annual Report 2015 |accessdate=3 April 2015 |publisher=Bâloise}}</ref>
|operating_income = CHF 511.1 million <small>(2015)</small><ref name="AR2015" />
|assets           = CHF 78.783 billion <small>(end 2015)</small><ref name="AR2015" />
|equity           = CHF 5.462 billion <small>(end 2015)</small><ref name="AR2015" />
|num_employees    = 7,300 <small>([[full-time equivalent|FTE]], end 2015)</small><ref name="AR2015" />
|parent           =
|divisions        =
|subsid           =
|homepage         = [https://www.baloise.com/en/home.html www.baloise.com]
|footnotes        =
}}

'''Bâloise Holding AG''' is a Swiss insurance holding company headquartered in [[Basel]]. The company employs approximately 9,000 employees across Europe and is the third-largest Swiss all-industry insurance service provider for individuals and businesses.

==History==
The ''Basler Versicherungen'' was founded in 1863 as ''Basler Versicherungsgesellschaft gegen Feuerschaden'', insuring inhabitants of Basel against fire damage. This was prompted by the tragic fire incident in Glarus - in the following year, the company already expanded to covering life and transportation, as well as expanding geographically within [[Switzerland]] and abroad. At the end of the decade, the insurer added its own reinsurance business to the portfolio.

By the early 20th century, the business was booming and the company even dabbled in the U.S. market. However, they had exited the U.S. again by the time of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, avoiding any insurance loss created by that natural catastrophe. World War I presented a difficult time to do business, but Baloise was able to continue expanding internationally even during the depression before World War II. During the War, the headquarters were evacuated due to proximity to both the French and German border and 115 tons of files were moved to a secure location protected by the Swiss army near Saanen. After the war, Baloise was able to grow as part of Europe's economic advances and in 1962, the separate parts of the business all became part of holding structure.

The 1970s and 1980s brought new international subsidiaries, such as in Austria, and acquisitions, including Deutscher Ring Leben in Germany, a majority stake in Mercator in Belgium, and the Providence Washington Insurance Company in the U.S. Many of these businesses were later sold, while new ones were acquired.

In 2007, [[baloisedirect.ch]] was launched as the company's online insurance provider, offering insurance for vehicles, personal liability insurance, home contents insurance, legal expenses insurance and travel insurance.<ref>Markus von Escher, Karl Lüönd: ''Sicherheit als Prinzip. 150 Jahre und eine Zukunft für die Basler''. Hrsg. Bâloise Holding AG, 2013, {{ISBN|978-3-033-04256-8}}, S. 267.</ref>

In April 2025, [[Helvetia Insurance|Helvetia]]  and Baloise  announced a plan to merge to create Switzerland's second-largest insurance group with a combined business volume of 20 billion Swiss francs ($24.69 billion). The new group would be called Helvetia Baloise Holding. The merger is expected to conclude in the fourth quarter of 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR Baloise and Helvetia join forces to create the second largest insurance group in Switzerland and a leading European insurer |url=https://www.baloise.com/en/home/news-stories/news/media-releases/2025/baloise-and-helvetia-join-forces.html |access-date=2025-04-22 |website=www.baloise.com |language=en}}</ref>

==Holding structure==

Bâloise Holding operates in Europe through various subsidiaries:

* {{Flag|Switzerland}}: [[Basler Versicherungen Schweiz]], [[Baloise Bank]], [[Baloise Asset Management]], [[Baloise Fund Invest]]
* {{Flag|Germany}}: [[Basler Versicherungen]], [[Deutscher Ring]]
* {{Flag|Liechtenstein}}: [[Baloise Life]]
* {{Flag|Belgium}}: [[Baloise Insurance]]
* {{Flag|Luxembourg}}: [[Bâloise Assurances]]

The company is listed on the [[SIX Swiss Exchange]]. The biggest shareholders of Bâloise are Chase Nominees and [[BlackRock]].<ref name="Shareholders Bâloise">{{cite web |url=https://www.baloise.com/en/home/investors/shareholders/significant-shareholders.html |title=Significant shareholders of Bâloise Holding AG |accessdate=24 April 2021 |publisher=Bâloise}}</ref>

On July 1, 2023, Michael Müller took the post as CEO from Gert De Winter, who was CEO for eight years.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://www.baloise.ch/en/private-customers.html Official website of the online insurance]

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[[Category:Financial services companies established in 1863]]
[[Category:Companies based in Basel]]
[[Category:Insurance companies of Switzerland]]
[[Category:Companies listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange]]