EANS-Adhoc: Vienna Insurance Group VIENNA INSURANCE GROUP PRELIMINARY PREMIUMS
2013 1)
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ad-hoc disclosure transmitted by euro adhoc with the aim of a Europe-wide
distribution. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this
announcement.
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other/Preliminary, unconsolidated Premiums 2013
28.01.2014
Premiums amount to about EUR 9.4 billion (-4.9 percent) - adjusted for special
effects, premiums increased by 2.2 percent
Premiums in the segment "remaining markets" exceed EUR-1-billion threshold
Profit (before taxes) 1): about EUR 350 million
Normalised operating result 1): about EUR 580 million
Managing Board proposes increase in dividend 2) to EUR 1.30 per share
Sound operating performance in a difficult environment
In the financial year 2013 Vienna Insurance Group earned direct, unconsolidated
premiums written of about EUR 9.4 billion; this reflects a decline by 4.9
percent, which is mainly due to the planned reduction of the short-term
single-premium business in Poland as well as the targeted downsizing of the
motor business in Italy and Romania. About 1 percentage point of this decrease
may be attributed to currency effects, especially to the devaluation of the
Czech crown. Without these special effects, Vienna Insurance Group achieved a
sound premium growth of 2.2 percent.
In the property/casualty insurance premiums went down by 1.2 percent. While the
motor insurance failed to grow in many markets due to fierce competition, Vienna
Insurance Group has reported very positive increases in other property/casualty
lines of businesses. Thus Vienna Insurance Group has achieved a further
diversification of its portfolio in the non-life segment.
Life insurance premiums decreased by 9.3 percent. Excluding the effect of the
targeted downsizing of the single-premium business in Poland, Vienna Insurance
Group reported an increase of 2.0 percent in this segment.
The strategic approach of Vienna Insurance Group of focusing on expanding its
life insurance business has therefore proven right. This applies particularly
also to the cooperation with Erste Group companies. Moreover, Vienna Insurance
Group is continuously taking further steps to strengthen this segment in CEE;
this strategy has been reaffirmed through recent investments in Hungary as well
as in Poland.
The preliminary profit (before taxes) is expected to amount to about EUR 350
million and is decisively influenced by one-off effects in Italy and Romania.
Excluding these effects, Vienna Insurance Group is likely to report a normalised
operating result of approximately EUR 580 million, remaining more or less at the
same level as the result of the previous year.
Management proposes increase in dividend to EUR 1.30 per share
"In view of a continuous dividend policy, we want to take advantage of the good
operating performance as well as the strong capital base of our Group to offer
an attractive dividend to our shareholders. Therefore we plan to propose our
corporate bodies to increase the dividend by EUR 0.10 to EUR 1.30 per share in
the financial year 2013", emphasised Peter Hagen, CEO of Vienna Insurance Group.
"This means that we achieve a remarkable dividend yield of about 3.6 percent."
1)The business figures are based on preliminary data and are unconsolidated as
well as unaudited. All data are provided on a euro basis.
2)subject to the approval of the corporate bodies
Further inquiry note:
VIENNA INSURANCE GROUP AG
Wiener Versicherung Gruppe
1010 Wien, Schottenring 30
Alexander Jedlicka
Head of Public Relations, Spokesperson of the Group
Tel.: +43 (0)50 350-21029
Fax: +43 (0)50 350 99-21029
E-Mail: alexander.jedlicka@vig.com
Nina Higatzberger
Head of Investor Relations
Tel.: +43 (0)50 350-21920
Fax: +43 (0)50 350 99-21920
E-Mail: nina.higatzberger@vig.com
end of announcement euro adhoc
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issuer: Vienna Insurance Group
Schottenring 30
A-1010 Wien
phone: +43(0)50 390-21919
FAX: +43(0)50 390 99-23303
mail: investor.relations@vig.com
WWW: www.vig.com
sector: Insurance
ISIN: AT0000908504
indexes: WBI, ATX Prime, ATX
stockmarkets: official market: Wien, stock market: Prague Stock Exchange
language: English