EANS-News: UNIQA Insurance Group AG UNIQA achieves targets in first half of
year
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Corporate news transmitted by euro adhoc. The issuer/originator is solely
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6-month report
UNIQA achieves targets in first half of year
* Group premiums written fall by 7.7 per cent to EUR 3,277.7 million due to
proactive reduction in single premiums in life insurance
* Recurring Group premiums up 1.4 per cent
* Retained insurance benefits down 10.3 per cent at EUR 2,291.6 million
* Improvement in combined ratio from 97.1 per cent to 96.9 per cent
* Net investment income decreases to EUR 301.5 million (-25.6 per cent) due to
intensification of low-interest environment
* Earnings before taxes down by EUR 84.6 million at EUR 106.2 million (-44.3 per
cent) in line with expectations
* Earnings outlook for 2016 confirmed: up to 50 per cent lower than record
earnings from 2015 due to high future investments and strained economic
conditions
Commenting on the first half of 2016, UNIQA CEO Andreas Brandstetter says:
"Overall, the results from the first six months put us on track to achieve our
targets for the whole of the 2016 financial year as well. The planned decrease
in earnings before taxes that we forecast at the beginning of the year is a
consequence of the toxic low interest rate environment, which is still putting
investment income under a great deal of pressure. Combined with considerable
negative exchange rate effects and a stronger than average investment result in
the previous year, this results in a significant decrease in our investment
income. It is encouraging firstly that the decreases in premiums, investment
income and earnings before taxes have slowed in comparison to the first quarter,
and secondly that we managed to reduce the combined ratio further, in contrast
to the general development in the sector, and kept costs stable despite the
investments already initiated as part of our innovation program."
With regard to the development of premiums, Brandstetter comments: "The decline
in premiums written is entirely attributable to the fact that we significantly
reduced single premium business because this ties up a lot of capital and is
less profitable and not attractive for customers, particularly in the current
interest rate environment. I see it as very positive that we increased recurring
Group premiums after adjustment for single premiums and continued our growth
both in property and casualty insurance and also in the very profitable area of
health insurance.
With regard to the anticipated development in the second half of the year,
Brandstetter says: "We are responding to the low interest rate level by
systematically focusing on our core underwriting business. In the medium term,
our top priorities here will be to sustainably reduce the combined ratio and
maintain a healthy level of capital resources. For the 2016 financial year, we
still expect earnings before taxes to be up to 50 per cent lower than the very
good earnings for 2015. This is because investments in our innovation program
that was launched at the beginning of 2016 will increase in the second half of
the year, while the general conditions will remain extremely difficult, as
described above. We are keeping to our plan to continuously increase the annual
distribution per share in the years to come as part of a progressive dividend
policy."
Key Group figures for the first half of 2016 in detail
The premiums written by the UNIQA Group including the savings portion of unit-
and index-linked life insurance fell by 7.7 per cent to EUR 3,277.7 million in
the first half year of 2016 (1 - 6/2015: EUR 3,552.2 million) due to the
reduction in single premium business in the life insurance segment in line with
planning. While single premiums in life insurance fell by 36.2 per cent to
EUR 547.5 million (1 - 6/2015: EUR 858.7 million), recurring Group premiums
climbed by 1.4 per cent to EUR 2,730.2 million (1 - 6/2015: EUR 2,693.5
million).
Premiums written in health insurance climbed by 3.5 per cent to EUR 523.3
million in the period under review (1 - 6/2015: EUR 505.4 million), while in
property and casualty insurance they grew by 1.9 per cent to EUR 1,454.5 million
in the first six months of 2016 (1 - 6/2015: EUR 1,427.0 million). In life
insurance, total premiums written - including the savings portion of unit- and
index-linked life insurance - declined by 19.8 per cent to EUR 1,299.9 million
(1 - 6/2015: EUR 1,619.8 million) due to the reduction of single premium
business.
Premiums earned (net) in accordance with IFRS (i.e. not including the savings
portion of unit- and index-linked life insurance) decreased by 7.8 per cent to
EUR 2,841.4 million (1 - 6/2015: EUR 3,081.0 million).
Net insurance benefits fell by 10.3 per cent to EUR 2,291.6 million in the first
half year of 2016 (1 - 6/2015: EUR 2,555.2 million) as a result of the sharp
decline in premiums in life insurance.
Total operating expenses less reinsurance commissions remained stable at
EUR 684.6 million in the first six months of 2016 (1 - 6/2015: EUR 685.2
million). Acquisition expenses decreased by 2.9 per cent to EUR 475.6 million (1
- 6/2015: EUR 490.1 million). Other operating expenses (administration costs)
climbed by 7.1 per cent in the first half of 2016 to EUR 209.0 million (1 - 6/
2015: EUR 195.2 million) as a result of investments already initiated as part of
the innovation and investment program.
As expected, the Group cost ratio rose to 22.5 per cent (1 - 6/2015: 20.6 per
cent) as a result of the decrease in premiums and the increase in investments.
The combined ratio after reinsurance improved to 96.9 per cent (1 - 6/2015: 97.1
per cent), primarily due to an improved loss ratio.
Net investment income declined by 25.6 per cent to EUR 301.5 million in the
first
six months of 2016 (1 - 6/2015: EUR 405.3 million). The comparative figure for
the previous year was positively influenced by net measurement gains and the
reorganisation of the strategic investment policy in 2015, whereas in the first
quarter of 2016 it was curbed by negative exchange rate effects and in the first
half of the year as whole by further intensification of the low-interest
environment.
Investments of the UNIQA Group (including unit- and index-linked life insurance
investments) increased as against the end of the previous year to EUR 30,107.5
million as at 30 June 2016 (31 December 2015: EUR 29,416.1 million).
The technical result of the UNIQA Group fell by 14.5 per cent to EUR 57.6
million in the first half year of 2016 (1 - 6/2015: EUR 67.4 million) primarily
due to initial expenses in connection with the innovation and investment
program. Operating earnings declined by 31.7 per cent to EUR 145.8 million (1 -
6/2015: EUR 213.3 million) as a result of the decline in the investment result.
The UNIQA Group's earnings before taxes amounted to EUR 106.2 million (1 - 6/
2015: EUR 190.8 million).
Consolidated profit (net profit for the period attributable to the shareholders
of UNIQA Insurance Group AG) decreased by 42.2 per cent to EUR 90.3 million (1 -
6/2015: EUR 156.3 million). Earnings per share amounted to EUR 0.29 (1 - 6/2015:
EUR 0.51).
As at 30 June 2016, the UNIQA Group's equity amounted to EUR 3,267.3 million (31
December 2015: EUR 3,152.7 million).
The average number of employees at the UNIQA Group decreased to 13,764 in the
first six months of 2016 (1 - 6/2015: 14,167).
Outlook for 2016
At the beginning of 2016, UNIQA launched the biggest innovation programme in the
company's history and will invest around EUR 500 million in the redesign of the
business model, the necessary build-up of staff expertise and the required IT
systems over the next few years. A good portion of these considerable future
investments will take effect in 2016. In combination with the persistently
difficult conditions - such as ongoing low interest rates, sinking investment
income and political uncertainty in individual markets - UNIQA expects earnings
before taxes in the 2016 financial year to be up to 50 per cent lower than the
very good earnings for 2015. Despite the investments and the challenging
economic environment, UNIQA intends to continuously increase the annual
distribution per share in the years to come as part of a progressive dividend
policy.
Forward-looking statements
This press release contains statements concerning UNIQA's future development.
These statements present estimates which were reached on the basis of all of the
information available to us at the present time. If the assumptions on which
they are based do not occur, the actual results may deviate from the results
currently expected. As a result, no liability is accepted for this information.
UNIQA
The UNIQA Group is one of the leading insurance groups in its core markets of
Austria and Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). 21,300 employees and exclusive
sales partners serve more than 10 million customers in 19 countries. UNIQA is
the second-largest insurance group in Austria with a market share of around 22
per cent. UNIQA operates in 15 markets in the CEE growth region: Albania, Bosnia
and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Kosovo,
Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia and Ukraine.
The UNIQA Group also includes insurance companies in Italy, Switzerland and
Liechtenstein.
Further inquiry note:
UNIQA Insurance Group AG
Norbert Heller
Tel.: +43 (01) 211 75-3414
mailto:norbert.heller@uniqa.at
end of announcement euro adhoc
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company: UNIQA Insurance Group AG
Untere Donaustraße 21
A-1029 Wien
phone: 01/211 75-0
mail: investor.relations@uniqa.at
WWW: http://www.uniqagroup.com
sector: Insurance
ISIN: AT0000821103
indexes: WBI, ATX Prime, ATX
stockmarkets: official market: Wien
language: English