Aviva Plc
The interim dividend will be paid Nov. 17 to shareholders, with the record date set Oct. 6. The insurer's first-half profit attributable to equity holders rose to £637 million from £130 million in the year-ago period. EPS amounted to 14.7 pence, compared with 2.4 pence a year earlier.
Pretax operating profit in the life business ticked up year over year to £1.32 billion from £1.23 billion, driven by improved performances in the U.K., France and Poland, while pretax operating profit at the general insurance and health business totaled £417 million, up 25% from £334 million in the first half of 2016.
Aviva's gross written premiums rose on a yearly basis to £13.58 billion from £12.59 billion. Net earned premiums came in at £12.14 billion, up from the year-ago £11.09 billion.
Net investment income, meanwhile, declined to £10.75 billion from £15.16 billion.
Claims and benefits paid, net of recoveries from reinsurers, amounted to £12.50 billion, compared with the year-ago £11.45 billion. The change in insurance liabilities, net of reinsurance, came in at £1.68 billion, down from £5.93 billion a year earlier.
The combined operating ratio in the general insurance business stood at 94.5%, compared with 95.7% a year earlier.
The estimated Solvency II coverage ratio was 193% at June-end, up from 189% at 2016-end and 174% a year ago.
Separately, Aviva said it inked a 10-year general insurance deal with HSBC Holdings Plc
The deal, which the insurer said is one of the largest bancassurance deals in the U.K., builds on a former five-year deal with HSBC.