Final Results
RSA DELIVERS 5% GROWTH IN PREMIUMS, £684M OPERATING PROFIT AND COMBINED RATIO OF 95.4%
Solid performance, 5% growth1 in net written premiums
Net written premiums up 5% on constant exchange rate basis to £8,353m
Underwriting result flat at £375m (2011: £375m) including negative impact from UK adverse weather and Italian earthquakes in first half; combined operating ratio of 95.4% (2011: 94.9%)
Investment income of £515m (2011: £579m), ahead of 2012 guidance
Emerging Markets now represents 10% of insurance result
Acquisitions in Canada and Argentina completed
Operating profit of £684m (2011: £727m); Return on equity of 9.1% (2011: 11.5%)
Balance Sheet remains strong with healthy capital surplus
IGD surplus of £1.2bn; covering capital requirement 1.9 times
Economic capital surplus of £1.2bn at 99.5% calibration
Net asset value per share excluding pension deficit of 107p (2011: 108p)
Strategy is delivering – expecting to achieve 10-12% ROE in 2013
Continued growth in premiums as business expands in Emerging Markets, Canada and Global Specialty Lines
Further improvements to combined ratio anticipated as reshaping in UK, remediation in Italy and operating leverage in Emerging Markets deliver
Expect to deliver strong premium growth, a COR of better than 95%, around £470m of investment income and return on equity of between 10 and 12% in 2013
Confident in prospects for further improvements to ROE and COR in medium term
Recommendation to rebase dividend. Final dividend of 3.90p per share
Reflects prospects of prolonged low bond yield environment
Creates sustainable dividend and progressive dividend policy for the future consistent with the anticipated underlying growth in earnings
Final dividend of 3.90p per share (2011: 5.82p). Board anticipates similar percentage reduction in 2013 interim dividend
1 at constant exchange