EANS-Adhoc: UNIQA Insurance Group AG / earnings target achieved; dividend increase again in 2016

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Disclosed inside information pursuant to article 17 Market Abuse Regulation
(MAR) 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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annual result/Preliminary figures for 2016
09.03.2017

UNIQA Insurance Group AG: earnings target achieved; dividend increase
again in 2016

- Preliminary figures for 2016: At EUR 225.5 million, earnings before
taxes (EBT) were slightly better than anticipated despite the
disposal of the Italian business. Premiums written dropped 3.1 per
cent as a result of the significant decrease in capital-intensive
single premiums, while the dividend for 2016 is to be increased
again - to 49 cents per share after 47 cents per share in 2015 in
line with the progressive dividend policy

Based on the UNIQA Insurance Group's resolution in December 2016 to
sell its Italian subsidiaries, the figures for the 2015 and 2016
financial years are adjusted for the Italian business in accordance
with international accounting standards.1)

Based on preliminary data, the UNIQA Insurance Group generated EBT of
EUR 225.5 million in the 2016 financial year. This means that
earnings exceeded the target announced in January 2016 despite the
loss of Italy's contribution to earnings, which is not taken into
account in the forecast, according to which EBT could have decreased
by up to 50 per cent as against the record figure of 2015 (excl.
Italy: EUR 397.8 million/incl. Italy: EUR 422.8 million) as a result
of the innovation and investment programme and interest rates that
continue to be extremely low.

At EUR 5,048.2 million in 2016, premiums written - including the
savings portion of unit- and index-linked life insurance - fell by
3.1 per cent against the previous year (2015: EUR 5,211.0 million).
This was due exclusively to the planned reduction in
capital-intensive single premiums in the life insurance segment in
Austria. The reduction in single premiums was partly offset by
significant increases in premiums in the health insurance segment of
4.1 per cent (2016: EUR 1,003.7 million/2015: EUR 964.4 million) and
the property and casualty insurance segment of 3.2 per cent (2016:
EUR 2,518.4 million/2015: EUR 2,439.2 million). As a result of this
development, recurring premiums written increased across the Group by
2.3 per cent to EUR 4,879.0 million in 2016 (2015: EUR4,770.4
million).

In 2016 (operating) expenses increased by 8.1 per cent to EUR 1,286.4
million (2015: EUR 1,190.4 million) due to announced investments from
the innovation programme of around EUR 60 million. As a result of
this development, the consolidated cost ratio after reinsurance
climbed to 26.6 per cent (2015: 23.7 per cent) and the combined ratio
increased to 98.1 per cent (2015: 97.9 per cent). Adjusted for
investments, the combined ratio is 97.1 per cent.

The UNIQA Insurance Group intends to continue its announced
progressive dividend policy. This is why the Management Board will
propose to the Supervisory Board and Annual General Meeting that a
higher dividend of 49 cents per share be paid for the financial year
(2015: 47 cents).

Outlook Despite significant future investments and persistently
difficult conditions, such as low interest rates, falling investment
income and political uncertainty in individual markets, UNIQA
anticipates slight growth in premiums and earnings for the 2017
financial year.

The progressive dividend policy with annual increases in the dividend
per share is to be continued in the future.

1. Earnings from the disposal and the business results of Italian Group
companies for 2016 are reported in the income statement as "discontinued
operations" under earnings before taxes. As a result, all of the
information in this report exludes Italy.

Note All the figures for the 2016 financial year are based on
unaudited preliminary data. On 21 April, the final annual report with
audited figures will be published on the Group's website at
www.uniqagroup.com.

Forward-looking statements This press release contains statements
referring to the future development of the UNIQA Group. 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.

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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issuer: 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

Original-Content von: UNIQA Insurance Group AG, übermittelt durch news aktuell