Groupama 2018 results - Very sharp increase in net income

Τρίτη, 26 Μαρτίου 2019 15:49

Board of Directors of Groupama Assurances Mutuelles met on 14 March 2019, under the chairmanship of Jean-Yves Dagès, and approved the Group’s combined financial statements and the consolidated accounts of Groupama Assurances Mutuelles for fiscal year 2018. 

The Group’s combined financial statements include all business of the Group as a whole (i.e. the activity of the regional mutuals and of the subsidiaries consolidated within Groupama Assurances Mutuelles). The consolidated accounts of Groupama Assurances Mutuelles include the business activity of all subsidiaries as well as internal reinsurance (around 35% of the premium income of the regional mutuals ceded to Groupama Assurances Mutuelles). The analysis below focuses on the combined scope. The key figures of the consolidated scope are presented in the notes.

Increased activity in all business lines 

At 31 December 2018, Groupama’s combined premium income stood at €14.3 billion, a +4.0% increase from 31 December 2017. 

Business activity was up for property and casualty insurance (+2.7%), where the Group generated €7.4 billion in premium income at 31 December 2018, and for life and health insurance (+5.3%), for which premium income reached €6.7 billion.
Groupama’s combined premium income at 31 December 2018 in millions of euros 31/12/2018

Like-for-like change (%)

Property and casualty insurance 7,389 +2.7%

Life and health insurance 6,706 +5.3%

Financial businesses 169 +15.1%

GROUP TOTAL 14,263 +4.0%

In France

Insurance premium income in France at 31 December 2018 amounted to €11.6 billion, up +4.4% compared with 31 December 2017.
In property and casualty insurance, premium income totalled €5,621 million at 31 December 2018, up +2.0%. Insurance for individuals and professionals increased +2.2% over the period to €3,357 million, driven by the growth of the home insurance (+3.2% to €1,082 million), motor insurance (+2.0% to €1,567 million), and professional risks (+1.7% to €455 million) segments. The Group is pursuing its commercial growth in its main markets and posted growth in its home portfolio (+26,000 policies). The growth in agricultural business (+0.8%) and the assistance activity (+19.1%) also contributed to the increase in property and casualty insurance premium income.

In life and health insurance, premium income amounted to €5,936 million, up +6.8% compared with 31 December 2017. Group premium income for life and capitalisation in France rose +7.9% in a market up +4% at the end of December 2018 (source: FFA). This change was mainly driven by the growth in individual unit-linked savings/pensions (+11.3%), the growth in contracts in euros being lower (+1.0%), and by the exceptional growth of the group retirement branch (+64.3%). In health insurance, premium income grew +5.9% compared with the previous period, supported by strong development in group health (+13.5%) and the consolidation of individual health (+1.3%).

International

The Group is present in 9 countries around the world, mainly in Europe. It has growth opportunities in China, a country in which it ranks second among foreign non-life insurers with €300 million in premium income1. In 2018, international activity rose +1.6% to €2.5 billion at 31 December 2018.

In property and casualty insurance, premium income was up +4.9% from the previous period at €1,768 million at 31 December 2018. This growth is mainly linked to the good performance of motor insurance in all the subsidiaries (+6.3%) and of home insurance (+4.5%) mainly in Hungary and Italy.

In life and health insurance, the €770 million in premium income was down -5.3% from 2017, with contrasting changes between the segments. The individual retirement savings activity was down -12.6%, particularly in Italy, as a result of the end of an agreement with a major partner and the subsidiary’s strategy to limit inflows in euros in accordance with the Group’s guidelines. Meanwhile, group insurance surged +12.2%, following on the strong growth in the group retirement (+30.7%) and the group health (+24.6%) segments, mainly in Greece and Italy.

Financial businesses

The Group’s premium income was €169 million, including €164 million from Groupama Asset Management and €5 million from Groupama Epargne Salariale. Groupama Asset Management’s outstanding assets amounted to €99.4 billion at 31 December 2018, taking into account the development of third-party asset management, particularly in Italy and Spain.

1 On a basis of 100% of the premium income of Groupama Avic China, an equity-method entity in Groupama’s combined financial statements 

Strong increase in net income 

The group’s net income was up significantly by 54% to €450 million at 31 December 2018 versus €292 million at 31 December 2017. 

It included total economic operating income of €298 million at 31 December 2018 compared with €349 million at 31 December 2017. 

Economic operating income from insurance was €354 million in 2018. In life and health insurance, economic operating income reached €282 million in 2018, up €20 million from 2017. This increase was mainly due to the improvement of the technical margin in France in health insurance. Economic operating income in property and casualty insurance totalled €72 million in 2018 compared with €102 million in 2017. The non-life net combined ratio was 99.3% at 31 December 2018, up +0.4 points from 2017, masking an improvement in the ratio in France of -0.2 points to 98.6%. 2018 was marked by an increase in the cost of severe claims and a decrease in climate claims after a 2017 affected by Hurricanes Irma and Maria in the West Indies. The operating expense ratio improved by -0.3 points to 27.7%. 

The economic operating profit from banking and financial activities amounted to +€34 million at 31 December 2018, and the Group’s holding activity posted an economic operating loss of -€89 million, including less tax consolidation income in 2018 compared with 2017.

Net income also includes non-recurring realised capital gains for a total of €351 million as of 31 December 2018, notably as a result of the sale of the Window building in La Défense.

A solid balance sheet 

The group’s equity totalled €8.9 billion at 31 December 2018. In particular, it includes the mutual insurance certificates issued by Groupama since the end of 2015 for €540 million, including €104 million collected in 2018. 

Following the successful €500 million issue of subordinated instruments in September 2018, subordinated debt recognised as equity and subordinated debt not recognised as equity totalled €2.7 billion at 31 December 2018 compared with €2.2 billion at 31 December 2017. 

At 31 December 2018, insurance investments stood at €85.2 billion versus €87.2 billion at 31 December 2017. The Group’s unrealised capital gains reached €8.0 billion at 31 December 2018, including €5.2 billion from the bond portfolio, €0.6 billion from the equity portfolio, and €2.2 billion from property. 

On 29 October 2018, Fitch Ratings confirmed the ‘A-’ Insurer Financial Strength (IFS) ratings of Groupama Assurances Mutuelles and its subsidiaries and raised the outlook associated with these ratings to ‘Positive’. 

At 31 December 2018, the Solvency 2 ratio was 297%. Groupama calculates its Group Solvency 2 ratio including the transitional measure on technical reserves authorised by the ACPR. Without the transitional measure on technical reserves, the solvency ratio is 167%.

Groupama FY2018 Results Infographie.jpg

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