Set to achieve our 5 year ambitions, with record new business volumes and resilient in-year profit generation
António Simões, CEO
"Everything I have seen since joining the business in January has confirmed what attracted me to Legal & General. We have an authentic sense of purpose and stand out for our market-leading businesses, performance track record and strong balance sheet, delivered by talented colleagues.
Our 2023 performance reflects these strengths. We are on course to achieve our five-year targets, and demonstrated resilience in challenging markets to achieve record new business volumes in pension risk transfer, UK annuities and US protection, increasing our store of future profit. Our international assets under management and alternative assets portfolio continue to grow, as does our position in the UK defined contribution pensions market.
We must be as ambitious for Legal & General's future as we are proud of our history. This is the right moment to take a fresh perspective, build on our track record and set out a vision for profitable and sustainable growth. I look forward to outlining our strategy and plans at our Capital Markets Event on 12 June."
Resilient financial performance1
· Operating profit of £1,667m (2022: £1,663m)
· Profit after tax2 of £457m (2022: £783m)
· Solvency II capital generation of £1.8bn (2022: £1.8bn)
· Solvency II coverage ratio3 of 224%, with surplus of £9.2bn (2022: 236%, £9.9bn)
· Dividend per share of 20.34p, up 5% (2022: 19.37p)
Growth in our store of future profit: up 9% to £14.7bn4
· Record volumes across our insurance businesses:
‒ £13.7bn of institutional annuities (£10.5bn retained premium5)
‒ £1.4bn of individual annuities
‒ $175m of US protection new business premium
· New business CSM contributed £1.2bn (2022: £0.9bn)
· CSM has grown 9% to £13.0bn (2022: £11.9bn)
And later from part 2;
Subsequent to 31 December 2023, the directors declared a final dividend for 2023 of 14.63 pence per ordinary share. This dividend will be paid on 6 June 2024. It will be accounted for as an appropriation of retained earnings in the year ended 31 December 2024 and is not included as a liability in the Consolidated Balance Sheet as at 31 December 2023.
https://www.investegate.co.uk/announcem ... -1/8072678
Part 2; https://www.investegate.co.uk/announcem ... -2/8072750
Dividend 14.63p, ex div 25 Apr 24, paid 06 Jun 24.
Also posted on Company News here; viewtopic.php?p=651597#p651597
These are a 'double holding' in my HYP, and I know others here hold them too, so this may be of interest here.
Ian.