Interim Results

Beazley Group PLC 30 July 2007 Press release Beazley announces strong results for first half Beazley Group plc, interim results for the six months ended 30 June 2007 London, 30 July, 2007 • Record profit before tax of £60.2m (2006: £28.3m) • Gross premiums written up 10% to £434.1m (2006: £394.3m) • Combined ratio 87% (2006: 90%) • Gross written premiums from US operations up to US$77.9m (2006: US$27.4m) • Prior year reserve releases of £25.2m (2006: £11.3m) • Dividend increased 25% to 2.0p (2006: 1.6p) 6 months 6 months Year ended ended ended 30 Jun 2007 30 Jun 2006 31 Dec 2007 Gross premiums written (£m) 434.1 394.3 745.1 Net premiums written (£m) 325.6 255.2 574.3 Net earned premiums (£m) 290.4 225.7 509.6 Profit before tax (£m) 60.2 28.3 86.8 Profit before tax and foreign 60.6 36.2 96.2 exchange adjustments on non monetary items (£m) Profit after tax (£m) 41.6 19.9 59.9 Earnings per share (p) 11.6 5.5 16.8 Dividend per share (p) 2.0 1.6 4.8 Net assets per share (p) 98 80 89 Andrew Beazley, Chief Executive of Beazley, said: 'Our businesses performed well in the first half of 2007. Our Lloyd's underwriters continue to develop attractive business in a market where rates, although under pressure, remain at historically high levels. Our performance in the first half of the year provides a solid basis for continued selective but profitable underwriting during the second half.' 'Our US operations, now just over two years old, are making an increasing contribution to our diversified and specialist business range, supporting our long term cycle management strategy. Beazley was the first Lloyd's business to establish a presence in the US admitted market. Earlier this year we began underwriting commercial property insurance on an admitted basis, complementing the management and professional liability lines that are now beginning to show strong traction.' ENDS For further information, please contact: Beazley Group plc Andrew Beazley Andrew Horton T: +44 (0)20 7667 0623 Finsbury Simon Moyse Amanda Lee T: +44 (0)20 7251 3801 Notes to editors: Based in London, since 1986, Beazley (BEZ.L) is the parent company of a global specialist risk insurance and reinsurance business operating through Lloyd's syndicates 2623 and 623 in the UK and Beazley Insurance Company, Inc., a US admitted carrier in all 50 states. Both syndicates are rated A by A.M. Best with an aggregate capacity for 2006 of £830m (over US$1.4bn). Beazley Insurance Company, Inc. is rated A- by A.M. Best. Beazley is a market leader in many of its chosen lines of business, which include professional indemnity, marine, reinsurance, commercial property and personal lines. Further information about us is available at www.beazley.com CHIEF EXECUTIVE'S STATEMENT We are delighted to announce record profits for the first six months of 2007 of £60.2m (2006: £28.3m). High levels of premiums written through our Lloyd's syndicates, a substantial increase in contribution from our US operations and a benign claims environment have contributed to a good underwriting performance. Our investment income has risen to £32.6m (2006: £19.1m), a return of 5.2% (2006: 4.8%). Underwriting Gross premiums written have increased by 10% to £434.1m (2006: £394.3m), while net earned premiums have risen by 29% to £290.4m (2006: £225.7m). Written premiums were impacted by the devaluation of the US dollar, which for the period in question has fallen in value against sterling by approximately 11%. Net earned premiums have increased due to several factors. Firstly, our share of the combined syndicate premiums written rose from 70% in 2005 to 81% in 2007. Secondly, our reinsurance costs fell from £139.1m to £108.5m in 2007. Finally, our US operation continues to gain traction, generating written premiums of $77.9m in the first six months of 2007(2006: $27.4m). Our combined ratio has reduced to 87% (2006: 90%). Within this the claims ratio has reduced from 56% to 51% in 2007 and our expense ratio has developed as we expected with an increase of 2% to 36%. In 2007 we released £25.2m (2006: £11.3m) of prior year claims reserves. We made releases from the reserves we were holding at the end of 2006 within both our catastrophe exposed businesses and our specialty lines portfolio. There were few large claims in the first half of 2007, which enabled us to release £7.3m from our reinsurance, marine and commercial property accounts in respect of policies written in 2006. Our specialty lines claims reserves have also continued to develop well enabling us to make releases of £12.8m across a number of underwriting years. Rating environment 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 YTD Specialty Lines 100 135 160 167 166 165 161 Property 100 126 131 125 123 138 141 Reinsurance 100 143 149 148 149 190 205 Marine 100 118 129 128 131 142 133 Total 100 131 145 145 146 154 153 Over the past six months we have experienced an increasingly competitive rating environment and we expect this trend to continue. The property and reinsurance businesses have continued to see rate increases for catastrophe exposed business in areas such as Florida and the Gulf of Mexico whereas other parts of our account have experienced rate reductions. The combined effect is a reduction of only 1% across our portfolio which demonstrates the advantage of a diversified and specialist account. From an overall trading perspective rating levels in many of our lines are still at historic highs and continue to provide attractive underwriting opportunities. Nonetheless, we expect the trading environment to be more challenging during the coming months. However, we are also confident of the overall rating levels in our main areas of expertise remaining at levels that deliver good underwriting profits. Our largest account, specialty lines, has seen rates easing by 2% in the past six months. We are able to maintain significant price stability in lines where we have a substantial market position such as errors and omissions insurance for US lawyers, architects and engineers. Close client relationships, risk management advice and investment in claims management all form part of our value proposition enabling us to differentiate ourselves and retain clients that value high quality service. This business continues to trade at historically high premium prices. The premium achieved in 2007 was 61% higher than for comparable risks in 2001. US business The US business continues to gather pace, writing $77.9m in the first six months of 2007 (2006: $27.4m). In the US we write business through our managing general agent (MGA), on behalf of both our syndicates at Lloyd's and our own US domestic insurance company. The strategy of having a presence on the ground in the US enables us to insure risks on behalf of clients who would not normally insure through London. To support the growth in the US we injected a further $45m of capital into Beazley Insurance Company, Inc. in April taking the total capital to $105m. Our largest business line in the US, specialty lines, has performed well, writing $60.3m (2006: $23.3m) in the six months. The focus for this business is professional indemnity and management liability insurance. Our medical malpractice book has recently been extended through the purchase of a managing general agent, Sapphire Blue, that specialises in professional liability insurance for US healthcare institutions. We know them well having participated in their underwriting facility for some years. The property team in the US has also had a strong six months writing $16.5m (2006: $3.2m). The commercial property team started writing business through our domestic insurance company in February and wrote $2.8m in the first half of this year. The high value homeowners' insurance team also performed well, writing $7.1m during the period. We have increased our overall premium expectation for the US business in 2007 from $130m to $150m. Reinsurance protection The reinsurance market has now settled down after the dislocation experienced in 2006 following the losses sustained from Hurricane Katrina. Retrocessional reinsurance protecting our reinsurance account remains scarce and expensive but for all the other areas of our business cover is available at realistic terms. The overall reinsurance spend has decreased in 2007. The largest component of this reduction is the specialty lines proportional treaty arrangement where we have rebalanced the treaty reducing our spend by £20m. In addition we have been re-underwriting our reinsurance account to be less reliant on the reinsurance market. This year as pricing generally remains at uneconomic levels we have elected to buy less retrocessional cover. We are particularly pleased with the reception by reinsurers of our new US domestic commercial property initiative. Their comprehensive backing of our new venture means that we are able to compete on level terms with the rest of the market. Reserve releases In the first six months of 2007 we released £25.2m (2006: £11.3m) of prior year reserve releases across a number of business lines. These reserve releases, illustrated in the table below, are a reflection of our view that claims development is better than we had previously estimated. +--------------------------+---------------------------+---------------------------+ | |2007 |2006 | +--------------------------+---------------------------+---------------------------+ | |£m |£m | +--------------------------+---------------------------+---------------------------+ |Specialty lines |12.8 |7.4 | +--------------------------+---------------------------+---------------------------+ |Property |6.1 |0.7 | +--------------------------+---------------------------+---------------------------+ |Reinsurance |1.2 |0.4 | +--------------------------+---------------------------+---------------------------+ |Marine |5.1 |2.8 | +--------------------------+---------------------------+---------------------------+ |TOTAL |25.2 |11.3 | +--------------------------+---------------------------+---------------------------+ Within our specialty lines business, the ultimate level of claims for any one underwriting year becomes more certain in time and the corridor of uncertainty narrows significantly after 4 to 6 years. The majority of the releases in the first half of 2007 are from the 2003 and 2004 underwriting years. We remain confident in the strength of reserves we hold for this business. In addition to the specialty lines releases, we have also been able to lower reserves held for catastrophe business written in 2006. Much of this portfolio has now been earned which enabled us to release £7.3m across our reinsurance, commercial property and offshore energy lines of business. As our business matures we will continue to re-evaluate the reserves. Current data indicates that our reserves are strong and a benign claims environment may lead to further adjustment. Specialty lines Premium income within specialty lines rose 15% over the comparable period in 2006. Renewal rates softened slightly but by less than previously anticipated, and through careful risk selection and market segmentation our underwriters continue to develop profitable opportunities. Our local US underwriting operation continued to grow, writing $41.6m in the US admitted market through Beazley Insurance Company, Inc., and a further $18.7m in premiums for the account of our Lloyd's syndicates. Our professional liability business for architects and engineers grew particularly strongly, benefiting from investments in claims expertise and marketing as well as a 20 year track record in the class. As noted above, our healthcare business took a significant step forward through the acquisition in March 2007 of Sapphire Blue, an MGA focusing on the long term health sector, which wrote $20 million in premiums in 2006. We continue to focus on enhancing our claims services. During 2005 and 2006 we developed our in-house claims service capabilities with the aim of improving our client relationships by exceeding the service standards they have come to expect from the broader market. Importantly this strategy also enables us to gain a greater knowledge of the claims we manage, and hence settle claims more efficiently. Property Property rates entering 2007 were at a cyclical high, which has lead to significant increases in market capacity. Consequently, there has been a downward pressure on rates in most of the property classes and specifically in non-catastrophe areas. However, terms and conditions for catastrophe exposed risks in the US still remain strong and the overall trading environment remains favourable. In the absence of any major catastrophes, terms will continue to be challenged through the rest of the year. Beazley's profile as a noted lead underwriter allows us to see a wide range of business, but an emphasis on risk selection and profitability remains core. Our US presence has increased as we began underwriting mid-sized commercial risks through our admitted insurance company. A focused approach based on the key differentiators of experienced underwriting, flexible terms and rapid policy delivery has received a positive reaction in the market. Our surplus lines business based in Florida continues to grow its reputation as a provider of high valued homeowner insurance, and this year we have expanded into small commercial risks. Reinsurance 2007 began well for our reinsurance team. Prices in the US improved with average rate changes of 15% on renewals, although pressure to flatten or reduce rates has increased as we have approached the middle of the year. Outside the US, prices are flat or down slightly. Gross premiums rose by 7% to £43.2m as we continued to grow the portfolio both through increased share on existing accounts and new business. Windstorm Kyrill caused losses across a wide area of Europe in January. The impact on the Beazley reinsurance account is expected to be modest. The recent UK flooding is currently estimated to produce insured losses in the region of £3.0bn. Based on the limited information available at this early stage we anticipate a modest impact from these events on Beazley. However, we expect both these losses and Kyrill will be contained within reserves established for attritional claims. Marine The marine team had a solid start to 2007, writing gross premiums of £79.6m (2006: £81.7m). Net earned premiums increased by 29% to £55.3m. The team continues to develop the existing portfolio, consolidating their strong market position. Renewal rates for hull, cargo and energy have been under pressure in 2007. Despite this we are confident that these areas are trading profitably. We have expanded our marine liability account through the acquisition of business from a large coverholder. We are constantly looking for ways to expand the account in a profitable manner, continuing to search out niche risks that we can fully understand and service. Investment income Invested assets continued to grow - cash and investments now amount to £1,310.9m which compares to £923.2m at the end of June 2006 and £1,167.8m at the end of December 2006. Investment income increased to £32.6m in the first six months of 2007, compared with £19.1m over the same period in 2006. This represents an annualised investment return of 5.2% on average assets for the period (4.8% in first half 2006). The increase in investment income has been the result of the continued growth in invested assets and higher yields on our fixed income investments, together with good results from both our alternative investments and our equity portfolio. Dividend The board is pleased to report that it will pay an increased interim dividend of 2.0p (2006: 1.6p). This will be paid on 31 August 2007 to shareholders on the register on 10 August 2007. Outlook So far 2007 has been a robust year in terms of premiums written and benign in terms of claims development. Reductions in rates have been in line with our expectations. We continue to grow the business in a controlled manner, searching out attractive risks to add to our portfolio. Lloyd's remains central to our business strategy, and this has been reaffirmed by the recent upgrade of Lloyd's financial strength rating by S&P to A+ from A. In addition, developing access to new markets and business, a strong claims management service and informed underwriting decisions remain central themes in our business vision. We have been spending, and continue to spend, considerable management time planning for 2008 and beyond. Our expectation is that most areas of business will continue to soften and it is important that profitability is protected. The opportunities within our US business initiative, our reserving philosophy, our investment in claims management expertise, our growing investment balance and our underwriting experience of managing previous insurance cycles will help to maintain our track record of good profitability across the insurance cycle. The first six months have been extremely positive with record premiums and profits, US business expansion and strong claims reserves. No doubt the next six months will bring a number of new as well as familiar challenges, which we look forward to with enthusiasm. We have an invigorated but seasoned team and a firm platform from which to trade. The excitement is the future. Andrew Beazley Chief Executive Income Statement For the period ended 30 June 2007 Note 6 months 6 months Year to 31 ended 30 ended 30 December June 2007 June 2006 2006 (unaudited) (unaudited) (audited) £m £m £m Gross premiums written 2 434.1 394.3 745.1 Written premiums ceded to reinsurers (108.5) (139.1) (170.8) Net premiums written 2 325.6 255.2 574.3 Change in gross provision for (73.6) (100.8) (84.9) unearned premiums Reinsurer's share of change in the 38.4 71.3 20.2 provision for unearned premiums Change in net provision for unearned (35.2) (29.5) (64.7) premiums 2 290.4 225.7 509.6 Net earned premiums Net investment income 3 32.6 19.1 48.3 Other income 4 4.8 3.4 7.1 37.4 22.5 55.4 Revenue 2 327.8 248.2 565.0 Insurance claims 161.7 161.8 357.0 Insurance claims recovered from (13.2) (34.5) (86.3) reinsurers Net insurance claims 2,7 148.5 127.3 270.7 Expenses for the acquisition of 79.0 60.1 129.6 insurance contracts Administrative expenses 25.6 17.2 38.8 Other expenses 8.8 13.6 33.5 Operating expenses 113.4 90.9 201.9 2 261.9 218.2 472.6 Expenses Results of operating activities 65.9 30.0 92.4 Finance costs 5.7 1.7 5.6 Profit before tax 60.2 28.3 86.8 Comprises: Profit before tax and foreign 60.6 36.2 96.2 exchange adjustments on non monetary items Foreign exchange on non-monetary (0.4) (7.9) (9.4) items Income tax expense (18.6) (8.4) (26.9) Profit after tax 41.6 19.9 59.9 Earnings per share (pence per share): Basic 5 11.6 5.5 16.8 Diluted 5 11.5 5.5 16.7 Balance Sheet As at 30 June 2007 30 June 30 June 31 December 2007 2006 2006 (unaudited) (unaudited) (audited) £m £m £m Assets Intangible assets 29.2 19.8 21.9 Plant and equipment 7.0 6.1 7.0 Investments in associates 1.3 1.3 1.3 Deferred acquisition costs 89.6 70.5 78.9 Financial investments 956.3 802.4 958.4 Insurance receivables 259.5 234.0 244.0 Deferred tax assets 4.3 3.2 3.5 Reinsurance assets 410.2 420.5 345.3 Other receivables 17.0 36.4 14.5 Cash and cash equivalents 354.6 120.8 209.4 Total assets 2,129.0 1,715.0 1,884.2 Equity Share capital 18.4 18.0 18.1 Reserves 226.5 228.5 225.8 Retained earnings 105.7 41.3 75.6 Total equity 350.6 287.8 319.5 Liabilities Insurance liabilities 1,440.0 1,198.0 1,225.6 Borrowings 151.2 27.0 154.9 Derivative financial instrument 4.1 - 2.4 Deferred income tax 13.7 12.4 11.6 Current income tax liabilities 9.2 4.5 15.6 Creditors 159.3 183.4 152.7 Retirement benefit obligations 0.9 1.9 1.9 Total liabilities 1,778.4 1,427.2 1,564.7 Total equity and liabilities 2,129.0 1,715.0 1,884.2 Statement of movements in equity For the period ended 30 June 2007 Share Reserves Retained Total Capital Earnings £m £m £m £m Balance as at 1 January 2006 18.0 232.1 30.3 280.4 Retained profits for the period - - 19.9 19.9 2005 final dividends paid - - (8.9) (8.9) Increase in employee share - 0.4 - 0.4 options Acquisition of own shares held - (2.8) - (2.8) in trust Foreign exchange translation - (1.2) - (1.2) differences Balance as at 30 June 2006 18.0 228.5 41.3 287.8 Retained profits for the period - - 40.0 40.0 2006 interim dividends paid - - (5.7) (5.7) Issue of shares 0.1 0.3 - 0.4 Increase in employee share - 0.4 - 0.4 options Acquisition of own shares held - (1.2) - (1.2) in trust Change in net investment hedge - (0.6) - (0.6) Foreign exchange translation - (1.6) - (1.6) differences Balance as at 31 December 2006 18.1 225.8 75.6 319.5 Retained profits for the period - - 41.6 41.6 2006 final dividends paid - - (11.5) (11.5) Issue of shares 0.3 4.0 - 4.3 Increase in employee share - 1.1 - 1.1 options Acquisition of own shares held - (3.6) - (3.6) in trust Change in net investment hedge - (1.0) - (1.0) Foreign exchange translation - 0.2 - 0.2 differences Balance as at 30 June 2007 18.4 226.5 105.7 350.6 Cash flow statement For the period ended 30 June 2007 6 months 6 months Year to 31 ended 30 ended 30 December June 2007 June 2006 2006 (unaudited) (unaudited) (audited) £m £m £m Cash flow from operating activities Profit before tax 60.2 28.3 86.8 Adjustments for non-cash items: Amortisation of intangibles 0.9 0.4 1.4 Depreciation of plant and equipment 0.7 0.3 1.2 Equity settled share based 0.8 0.4 0.8 compensation Foreign exchange on translation of (1.8) (1.3) (4.6) foreign subsidiary Foreign exchange on translation of - (2.1) - borrowings Net fair value losses/(gains) on (1.0) 1.0 (8.8) financial investments Changes in operating assets and liabilities Increase in insurance liabilities 214.4 101.6 129.2 Increase in insurance receivables (15.5) (75.1) (85.1) Decrease/(increase) in other (2.7) (8.0) 13.9 receivables Increase in deferred acquisition (10.7) (17.8) (26.2) costs Decrease/(increase) in reinsurance (64.9) (26.0) 49.2 assets Increase in other payables 3.4 64.3 37.6 Income tax paid (22.1) (2.9) (11.5) Contribution to pension fund (1.0) (1.0) (1.0) Acquisition of own shares in trust (3.6) (2.8) (4.0) Net cash from operating activities 157.1 59.3 178.9 Cash flow from investing activities Purchase of syndicate capacity - - (0.2) Acquisition of subsidiary (net of (5.7) - (2.2) cash acquired) Purchase of plant and equipment (0.6) (3.9) (5.7) Purchase of software development (0.6) (2.0) (3.1) Purchase of investments (1,073.0) (529.5) (2,125.1) Proceeds from sale of investments 1,076.2 498.0 1,947.2 Net cash used in investing (3.7) (37.4) (189.1) activities Cash flow from financing activities Proceeds from Tier 2 subordinated - - 148.1 debt Proceeds from issue of shares 4.5 - 0.4 Repayment of syndicated loan - - (18.6) Dividends paid (11.5) (8.9) (14.6) Net cash used in financing (7.0) (8.9) 115.3 activities Net increase in cash and cash 146.4 13.0 105.1 equivalents Cash and cash equivalents at 209.4 112.6 112.6 beginning of period Effect of exchange rate changes on (1.2) (4.8) (8.3) cash and cash equivalents Cash and cash equivalents at end of 354.6 120.8 209.4 period Notes to the financial statements For the period ended 30 June 2007 1. Statement of accounting policies Beazley Group plc is a group incorporated in England and Wales. The interim financial statements of the group for the six months ended 30 June 2007 comprise the parent company and its subsidiaries and the group's interest in associates. The preparation of interim financial statements requires management to make judgements, estimates and assumptions that affect the application of accounting policies and the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, income and expenses. Actual results may differ from these estimates. The accounting policies applied by the group in these consolidated interim financial statements are the same as those applied by the group in its consolidated financial statements as at and for the year ended 31 December 2006. Our full accounting policies are set out in the group's 2006 annual report. The comparative figures for the financial year ended 31 December 2006 are extracted from the company's statutory accounts for that financial year. Those accounts have been reported on by the company's auditors and delivered to the registrar of companies. The report of the auditors was (i) unqualified, (ii) did not include a reference to any matters to which the auditors drew attention by way of emphasis without qualifying their report, and (iii) did not contain a statement under section 237(2) of 237 (3) of the Companies Act 1985. 2. Segmental analysis The principal activity of the group is insurance. The following primary business segments; specialty lines, property, reinsurance and marine have been applied. All foreign exchange differences on non-monetary items have been included within the unallocated totals. These have been split out as this provides a fairer representation of the loss ratios, which would otherwise be distorted by the mismatch arising under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) whereby unearned premium reserves and deferred acquisition costs (DAC) are treated as non-monetary items and claims reserves are treated as monetary items. 2. Segmental analysis 30 June 2007 Specialty Property Reinsurance Marine Unallocated Total Lines £m £m £m £m £m £m Gross premiums 205.3 106.0 43.2 79.6 - 434.1 written Net premiums written 157.0 78.2 32.7 57.7 - 325.6 Net earned premiums 140.7 73.3 19.5 55.3 1.6 290.4 Net investment 22.2 4.1 3.2 3.1 - 32.6 income Other income 2.4 1.4 0.6 0.4 - 4.8 Revenue 165.3 78.8 23.3 58.8 1.6 327.8 Net insurance claims 80.6 36.6 8.5 22.8 - 148.5 Expenses for the 36.8 20.6 5.0 15.4 1.2 79.0 acquisition of insurance contracts Administrative 15.9 5.6 1.5 2.6 - 25.6 expenses Other expenses 4.4 1.7 0.7 1.2 0.8 8.8 Expenses 137.7 64.5 15.7 42.0 2.0 261.9 Results from 27.6 14.3 7.6 16.8 (0.4) 65.9 operating activities Finance costs (5.7) Profit before tax 60.2 Tax expense (18.6) Profit after tax 41.6 Claims ratio 57% 50% 44% 41% - 51% Expense ratio 37% 36% 33% 33% - 36% Combined ratio 94% 86% 77% 74% - 87% 30 June 2006 Specialty Property Reinsurance Marine Unallocated Total Lines £m £m £m £m £m £m Gross premiums 179.3 92.9 40.4 81.7 - 394.3 written Net premiums written 108.0 64.3 20.9 62.0 - 255.2 Net earned premiums 114.3 51.6 17.4 42.9 (0.5) 225.7 Net investment income 12.3 2.7 1.5 2.6 - 19.1 Other income 1.5 0.8 0.4 0.7 - 3.4 Revenue 128.1 55.1 19.3 46.2 (0.5) 248.2 Net insurance claims 72.7 25.5 10.1 19.0 - 127.3 Expenses for the 5.5 (0.9) 60.1 acquisition of insurance contracts 27.1 16.5 11.9 Administrative 9.3 4.6 1.0 2.3 - 17.2 expenses Other expenses 2.5 1.2 0.5 1.1 8.3 13.6 Expenses 111.6 47.8 17.1 34.3 7.4 218.2 Results from (7.9) 30.0 operating activities 16.5 7.3 2.2 11.9 Finance costs (1.7) Profit before tax 28.3 Tax expense (8.4) Profit after tax 19.9 Claims ratio 64% 49% 58% 44% - 56% Expense ratio 32% 41% 37% 33% - 34% Combined ratio 96% 90% 95% 77% - 90% 31 December 2006 Specialty Property Reinsurance Marine Unallocated Total Lines £m £m £m £m £m £m Gross premiums 361.0 187.8 58.4 137.9 - 745.1 written Net premiums written 267.3 149.9 40.5 116.6 - 574.3 Net earned premiums 234.6 123.1 42.1 101.5 8.3 509.6 Net investment income 35.9 4.2 4.1 4.1 - 48.3 Other income 4.0 1.3 0.7 1.1 - 7.1 Revenue 274.5 128.6 46.9 106.7 8.3 565.0 Net insurance claims 146.3 66.3 13.7 44.4 - 270.7 Expenses for the 50.8 39.9 10.3 28.5 0.1 129.6 acquisition of insurance contracts Administrative 21.8 9.9 3.3 3.8 - 38.8 expenses Other expenses 7.8 4.0 1.5 2.6 17.6 33.5 Expenses 226.7 120.1 28.8 79.3 17.7 472.6 Results from 47.8 8.5 18.1 27.4 (9.4) 92.4 operating activities Finance costs (5.6) Profit before tax 86.8 Tax expense (26.9) Profit after tax 59.9 Claims ratio 62% 54% 33% 44% - 53% Expense ratio 31% 40% 32% 32% - 33% Combined ratio 93% 94% 65% 76% - 86% 3. Net investment return 6 months 6 months Year to 31 ended 30 ended 30 December June 2007 June 2006 2006 (unaudited) (unaudited) (audited) £m £m £m Investment income at fair value through income statement - interest income 24.6 19.0 28.0 Realised gains/(losses) on financial investments at fair value through income statement - realised gains 8.8 2.8 22.9 - realised losses (8.2) (0.9) (9.9) Net fair value gains/(losses) on financial investments through income statement - fair value gains 18.5 1.1 24.4 - fair value losses (10.0) (2.1) (15.6) Net fair value gains/(losses) on fair value hedge - change in interest rate swap (2.6) - (3.0) - change in borrowings 2.6 - 3.0 Investment management expenses (1.1) (0.8) (1.5) 32.6 19.1 48.3 4. Other income 6 months 6 months Year to 31 ended 30 ended 30 December June 2007 June 2006 2006 (unaudited) (unaudited) (audited) £m £m £m Profit commissions 3.6 2.9 5.5 Agency fees 0.5 0.5 1.1 Other income 0.7 - 0.5 4.8 3.4 7.1 5. Earnings per share 6 months 6 months Year to 31 ended 30 ended 30 December June 2007 June 2006 2006 (unaudited) (unaudited) (audited) Basic 11.6p 5.5p 16.8p Diluted 11.5p 5.5p 16.7p Basic Basic earnings per share is calculated by dividing profit after tax of £41.6m (2006: £19.9m) by the weighted average number of issued shares during the period of 359.2m (2006: 360.6 m). The shares held in the ESOP have been excluded from the calculation until such time as they vest unconditionally with the employees. Diluted Diluted earnings per share is calculated by dividing profit after tax of £41.6m (2006: £19.9m) by the adjusted weighted average number of shares of 362.2m (2006: 364.0m). The adjusted weighted average number of shares assumes conversion of all dilutive potential ordinary shares, being share options. The shares held in the ESOP have been excluded from the calculation until such time as they vest unconditionally with the employees. 6. Dividends An interim net dividend of 2.0p (2006: 1.6p) per ordinary share is payable on 31 August 2007 to shareholders registered on 10 August 2007 in respect of the six months to 30 June 2007. These financial statements do not provide for the dividends as a liability. 7. Insurance premiums and claims The loss development tables below provide information about historical claims development by the four segments - specialty lines, property, reinsurance and marine. The tables are by underwriting year which in our view provides the most transparent reserving basis. We have supplied tables for both ultimate gross claims ratio and ultimate net claims ratio. The top part of the table illustrates how the group's estimate of claims ratio for each underwriting year has changed at successive year-ends. The bottom half of the table reconciles the gross and net claims to the amount appearing in the balance sheet. While the information in the table provides a historical perspective on the adequacy of the claims liabilities established in previous years, users of these financial statements are cautioned against extrapolating redundancies or deficiencies of the past on current claims liabilities. The group believes that the estimate of total claims liabilities as at 30 June 2007 are adequate. However, due to inherent uncertainties in the reserving process, it cannot be assured that such balances will ultimately prove to be adequate. Gross ultimate claims 2002ae 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 % % % % Specialty lines 12 months 71.4 70.9 71.2 69.0 24 months 67.3 70.0 68.3 - 36 months 65.0 66.4 - - 48 months 57.4 - - - Position at 30 June 2007 53.3 65.5 67.0 68.9 Property 12 months 51.3 65.1 85.1 59.4 24 months 38.4 65.1 82.6 - 36 months 35.8 65.5 - - 48 months 35.1 - - - Position at 30 June 2007 35.1 64.5 81.5 52.0 Reinsurance 12 months 58.6 86.7 192.2 52.5 24 months 33.5 80.2 182.5 - 36 months 28.0 75.5 - - 48 months 28.2 - - - Position at 30 June 2007 28.2 75.4 185.4 34.2 Marine 12 months 60.0 62.2 82.6 57.2 24 months 44.7 64.2 79.8 - 36 months 39.0 62.0 - - 48 months 36.2 - - - Position at 30 June 2007 35.8 62.1 75.1 52.2 Total 12 months 62.9 69.8 89.9 63.2 24 months 52.6 69.0 87.0 - 36 months 49.4 66.4 - - 48 months 45.2 - - - Position at 30 June 2007 43.1 65.7 85.6 59.1 Total ultimate losses(£m) 1,048.3 276.8 477.3 667.5 529.0 599.4 3,598.3 Less paid claims net of reinsurance (£m) (828.8) (147.5) (247.2) (288.8) (50.3) (5.5) (1,568.1) Less unearned portion of ultimate losses (£m) - - - (6.9) (111.2) (491.8) (609.9) Gross claims liabilities (100% level) (£m) 219.5 129.3 230.1 371.8 367.5 102.1 1,420.3 Less unaligned share (£m) (65.9) (38.8) (69.0) (111.5) (79.5) (19.4) (384.1) Gross claims liabilities, group share 153.6 90.5 161.1 260.3 288.0 82.7 1,036.2 Net ultimate claims 2002ae 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 % % % % Specialty lines 12 months 68.2 68.2 69.2 67.2 24 months 64.9 67.9 67.5 - 36 months 63.0 65.1 - - 48 months 55.9 - - - Position at 30 June 2007 52.0 63.7 66.1 67.2 Property 12 months 49.1 59.7 64.9 62.4 24 months 42.6 61.7 62.8 - 36 months 40.3 60.8 - - 48 months 39.8 - - - Position at 30 June 2007 39.8 60.5 60.6 56.9 Reinsurance 12 months 60.5 88.0 153.4 54.5 24 months 38.2 84.1 127.8 - 36 months 33.4 81.7 - - 48 months 34.1 - - - Position at 30 June 2007 34.2 81.8 131.0 49.7 Marine 12 months 55.5 57.9 55.7 54.3 24 months 44.5 52.5 49.3 - 36 months 39.6 48.7 - - 48 months 39.2 - - - Position at 30 June 2007 39.0 48.7 45.8 49.4 Total 12 months 60.4 66.4 73.5 62.6 24 months 53.1 65.5 69.0 - 36 months 50.5 63.1 - - 48 months 46.9 - - - Position at 30 June 2007 45.0 62.3 67.3 60.0 Total ultimate losses(£m) 567.4 233.7 368.9 416.2 426.7 497.4 2,510.3 Less paid claims net of reinsurance (£m) (462.0) (134.7) (191.3) (140.3) (47.1) (5.5) (980.9) Less unearned portion of ultimate losses (£m) - - - (4.9) (93.1) (418.5) (516.5) Net claims liabilities (100% level) (£m) 105.4 99.0 177.6 271.0 286.5 73.4 1,012.9 Less unaligned share (£m) (31.6) (29.7) (53.3) (81.3) (61.7) (13.8) (271.4) Net claims liabilities, group share (£m) 73.8 69.3 124.3 189.7 224.8 59.6 741.5 Analysis of movements in loss development tables We have updated our loss development tables to show the interim ultimate loss ratios as at 30 June 2007 for each underwriting year. As such, care should be taken when comparing these half year movements to the full year movements shown within the body of each table. The benign claims experience during the first half of 2007 has produced a general trend of reducing loss ratios across our business. We comment on the other notable movements by team below. In addition, we continue to maintain an element of our catastrophe loading on the 2006 underwriting year. This should be considered when comparing the interim 30 June 2007 position of the 2006 underwriting year against the development of the previous catastrophe free year, namely 2003. Specialty Lines The ultimate loss ratios on the 2003 underwriting year have continued to reduce in light of the benign claims environment and the year is turning out to be exceptional. The underlying claims developments on these classes do not follow smooth patterns. Consequently, our reserving policy in these classes of business is to move the ultimate loss ratios only when we have sufficient evidence to do so. Reinsurance The increase in our ultimate loss ratio on the 2005 underwriting year has been caused by a small reduction in expected ultimate premium income. The underlying claims reserves remain unchanged from 31 December 2006. The table below analyses our net insurance claims between current year claims and adjustments to prior year net claims reserves. These have been broken down by department and period. 6 months ended 30 June 2007 Specialty Property Reinsurance Marine Total (unaudited) Lines £m £m £m £m £m Current year 93.4 42.7 9.7 27.9 173.7 Prior year - 2004 and earlier (10.5) (0.8) 0.1 0.2 (11.0) - 2005 year of account (2.3) (2.0) - (2.6) (6.9) - 2006 year of account - (3.3) (1.3) (2.7) (7.3) (12.8) (6.1) (1.2) (5.1) (25.2) Net insurance claims 80.6 36.6 8.5 22.8 148.5 6 months ended 30 June 2006 Specialty Property Reinsurance Marine Total (unaudited) Lines £m £m £m £m £m Current year 80.1 26.2 10.5 21.8 138.6 Prior year - 2003 and earlier (4.4) (0.7) 0.1 (0.6) (5.6) - 2004 year of account (3.0) 1.1 (0.5) (2.2) (4.6) - 2005 year of account - (1.1) - - (1.1) (7.4) (0.7) (0.4) (2.8) (11.3) Net insurance claims 72.7 25.5 10.1 19.0 127.3 Year to 31 December 2006 Specialty Property Reinsurance Marine Total (audited) Lines £m £m £m £m £m Current year 164.3 68.2 19.6 49.6 301.7 Prior year - 2003 and earlier (12.3) (0.7) (0.4) (0.4) (13.8) - 2004 year of account (4.7) (0.7) (0.8) (3.0) (9.2) - 2005 year of account (1.0) (0.5) (4.7) (1.8) (8.0) (18.0) (1.9) (5.9) (5.2) (31.0) Net insurance claims 146.3 66.3 13.7 44.4 270.7 This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

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