Sampo Group's results for January - September 2011

SAMPO PLC               STOCK EXCHANGE RELEASE       2 November 2011 at 9.30 am

Sampo Group's results for January - September 2011

Core businesses developed according to expectations

Sampo Group's profit before taxes for January - September 2011 decreased to EUR
906 million (959) as a result of impairment losses of EUR 189 million on the
equity portfolios. Total comprehensive income for the period, taking changes in
the market value of assets into account, decreased to EUR 162 million (1,344).

  * Earnings per share amounted to EUR 1.35 (1.43). Mark-to-market earnings per
    share were EUR 0.29 (2.39) and return on equity for the Group was 2.5 per
    cent (22.3).
  * Sampo plc's liquidity position is strong. The company has since the end of
    the reporting period received a EUR 406 million dividend from its P&C
    insurance subsidiary If. Currently Sampo plc holds about EUR 1 billion in
    cash and short-term money market instruments.

  * Net asset value per share on 30 September 2011 amounted to EUR 13.62
    (17.79). Net asset value decreased because of the fall in Nordea's share
    price, poor equity market development and the dividend paid in April 2011.
    Fair value reserve on the Group level decreased to EUR 220 million (736).
  * Combined ratio for P&C insurance operation improved to 92.6 per cent for
    January-September 2011 (93.0). Profit before taxes decreased to EUR 465
    million (519). Return on equity was 2.4 per cent (39.0) and fair value
    reserve decreased to EUR 70 million (315).
  * Sampo's share of Nordea's net profit amounted to EUR 373 million (371). In
    segment reporting the share of Nordea's profit is included in the segment
    'Holding'.
  * Profit before taxes for life insurance operation rose to EUR 107 million
    (100). Fair value reserve decreased to EUR 150 million (436) on 30 September
    2011. Return on equity was -29.3 per cent (35.2).

KEY FIGURES                   1-9/  1-9/  Change 7-9/  7-9/ Change

EURm                          2011  2010  %      2011  2010 %

Profit before taxes           906   959   -6     150   338  -56

  P&C insurance               465   519   -10    43    186  -77

  Associate (Nordea)          373   371   1      80    140  -43

  Life insurance              107   100   7      23    31   -27

  Holding (excl. Nordea)      -37   -28   35     5     -19  -

Profit for the period         759   801   -5     125   284  -56

                                          Change            Change

Earnings per share, EUR       1.35  1.43  -0.08  0.22  0.51 -0.29

EPS (incl. change in FVR) EUR 0.29  2.39  -2.10  -0.38 1.02 -1.40

NAV per share, EUR  *)        13.62 17.79 -4.17  -     -    -

Average number of staff (FTE) 6,888 6,933 -45    -     -    -

Group solvency ratio, %  *)   139.0 167.1 -28.1  -     -    -

RoE, %                        2.5   22.3  -19.8  -     -    -




*) comparison figure from 31.12.2010

The figures in this report are not audited. Income statement items are compared
on a year-on-year basis whereas comparison figures for balance sheet items are
from 31 December 2010 unless otherwise stated.

Sampo follows the new disclosure procedure enabled by the Finnish Financial
Supervisory Authority (Standard 5.2b) and hereby publishes its Interim Report
attached as a PDF file to this stock exchange release. The Interim Report is
also available at www.sampo.com/result.



Third quarter 2011 in brief

Sampo Group's profit before taxes for third quarter of 2011 was EUR 150 million
(338). Earnings per share were EUR 0.22 (0.51). Mark-to-market earnings per
share were EUR -0.38 (1.02).

Net asset value per share decreased in the third quarter of 2011 to EUR 13.62
from EUR 16.24 at the end of the second quarter of 2011.

Combined ratio in the P&C operation was 92.3 per cent (90.6) for the third
quarter. Claims incurred was adversely affected by EUR 39 million due to record
low discount rate for annuities in Sweden, by EUR 21 million due to a heavy
cloudburst in July in Copenhagen and because of poor large claims outcome
exceeding the normalised level by EUR 18 million. Profit before taxes fell to
EUR 43 million (186) as result of EUR 152 million in impairment losses.

Sampo's share of Nordea's third quarter 2011 net profit was EUR 80 million
(140). Nordea's third quarter 2011 profit was burdened by a non-recurring
restructuring cost provision of EUR 171 million.

Profit before taxes for the life insurance operations decreased to EUR 23
million (31). Impairment losses on investment assets were EUR 37 million.
Premiums written amounted to EUR 168 million (223).

Holding segment, excl. Nordea, reported a pre-tax profit of EUR 5 million (-19)
due to mark-to-market gains on interest rate swaps and positive currency
effects.

Business areas

P&C insurance

Profit before taxes for P&C insurance in January-September 2011 decreased to EUR
465 million (519) largely due to impairment losses of EUR 152 million related to
equity assets recognized through profit and loss account during the third
quarter of 2011. Topdanmark's profit contribution was EUR 3 million. Risk ratio
and combined ratio improved to 69.2 per cent (69.5) and 92.6 per cent (93.0),
respectively.

Insurance technical profitability developed according to expectations in
January-September 2011 and technical result remained at EUR 334 million (340).
Technical result for Private business area increased to EUR 196 million (177).
For business area Commercial technical result amounted to EUR 90 million (101),
Industrial EUR 37 million (45) and Baltic & Russia EUR 13 million (13). EUR 98
million (92) was released from technical reserves relating to prior year claims.

Return on equity (RoE) decreased to 2.4 per cent (39.0) due to significantly
lower investment result mark-to-market and the change in the accounting
treatment of Topdanmark holding in the second quarter of 2011. The book value
for Topdanmark in the Group balance sheet was EUR 329 million on 30 September
2011. Insurance margin (technical result in relation to net premiums earned) was
10.8 per cent (11.7). Fair value reserve decreased during the third quarter and
at the end of September 2011 amounted to EUR 69.9 million (315).

Associated company Nordea Bank Ab

On 30 September 2011 Sampo plc held 860,440,497 Nordea shares corresponding to a
holding of 21.3 per cent. The average price paid per share amounted to EUR 6.46
and the book value in the Group accounts was EUR 7.02 per share. The market
price as at 30 September 2011 was EUR 6.07.

The following text is based on Nordea's January - September 2011 result release
published on 19 October 2011.

Total income decreased 11 per cent from the previous quarter to EUR 2,091
million. Net fee and commission income decreased 7 per cent to EUR 582 million.

Net loan loss provisions were EUR 112 million, including a reversal of
provisions for the Danish deposit guarantee system related to Amagerbanken of
EUR 27 million and a provision related to the collapse of Max Bank of EUR 15
million. Excluding these deposit guarantee-related provisions, the loan loss
ratio was 16 basis points (12 basis points in the previous quarter).

Operating profit was down 22 per cent from the previous quarter, excluding the
restructuring costs. Net profit decreased 24 per cent compared to the previous
quarter, excluding the restructuring costs, corresponding to a return on equity
of 8.5 per cent. Diluted earnings per share were EUR 0.10 (EUR 0.18 in the
previous quarter).

Nordea has decided to replace its previous financial targets with one: to reach
a return on equity (ROE) of 15 per cent in a normalised macroeconomic
environment. It is anticipated that the measures now taken together with
continued focus on efficiency will increase ROE substantially over the coming
two years.

Life insurance

Profit before taxes in life insurance for January-September 2011 rose to EUR
107 million (100). Net income from investments, excluding income on unit-linked
contracts, was EUR 202 million (233). The fall in the equity markets led to
impairments on available-for-sale equity assets amounting to EUR 37 million in
the third quarter of 2011. EUR 34 million was released from the reserve for
future bonuses as the low Finnish Government bond rates presuppose low bonus
payments in short term. Net income from unit-linked investments was EUR -375
million (206). Return on equity (RoE) decreased to -29.3 per cent (35.2) as a
result of negative equity market development.

Holding

The segment's profit before taxes amounted to EUR 336 million (343), of which
EUR 373 million (371) relates to Sampo's share of Nordea's January - September
2011 profit. Segment's profit without Nordea was EUR -37 million (-28).

As at 30 September 2011 financial liabilities in Sampo plc's balance sheet
consisted of issued senior bonds and notes of EUR 1,667 million and EUR 653
million of outstanding CPs issued. The average interest on Sampo plc's debt
including EUR and SEK denominated items as of 30 September 2011 was 3.81 per
cent (3.36).

OUTLOOK

The major risks and uncertainties to the Group in the near term

The major risks Sampo Group is exposed to in its normal business activities are
credit risk, market risks and insurance risks. Their contributions to Group's
Economic Capital requirement are currently within normal boundaries at levels
38 per cent, 36 per cent and 13 per cent, respectively.

Currently sovereign debt crisis continues to be an external uncertainty factor
which, in addition to creating volatility in the financial markets, can
potentially generate abrupt structural changes in markets. The crisis has been
aggravated by inability and slowness in political decision making increasing
uncertainty and spreading the problems to the banking sector.

Sovereign debt crisis, crisis of political system and potential banking crisis
may escalate in ways that can affect Group's activities unfavorably although
Sampo Group companies do not have direct exposures in sovereigns under pressure
and have small exposure to banking sector outside the Nordic region.

Outlook for the rest of 2011

Sampo Group's profit for full-year 2011, excluding further impairment losses, if
any, is expected to be good.

If P&C is expected to achieve its long-term combined ratio target of below 95
per cent and to report a combined ratio of 92 - 94 per cent for the full-year
2011.

Nordea's contribution to Group profit is expected to remain significant and to
strengthen further as the effects of the efficiency measures (the New Normal
Plan) outlined by Nordea start materializing.

Mandatum Life's profitability is highly dependent on capital market developments
and further turmoil in capital markets can have an adverse effect on the
profits.



SAMPO PLC
Board of Directors



For more information, please contact:

Peter Johansson, Group CFO, tel. [phone]

Jarmo Salonen, Head of Investor Relations and Group Communications, tel.
[phone]

Essi Nikitin, IR Manager, tel. +358 10 516 0066

Maria Silander, Press Officer, tel. [phone]

Sampo will arrange an English-language telephone conference for investors and
analysts at 4 pm Finnish time (2 pm UK time). Please call +44 207 162 0025
(Europe) or +1 334 323 6201 (North America). Please be ready to state the
conference ID '904792' and the conference title 'Sampo plc 2011 Q3 Release'.

The telephone conference can also be followed from a direct transmission on the
Internet at www.sampo.com/result.  A recorded version will later be available at
the same address.

In addition, a video with Group CEO and President Kari Stadigh and Group CFO
Peter Johansson and Supplementary Financial Information are available at
www.sampo.com/result.

Sampo Group will publish the full year 2011 results on 9 February 2012.

Distribution:
NASDAQ OMX Helsinki
The principal media
Financial Supervisory Authority
www.sampo.com




Interim Report Q3/2011: 


http://hugin.info/3096/R/1560029/482536.pdf




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