Final Results

Sun Life Fin.Services of Canada Inc 4 February 2002 Sun Life Financial reports record net income of $253 million, or 59 cents per share, for the fourth quarter, an increase of 18 per cent HIGHLIGHTS: • Record full year net income of $882 million up 11 per cent • Record earnings per share of $2.08 per share up 9 per cent • Fourth quarter earnings of 59 cents per share include 3 cents from Keyport/IFMG and net 2 cents from one-time items • Closed acquisition of Keyport/IFMG, and sold Sun Bank and SLC Asset Management • Issued $330 million of equity and $950 million of SLEECS (TORONTO - February 4, 2002) Sun Life Financial Services of Canada Inc. (NYSE/TSE: 'SLC') today reported shareholder net income of $253 million for the quarter ending December 31, 2001, an increase of 20 per cent over the $211 million earned in the fourth quarter in 2000. Earnings per share of 59 cents were up 18 per cent from the 50 cents per share earned in the fourth quarter a year ago. Earnings for the current quarter included gains on the sales of two businesses in the U.K. which, net of charges, added $10 million, or 2 cents per share. Excluding these gains, net income increased $32 million, or 15 per cent, from the fourth quarter of 2000, and earnings per share increased 7 cents, or 14 per cent. Financial Summary Unaudited Quarterly Results Full Year 4Q'01 3Q'01 4Q'00 2001 2000 Shareholder Net Income ($mm) 253 215 211 882 792 Earnings Per Share ($) 0.59 0.51 0.50 2.08 1.90 Revenues ($mm) 4,885 3,526 4,036 16,689 16,206 Return on Equity(1) (%) 13.4 12.5 13.2 12.8 13.1 Average Shares Outstanding (mm) 431.3 420.7 421.7 423.6 416.2 (1)Certain ROE numbers have been restated to reflect the impact on equity of adoption of the new standards, issued by the Canadian Institute of Actuaries, for the valuation of policy liabilities of life insurers. 'I am very pleased with our 2001 results, particularly in light of the difficult economic times. The tangible results of our actions to reshape our business profile are becoming increasingly visible,' said Donald A. Stewart, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. 'Keyport made an important contribution to the success of the quarter adding a net $12 million to the quarter's earnings. In addition, we saw solid results from our North American protection businesses. These two factors offset the continuing revenue pressures in our wealth management businesses caused by lower capital market valuations. While these pressures were especially severe as we entered the fourth quarter, we ended the year on a strong note with assets under management regaining lost ground to reach a record $352 billion.' C. James Prieur, President and Chief Operating Officer observed, 'We are very pleased with the performance of our recent Keyport/IFMG acquisition. Our ability to get a jump on numerous integration issues through the extended approval period put us in a position to hit the ground running at closing. The integration program is well ahead of schedule relative to every significant planning milestone. As a result, we are getting an earnings boost that is well ahead of our original plans. Contributing to this achievement, IFMG's sales through the bank channel for 2001 were up 33 per cent over 2000.' 'Consistent and robust growth in net income and earnings per share remain our primary financial objectives,' said Paul W. Derksen, Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer. 'Our core North American franchise turned in a solid performance which offset investments to build our Asian businesses. In addition, our decisive actions in the U.K. earlier in the year have meaningfully enhanced the U.K.'s contribution to the Company's overall financial picture.' FINANCIAL REVIEW -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Assets Under Management At December 31, 2001, assets under management were $351.7 billion, an increase of $52.5 billion or 18 per cent relative to the $299.2 billion at September 30, 2001, and an increase of $23.2 billion or 7.1 per cent relative to the $328.5 billion at December 31, 2000. Keyport added $29.7 billion to assets under management. This increase was partially offset by the sales of Sun Bank and SLC Asset Management, which had assets under management of $7.2 billion at December 31, 2000. The increase in assets under management has been the result of the rebound in equity markets at year-end and continuing strong net fund sales, which were $3.3 billion in the fourth quarter and $28.6 billion for the year. Revenue Total revenue in the fourth quarter was $4,885 million, an increase of $1,359 million, or 39 per cent, compared to the $3,526 million recorded in the quarter ending September 30, 2001. Revenues from Keyport added $981 million; the revenue loss from divested units was minimal. The three components of revenues -- fee income, investment income and premiums -- each recorded increases for the quarter. Fee revenues increased by $41 million, of which $36 million was derived from Keyport/Independent Financial Marketing Group (IFMG). Investment income increased by $472 million, including $247 million from Keyport/IFMG, the gain from the sales of Sun Bank and SLC Asset Management, and increases in the market value of the Company's equity portfolio. Premium revenues included an increase of $678 million in annuity premiums and an increase of $168 million in life and health insurance premiums. Annuity premiums in the fourth quarter increased by $293 million compared to annuity premiums recorded in the fourth quarter of 2000, of which Keyport contributed $716 million. Keyport's contribution was offset by lower annuity premiums in other areas of U.S. Operations. Earnings Earnings attributable to shareholders for the fourth quarter were $253 million, up $42 million, or 20 per cent from the $211 million in the fourth quarter of 2000. Total net income, which includes earnings attributable to policyholders, was $255 million, an increase of $45 million, or 21 per cent, as compared to the $210 million earned in the fourth quarter of 2000. During the quarter the Company completed the sales of Sun Bank and SLC Asset Management, details of which are included in the Corporate Capital section. Shareholders' net income for 2001 was $882 million, an increase of $90 million, or 11.4 per cent from the $792 million earned in 2000. Improved earnings in the Canadian Operations, U.K. Operations, and Corporate Capital, were partially offset by lower earnings in U.S. Operations, MFS Investment Management and Asian Operations. The earnings decline in U.S. Operations was primarily due to lower capital markets, which reduced earnings from variable annuities operations, venture capital gains, and MFS. Cash Flows Net cash outflows in the fourth quarter of 2001 were $478 million compared to inflows of $562 million in the fourth quarter of 2000. At December 31, 2001 cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments were $4.8 billion compared to $4.0 billion a year earlier and $4.5 billion at September 30, 2001. Shareholders' Equity Shareholders' equity was $7,645 million at December 31, 2001, an increase of $544 million from September 30, 2001. The increase in Shareholders' equity arose from fourth quarter earnings of $253 million, the issue of shares for $307 million, net of issue costs of $23 million, and $36 million of currency adjustments primarily due to the weaker Canadian dollar relative to the U.S. dollar. Shareholders' equity was reduced by dividend payments of $52 million for the quarter. Return on equity ('ROE') for the fourth quarter of 2001 was 13.4 per cent, up from the 12.5 per cent in the third quarter of 2001. ROE increased due to improved earnings and the overall favourable impact of the Keyport/IFMG acquisition. Shareholders' equity and ROE for previous quarters have been restated due to an adjustment of $206 million to equity related to the adoption of new Canadian actuarial standards. PERFORMANCE BY OPERATING UNIT -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Canadian Operations -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Quarterly Results Full Year 4Q'01 3Q'01 2Q'01 1Q'01 4Q'00 2001 2000 Revenues ($mm) 997 896 932 1,030 927 3,855 3,946 Net Income ($mm) 57 51 55 49 62 212 184 ROE (%) 18.6 16.5 17.6 13.6 15.8 16.5 12.2 In the fourth quarter of 2001, Canadian Operations earned $57 million to achieve an 18.6 per cent ROE. Comparisons to the fourth quarter of 2000 are affected by $17 million of net favourable special items related to a reinsurance treaty, reserve strengthening and income tax changes recorded in that quarter. Excluding these items, net income from Canadian Operations increased by $12 million, or 27 per cent. Earnings for the full year of 2001 were $212 million, an increase of $28 million, or 15 per cent from the $184 million earned in 2000. Contributing to this growth were significant improvements in the Group Life & Health results and in the Spectrum & Other line of business. The ROE for Canadian Operations rose to 16.5 per cent for 2001, a significant increase over the 12.2 per cent earned in fiscal 2000. Net Income Full Year ($mm) 4Q'01 3Q'01 2Q'01 1Q'01 4Q'00 2001 2000 Individual Life 14 7 8 10 42 39 48 Group Life & Health 23 23 23 12 27 81 68 Group Retirement Services 6 9 12 11 15 38 45 Spectrum & Other 20 9 6 10 (8) 45 24 Investment Portfolio & Other (6) 3 6 6 (14) 9 (1) Total 57 51 55 49 62 212 184 • Individual Life reported earnings of $14 million for the current quarter. This was a decrease of $28 million compared to the fourth quarter of 2000, which included $29 million of net favourable special items for reinsurance and reserve strengthening. Excluding these special items, full year 2001 results grew by $20 million to $39 million, driven by cost efficiency and mortality improvements. • Group Life & Health earnings of $81 million in 2001 were $13 million higher than in 2000, largely driven by improvements in long-term disability morbidity experience. In the fourth quarter, Group Life & Health earned $23 million, a decrease of $4 million compared to the fourth quarter of 2000 due to increased claims. • Group Retirement Services earned $6 million in the fourth quarter of 2001, a decrease of $9 million compared to the fourth quarter of 2000, primarily due to mortality-related reserve strengthening. This decline contributed to the $7 million decline in full year 2001 earnings relative to the $45 million earned in fiscal 2000. • Spectrum & Other had earnings of $20 million in the fourth quarter of 2001, compared to losses of $8 million the fourth quarter of 2000. The earnings for the full year 2001 grew by $21 million over those for 2000. The benefit of lower expenses in 2001 in Spectrum Investments and a reserve strengthening in Individual Annuity in 2000 accounted for a significant portion of the annual and fourth quarter earnings increases. United States Annuity and Insurance Operations -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Quarterly Results Full Year 4Q'01 3Q'01 2Q'01 1Q'01 4Q'00 2001 2000 Revenues ($mm) 2,507 1,528 1,755 2,021 1,858 7,811 7,159 Net Income ($mm) 90 55 27 50 43 222 229 ROE (%) 10.6 15.1 7.7 15.8 13.7 11.8 20.1 In the fourth quarter of 2001, U.S. Annuity and Insurance Operations earned $90 million, compared to $43 million in the fourth quarter of 2000, an increase of $47 million, or 109 per cent. All business units contributed to the improvement in earnings. Keyport contributed $27 million to the Retirement Products & Services line, which offset reduced earnings from lower average U.S. equity markets. Costs of $15 million related to the financing of the Keyport/IFMG acquisition are reflected in the Corporate Capital reporting unit for a net contribution of $12 million from the Keyport acquisition to the Company's earnings. Earnings of $222 million for the year declined by $7 million from the $229 million earned in 2000. Keyport's contribution to the Retirement Products & Services business line partially offset a decline in earnings for variable annuities, which were adversely impacted by U.S. equity markets. Individual Life's profitability improved as a result of a larger block of in-force business, while Group Life & Health's profitability benefited from pricing improvements. The decrease in earnings in the Investment Portfolio & Other line was the net result of venture capital gains in 2000, which were not repeated in 2001, and were offset by lower asset provisions in 2001. All results benefited from expense control initiatives. The ROE level for the U.S. Operations was affected by the impact of lower equity market valuations on variable annuity earnings, as well as an increase in equity allocated to this operation to support the acquisition of Keyport/IFMG. In the aggregate, the Keyport acquisition is expected to add significantly to the total Company's ROE within two years of closing. Net Income Full Year ($mm) 4Q'01 3Q'01 2Q'01 1Q'01 4Q'00 2001 2000 Retirement Products & Services 35 15 1 13 15 64 73 Individual Life 25 33 25 23 21 106 75 Group Life & Health 14 11 10 6 12 41 25 Investment Portfolio & Other 16 (4) (9) 8 (5) 11 56 Total 90 55 27 50 43 222 229 • Retirement Products & Services (including Keyport) reported earnings of $35 million, an increase of $20 million or 133 per cent compared to the $15 million earned in the fourth quarter of 2000. Keyport contributed $27 million to the improved earnings, while other earnings decreased due to declines in the equity markets. • Individual Life earned $25 million, $4 million or 19 per cent more than the $21 million earned in the fourth quarter of 2000. Reduced operating expenses contributed to the improvement in earnings. The results for the fourth quarter were lower than third quarter earnings, which benefited from good mortality. • Group Life & Health earned $14 million in the fourth quarter. This was $2 million or 17 per cent more than the $12 million earned in the fourth quarter of 2000 and resulted from price increases in the Company's stop-loss business. This contribution was partially offset by increased disability claims. • Investment Portfolio & Other earnings of $16 million were a $21 million improvement over the fourth quarter 2000 loss of $5 million. MFS Investment Management -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Quarterly Results Full Year 4Q'01 3Q'01 2Q'01 1Q'01 4Q'00 2001 2000 Revenues ($mm) 542 541 587 603 614 2,273 2,382 Net Income ($mm) 50 58 65 58 60 231 256 ROE (%) 47.0 60.4 75.8 76.6 75.1 63.0 87.0 MFS Investment Management earned $50 million in the fourth quarter of 2001, a decline of $10 million, or 17 per cent, compared to the $60 million earned in the fourth quarter of 2000. Lower year-over-year earnings resulted from revenue declines, reflecting the capital market declines during the period. Representative of this decrease, the quarterly average S&P 500 Index fell by 18.4 per cent from the fourth quarter of 2000, when the index averaged 1,366, to the fourth quarter of 2001 when the index averaged 1,115. The average S&P 500 Index for the fourth quarter fell 3.3 per cent from the third quarter of 2001. Earnings for 2001 of $231 million were $25 million, or 10 per cent, less than the $256 million earned in 2000. Lower revenues due to declining equity valuations were only partially offset by lower expenses achieved through a focus on cost reduction and operational efficiencies. Quarterly Results Full Year 4Q'01 3Q'01 2Q'01 1Q'01 4Q'00 2001 2000 Assets Under Management (C$B) 220 194 222 210 223 220 223 Net New Sales (C$B) 2.3 3.9 7.8 12.4 8.0 26.4 31.5 Market/Currency Movement (C$B) 23.8 (31.7) 3.6 (24.8) (24.9)(29.1) (9.4) • Net new sales, across all business lines, for the fourth quarter of 2001 were $2.3 billion (US$1.5 billion). • No.3 ranking for net new retail mutual fund flows in the non-proprietary channel with inflows of US$6.3 billion (full year December 2001). • No.8 ranking by size among U.S. mutual fund companies with US$83 billion in long term mutual fund assets under management (December 31, 2001). • Total 2001 net new sales across all product lines of over US$17 billion reflects substantial growth in the MFS' institutional and managed account business. • Based on Lipper data, the three-year performance of 79 per cent of MFS' equity and fixed income funds were in the top two quartiles. United Kingdom Operations -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Quarterly Results Full Year 4Q'01 3Q'01 2Q'01 1Q'01 4Q'00 2001 2000 Net Income ($mm) 54 37 50 39 37 180 119 ROE (%) 19.9 12.2 17.5 13.9 13.7 15.8 11.1 Earnings rebounded in 2001 as the result of aggressive management action taken during the year. On February 15, 2001 the Company announced its decision to exit the direct sales force distribution business in the U.K. The sales force was terminated on March 30, 2001. During the fourth quarter 2001 the Company completed the sales of Sun Bank and SLC Asset Management. The net gains generated from these sales have been included in Corporate Capital results. U.K. results included net income for the two subsidiaries of $2 million in the fourth quarter of 2001 compared to $8 million in the third quarter of 2001 and $7 million in the fourth quarter of 2000. Full year earnings in 2001 increased by $61 million to $180 million from $119 million for the full year 2000. This increase in earnings was primarily due to the elimination of new business acquisition costs and the favourable impact of commission related reductions arising from the Company's exit from the direct sales force business in the first quarter of 2001. Earnings for U.K. Operations were $54 million in the fourth quarter of 2001, an increase of $17 million, or 46 per cent, relative to earnings of $37 million in the fourth quarter of 2000. The major components of the earnings increase were improved investment income and ongoing expense reductions. Fourth quarter earnings also include $3 million related to the adoption of new Canadian actuarial standards. The favourable impact of these items was somewhat offset by reduced earnings of $5 million due to the sale of Sun Bank and SLC Asset Management during the quarter. Net income for the U.K. increased by $17 million, or 46 per cent in the fourth quarter to $54 million as compared with earnings in the third quarter of 2001 of $37 million. This earnings increase resulted primarily from improved investment income reflecting a rebound in equity markets at year-end 2001 relative to the end of the third quarter 2001. On January 14, 2002, the Company announced an agreement with the Marlborough Stirling group to outsource the administration of its closed book of U.K. individual life and pension business consisting of over 800,000 policies. This agreement to outsource the Company's U.K. back office operations in the individual business is expected to lower operating expenses over the next five years, reduce operating risk and enhance strategic flexibility in the U.K. The agreement is expected to take effect in March 2002. Asian Operations -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Quarterly Results Full Year 4Q'01 3Q'01 2Q'01 1Q'01 4Q'00 2001 2000 Revenues ($mm) 148 107 106 103 115 464 413 Net Income ($mm) (1) 3 10 8 6 20 27 ROE (%) n/a 2.5 8.6 7.5 6.0 4.2 6.7 In the fourth quarter of 2001, Asian Operations recorded a loss of $1 million compared to earnings of $6 million in the fourth quarter of 2000. The fourth quarter loss reflects the continuing adverse effect on current earnings from the investments in the Asian market in pursuit of growth. A significant increase in revenues for the fourth quarter compared to the same period a year ago was due primarily to solid Hong Kong sales and Philippines premiums. Earnings for Asian Operations for 2001 were $20 million, a decline of $7 million, or 26 per cent compared to the $27 million earned in 2000. This decrease was primarily due to increased business development costs and the devaluation of certain local currencies. Corporate Capital -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Corporate Capital refers to expenses, capital and other items not allocated to the Company's other operations. Quarterly Results Full Year 4Q'01 3Q'01 2Q'01 1Q'01 4Q'00 2001 2000 Net Income ($mm) 3 11 5 (2) 3 17 (23) ROE (%) 1.0 2.1 1.0 n/a 0.9 0.9 n/a During the quarter the Company completed the sales of Sun Bank and SLC Asset Management. The net proceeds from these sales were $144 million and $242 million, respectively, and the Company realized total after tax gains of $125 million. The gains were largely offset by a net cost of $30 million associated with the early redemption of certain subordinated debt and U.K. outsourcing and restructuring related costs of $88 million for a net gain of $7 million. Earnings in Corporate Capital for the fourth quarter 2001 were reduced by $15 million for costs related to the financing of the Keyport/IFMG acquisition. For fiscal 2001, earnings were $17 million, an increase of $40 million compared to the prior year losses of $23 million. The results for fiscal 2000 included significant asset provisions, which did not recur in 2001. Company Highlights in Fourth Quarter -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- • Signing of definitive agreement to combine with Clarica was announced on December 17, 2001. This combination will create an organization with leadership positions in virtually every life industry market of strategic importance to the Company in Canada. The transaction, which is subject to Clarica shareholder and voting policyholder approval, is expected to close in the second quarter of 2002. • The acquisition of Keyport/IFMG closed on October 31, 2001, expanding the Company's product set in annuities, providing additional distribution capabilities especially in the bank channel, and providing the opportunity for enhanced operating economies. • $330 million of equity (11 million shares) was issued on October 4, 2001 and used as a portion of the financing for the acquisition of Keyport/IFMG. • $950 million of Tier 1 equity securities, Sun Life ExchangEable Capital Securities (SLEECS) were issued on October 19, 2001 as the second portion of the financing of the purchase price for Keyport/IFMG. • The sales of Sun Bank and SLC Asset Management, both based in the U.K., closed on November 30, 2001 and December 7, 2001 respectively. These transactions were part of the on-going strategic review of the Company's U.K. operations. • MFS was named to the list of '100 Best Companies to Work For' by Fortune magazine in its annual list of top employers for the third consecutive year. SUN LIFE FINANCIAL Sun Life Financial is a leading international financial services organization providing a diverse range of wealth accumulation and protection products and services to individuals and corporate customers. Tracing its roots back to 1871, Sun Life Financial and its partners today have operations in key markets worldwide, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, and Bermuda. As of December 31, 2001 the Sun Life Financial group of companies has total assets under management of CDN $352 billion. Sun Life Financial Services of Canada Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSE), New York (NYSE) and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under ticker symbol 'SLC', and on the London Stock Exchange under ticker symbol 'SFC'. This press release contains forward-looking statements with respect to the Company, including its business operations and strategy and financial performance and condition. Although management believes that the expectations reflected in such forward looking statements are reasonable, such statements involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations include, among other things, general economic and market factors, including interest rates, business competition, changes in government regulations or in tax laws and other factors discussed in materials filed with applicable securities regulatory authorities from time to time. NOTE TO EDITORS: All figures shown in Canadian dollars unless otherwise noted. Exchange rates used by the Company for balance sheet purposes, as at December 31, 2001 were as follows: 1 USD=$1.59 1 GBP=$2.31 Media contacts: John Vincic 416-979-6070 Francine Cleroux 514-866-2561 Investor Relations contact: Thomas Rice 416-204-8163 Web site: www.sunlife.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SUN LIFE FINANCIAL SERVICES OF CANADA INC. COMPARATIVE HIGHLIGHTS - 2001 vs. 2000 (in millions of Canadian dollars) For three months ended Dec. 31 For twelve months ended Dec. 31 2001 2000 Change 2001 2000 Change $ $ % $ $ % Shareholders Net Income (1) Earnings Per Share(1) 253 211 20 882 792 11 - Basic .59 .50 18 2.08 1.90 9 - Fully Diluted .59 .50 18 2.07 1.90 9 Weighted Average Number of Shares Outstanding - Basic 431.3 421.7 423.6 416.2 - Fully Diluted 432.1 421.7 424.2 416.2 Return on Shareholders' Equity(1) 13.4% 13.2% 12.8% 13.1% Gross Sales and Deposits Mutual Funds 8,711 10,562 (18) 39,466 45,614 (13) Managed Funds 6,782 7,481 (9) 31,953 25,869 24 Segregated Funds 1,454 2,870 (49) 5,851 8,318 (30) Revenue Premium Income 2,719 2,289 19 9,354 9,113 3 Net Investment Income 1,363 892 53 4,210 3,776 9 Fee Income 803 855 (6) 3,215 3,317 (3) Total Revenue 4,885 4,036 21 16,689 16,206 3 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As At December 31 2001 2000 Change $ $ % Assets Under Management General Funds 80,328 55,010 46 Segregated Funds 48,544 49,533 (2) Other Assets Under Management Mutual Funds 153,035 163,160 (6) Managed Funds and Other 69,840 60,830 15 Total Assets Under Management 351,747 328,533 7 Total Equity Participating Policyholders' Account 80 79 Shareholders' Equity 7,645 6,438 Total Equity 7,725 6,517 MCCSR (%) 190 295 Notes: (1)For comparison purposes, amounts for full year 2000 are on an adjusted basis assuming the Company had become public on January 1, 2000. (2)Certain ROE numbers have been restated to reflect the impact on equity of adoption of the new standards, issued by the Canadian Institute of Actuaries, for the valuation of policy liabilities of life insurers. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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