Sampo Group's third-quarter results: Simply a g...

SAMPO PLC                 PRESS RELEASE          9 November 2012 at 9.35 am

Sampo Group's third-quarter results: Simply a good quarter

Sampo Group's profit before taxes for January - September 2012 amounted to EUR 1,172 million (906). The total comprehensive income for the period, taking changes in the market value of assets into account, rose sharply to EUR 1,447 million (162).

- We've witnessed simply a good quarter. Nordic P&C insurance business and especially If P&C as the market leader maintained a strong profitability despite low interest rates, Kari Stadigh, Group CEO and President, says.

- As the leading Nordic banking group, Nordea is prepared to meet new requirements based on the increased regulation. The bank has significantly increased its core tier 1 ratio. The profitability increased from last year and net interest income was very good in the third quarter. In addition, the number of customers developed favorably during the first nine months of a year.

Key figures

Earnings per share rose to EUR 1.79 (1.35) and mark-to-market EPS surged to EUR 2.58 per share (0.29). The return on equity for the Group amounted to 20.7 per cent (2.5). Net asset value per share increased to EUR 17.75 (14.05). The fair value reserve after tax on the Group level amounted to EUR 681 million (355).

The combined ratio for P&C insurance operations in January - September 2012 amounted to 89.4 per cent (92.6), and the profit before taxes rose to EUR 648 million (465). Sampo's share of the associated company Nordea's profit for January - September 2012 was EUR 466 million (373). Profit before taxes for the life insurance operations amounted to EUR 98 million (107).

Outlook

Sampo Group's business areas are expected to report good operating results for 2012. However, the mark-to-market results are, particularly in life insurance, highly dependent on capital market developments.

P&C insurance operations are expected to reach a combined ratio of 89 - 91 per cent for the full year 2012 and thus achieve the long-term target of below 95 per cent. Nordea's contribution to the Group's profit is expected to be significant.

Please find Sampo Group's complete Interim Report January - September 2012 at www.sampo.com/result.  Supplementary Financial Information is also available at the same address.

For more information, please contact:

Maria Silander, Press Officer, tel. [phone]

An English-language telephone conference for investors and analysts will be arranged at 4 pm Finnish time (2 pm UK time). Please call [phone] (Standard International Access), [phone] (US Toll Free), [phone] (UK Toll Free) or [phone] (Finland Toll Free). Please be ready to state the conference name 'Sampo plc Q3 2012 Release' and password 'Sampo'. The telephone conference can also be followed from a direct transmission on the Internet at www.sampo.com/result.

Distribution:
The principal media
www.sampo.com

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Source: Sampo Oyj via Thomson Reuters ONE

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