Suncorp’s life changes help first half result
Suncorp's moves around its life insurance products has helped drive the Queensland-based company to a net profit after tax (NPAT) of $530 million for the six months to 31 December 2015, down from the $631 million reported for the first half of 2015.
The company told the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) that profit after tax from business lines was $544 million.
Commenting on the result, Suncorp chairman, Ziggy Switkowski, said the half year net profit after tax of $530 million demonstrated the benefits of a financial services conglomerate with the Banking and Life operations delivering improved underlying profits at a time when General Insurance earnings had been impacted by external headwinds and operational issues.
The company's ASX announcement said Suncorp Life's net profit after tax for the half year was $53 million with the underlying profit increasing over 10 per cent to $58 million.
It said the profit after tax was impacted by investment market volatility with actual returns being lower than longer-term assumptions.
"Life's underlying profit has stabilised following the revision of key assumptions in 2014," the announcement said. "Overall claims and lapse experience was $8 million favourable. Life's total in-force annual premiums are up 5.2 per cent reflecting Life's continued focus on retention and value over volume, ensuring new business is written on a more sustainable footing."
Recommended for you
The merger with L1 Capital will “inject new life” into Platinum, Morningstar believes, but is unlikely to boost Platinum’s declining funds under management.
More than half of the top 20 most popular shares bought by advised investors during the first half of 2025 were ETFs, according to AUSIEX data.
At least two-thirds of ETF flows are understood to be driven by intermediaries, according to Global X, as net flows into Australian ETFs spike 97 per cent in the first half of 2025.
Inflows for the first half of 2025 for GQG Partners stand at US$8 billion, but the firm has flagged fund underperformance could be a headwind for future flows.
