Sampo Oyj (SAXPF) Q4 2024 Earnings Call Highlights: Strong Growth and Strategic Milestones Amid ...

In This Article:

  • Group Growth: 12% growth in 2024, following 11% growth in 2023.

  • Underwriting Profits: Increased by 28% over two years.

  • Policy Count Growth (UK): 12% increase.

  • Dividend Proposal: EUR1.70 per share, up EUR0.10 from last year.

  • Premium Growth (Private): 8% currency-adjusted growth in Q4.

  • Topdanmark Growth: 11% growth in Q4.

  • Private Retention Rate: Stable at 89%.

  • Policy Additions (UK): 84,000 new policies in Q4.

  • Net Insurance Revenue Outlook: EUR8.7 billion to EUR9 billion.

  • Underwriting Result Outlook: EUR1.35 billion to EUR1.45 billion.

Release Date: February 06, 2025

For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.

Positive Points

  • Sampo Oyj (SAXPF) reported a 12% growth in 2024, building on an 11% growth in 2023, with a significant increase in underwriting profits by 28% over two years.

  • The company successfully completed important corporate renewals in the Nordics and maintained strong momentum in the UK, with a 12% growth in policy count.

  • Sampo Oyj (SAXPF) has enhanced its digital capabilities and advanced pricing techniques, contributing to its strong market position and growth.

  • The acquisition of the minority interest in Topdanmark was completed, marking a strategic milestone and simplifying the company's structure.

  • A dividend proposal of EUR1.70 per share was announced, up EUR0.10 from the previous year, with potential for share buybacks later in the year.

Negative Points

  • The UK market faces challenges in predicting claims inflation and frequencies post-2022-2024 volatility, which could impact future profitability.

  • Claims inflation remains above historical averages, particularly in the motor segment, posing a risk to cost management.

  • The integration of Topdanmark is ongoing, with limited synergies expected to be realized in 2025 due to IT and process changes.

  • The company's solvency ratio has dipped, and financial leverage has increased compared to the previous year, raising concerns about balance sheet strength.

  • New car sales in the Nordics, particularly in Sweden, have been low, impacting growth in motor insurance policies.

Q & A Highlights

Q: Are there other products or countries in the Nordics where you see similar repricing dynamics as in Norway? Also, is the PI growth mainly from cross-selling or acquiring new clients? A: Repricing is higher in Norway, but Denmark is catching up, with an index above 4%. Sweden is also seeing some price increases. PI growth is typically from cross-selling to existing customers. - Morten Thorsrud, Member of the Group Executive Committee