14 Mar 2018

Prudential plc Full Year 2017 Results

Links to supplementary information about this release:
Full news release and business review
IFRS disclosure
EEV statements
Risk factors
2017 full year financial supplement

2017 FINANCIAL OBJECTIVES DELIVERED AND SUSTAINED GROWTH IN PROFIT AND CASH

Performance highlights on a constant (and actual) exchange rate basis

  • Group IFRS operating profit4 of £4,699 million, up 6 per cent1 (up 10 per cent2)
  • Asia double-digit broad-based growth in new business profit3, up 12 per cent1, IFRS operating profit4, up 15 per cent1 and underlying free surplus generated5, up 19 per cent1
  • US separate account net inflows6 of £3.5 billion contributing to separate account assets 19 per cent1 higher at £130.5 billion
  • M&G Prudential assets under management7 up 13 per cent to £351 billion, driven by record net inflows into M&G and PruFund
  • Full year 2017 ordinary dividend increased by 8 per cent to 47 pence per share
  • Group Solvency II surplus8,9 estimated at £13.3 billion, equivalent to a cover ratio of 202 per cent

Mike Wells, Group Chief Executive, said: ‘Our clear, consistent strategy, high-quality products and constantly improving capabilities have enabled us to deliver excellent progress across the Group, led by double-digit growth in our Asia business. We have also achieved all of our 2017 objectives10, which we set in December 2013. This represents the third set of objectives successfully achieved within the last 10 years.

‘The performance of our Asia business is testament to the strength, scale and diversity of our platform in the region, our focus on recurring-premium health and protection business and the quality of our execution. Our Asia life businesses delivered a 15 per cent1 increase in IFRS operating profit4 and a 12 per cent1 increase in new business profit over the year, while assets under management at Eastspring increased by 18 per cent2. We continue to develop our capabilities in Asia, building scale and enhancing quality.

‘In the US our life business, Jackson, remains focused on meeting the retirement income needs of the growing numbers of baby boomer retirees and extending our products and reach to improve access to the large asset pools of the fee-based advisory market. Jackson delivered positive separate account net inflows6 of £3.5 billion, with separate account assets increasing by 19 per cent1.

‘During 2017 we announced that we were combining our asset manager, M&G, and Prudential UK & Europe to form M&G Prudential, a leading savings and investment business in the UK and Europe well positioned to target growing customer demand for comprehensive financial solutions. M&G Prudential has delivered record levels of external asset management net inflows of £17.3 billion, contributing to total assets under management7 of £351 billion.

‘Our strategy is aligned to structural trends: the savings and protection needs of the fast-growing middle class in Asia, the retirement income needs of the baby boomers in the US and the increasing demand for managed savings solutions among the ageing populations of the UK and Europe. The Group’s performance demonstrates that we are highly effective in accessing the opportunities arising from these trends, and that we are meeting the needs of our customers better than ever before. I am confident that, given the extent of our opportunities and our proven ability to execute and innovate, we are well positioned to continue to grow profitably.’

Summary financials 2017
£m
2016
£m
Change on
AER basis
Change on
CER basis
IFRS operating profit based on longer-term investment returns 4,699 4,256 10% 6%
Underlying free surplus generated5,11 3,640 3,566 2% (1)%
Life new business profit3 3,616 3,088 17% 12%
IFRS profit after tax12 2,390 1,921 24% 21%
Net cash remittances from business units 1,788 1,718 4% -
         
  2017
£bn
2016
£bn
Change on
AER basis
 
IFRS shareholders’ funds 16.1 14.7 10%  
EEV shareholders’ funds 44.7 39.0 15%  
Group Solvency II capital surplus8,9 13.3 12.5 6%  

Notes

1 Year-on-year percentage increases are stated on a constant exchange rate basis unless otherwise stated.
2 Growth rate on an actual exchange rate basis.
3 New business profit on business sold in the year, calculated in accordance with EEV principles.
4 Based on longer-term investment returns.
5 Underlying free surplus generated comprises underlying free surplus generated from the Group's long-term business (net of investment in new business) and that generated from asset management operations. Further information is set out in note 11 of the EEV basis results.
6 Variable annuity separate account inflows.
7 Represents M&G Prudential asset management external funds under management and internal funds included on the M&G Prudential long-term insurance business balance sheet.
8 The Group shareholder capital position excludes the contribution to Own Funds and the Solvency Capital Requirement from ring-fenced with-profits funds and staff pension schemes in surplus. The estimated solvency position includes management’s calculation of UK transitional measures reflecting operating and market conditions at each valuation date. An application to recalculate the transitional measures as at 31 December 2017 has been approved by the Prudential Regulation Authority.
9 Before allowing for second interim ordinary dividend.
10 The 2017 financial objectives were for Asia to deliver a compound annual growth rate for IFRS operating profit based on longer-term investment returns of at least 15 per cent between 2013 and 2017 and underlying free surplus generation of £0.9 billion to £1.1 billion in the year to 31 December 2017 and for the Group to deliver cumulative underlying free surplus generation of at least £10 billion between 1 January 2014 and 31 December 2017.
11 The 2016 comparative results have been re-presented from those previously published following reassessment of the Group’s operating segments as described in note B1.3 of the IFRS financial statements. On re-presentation, Prudential Capital is excluded from underlying free surplus generated.
12 IFRS profit after tax reflects the combined effects of operating results determined on the basis of longer-term investment returns, together with negative short-term investment variances, which in 2017 largely arose within Jackson, profit (loss) on disposal of businesses, amortisation of acquisition accounting adjustments and the total tax charge for the year.

Contact:

Media   Investors/Analysts  
Jonathan Oliver +44 (0)20 7548 3537 Chantal Waight +44 (0)20 7548 3039
Jonathan Miller +44 (0)20 7548 2776 Richard Gradidge +44 (0)20 7548 3860
    William Elderkin +44 (0)20 3480 5590

Notes to Editors:

1. The results in this announcement are prepared on two bases: International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and European Embedded Value (EEV). The results prepared under IFRS form the basis of the Group's statutory financial statements. The supplementary EEV basis results have been prepared in accordance with the amended European Embedded Value principles dated April 2016 formulated by the CFO Forum of European Insurance Companies. The Group’s EEV basis results are stated on a post-tax basis and, where appropriate, include the effects of IFRS. Year-on-year percentage increases are presented on a constant exchange rate basis unless otherwise stated. Constant exchange rates results are calculated by translating prior year results using the current year foreign exchange rate ie current year average rates for the income statement and current year closing rates for the balance sheet.
2. Annual Premium Equivalent (APE) sales comprise regular premium sales plus one-tenth of single premium insurance sales.
3. Operating profit is determined on the basis of including longer-term investment returns. EEV and IFRS operating profit is stated after excluding the effect of short-term fluctuations in investment returns against long-term assumptions, which for IFRS in 2017 principally arose within Jackson, and profits and losses arising on the disposal of businesses. Furthermore, for EEV basis results, operating profit based on longer-term investment returns excludes the effect of changes in economic assumptions and the mark to market value movement on core borrowings. Separately on the IFRS basis, operating profit also excludes amortisation of accounting adjustments arising principally on the acquisition of REALIC completed in 2012.
4. Total number of Prudential plc shares in issue as at 31 December 2017 was 2,587,175,445.
5. A presentation for analysts and investors will be held today at 11.30am (UK time) / 7.30pm (Hong Kong time) in the conference suite at Nomura, 1 Angel Lane, London EC4R 3AB. The presentation will be webcast live and available to replay afterwards using the following link http://www.investis-live.com/prudential/5a6f2d8725d9c011009ed48f/lzqo

To register attendance in person please send an email to investor.relations@prudential.co.uk

Alternatively, a dial-in facility will be available to listen to the presentation: please allow time ahead of the presentation to join the call (lines open half an hour before the presentation is due to start, ie from 11.00am (UK time) / 7.00pm (Hong Kong time). Dial-in: 020 3936 2999 (UK Local Call) / +44 20 3936 2999 (International) / 0800 640 6441 (Freephone UK), Participant access code: 378321 – Once participants have entered this code their name and company details will be taken. Playback: +44 (0) 20 3936 3001 (UK and international excluding US) / + 1 845 709 8569 (US only) (Replay code: 043060). This will be available from approximately 3.00pm (UK time) / 11.00pm (Hong Kong time) on 14 March 2018 until 11.59pm (UK time) on 28 March 2018 / 6.59am (Hong Kong time) on 29 March 2018.
6. 2017 Second interim ordinary dividend
Ex-dividend date 29 March 2018 (UK, Ireland, Hong Kong and Singapore)
Record date 3 April 2018
Payment of dividend 18 May 2018 (UK, Ireland and Hong Kong)
On or about 25 May 2018 (Singapore and ADR holders)
7. About Prudential plc
Prudential plc and its affiliated companies constitute one of the world's leading financial services groups, serving over 26 million customers and it has £669 billion of assets under management (as at 31 December 2017). Prudential plc is incorporated in England and Wales and is listed on the stock exchanges in London, Hong Kong, Singapore and New York. Prudential plc is not affiliated in any manner with Prudential Financial, Inc., a company whose principal place of business is in the United States of America.
8. Forward-Looking Statements
This document may contain ‘forward-looking statements’ with respect to certain of Prudential's plans and its goals and expectations relating to its future financial condition, performance, results, strategy and objectives. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about Prudential’s beliefs and expectations and including, without limitation, statements containing the words ‘may’, ‘will’, ‘should’, ‘continue’, ‘aims’, ‘estimates’, ‘projects’, ‘believes’, ‘intends’, ‘expects’, ‘plans’, ‘seeks’ and ‘anticipates’, and words of similar meaning, are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on plans, estimates and projections as at the time they are made, and therefore undue reliance should not be placed on them. By their nature, all forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty. A number of important factors could cause Prudential's actual future financial condition or performance or other indicated results to differ materially from those indicated in any forward-looking statement. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the timing, costs and successful implementation of the demerger described herein; the future trading value of the shares of Prudential plc and the trading value and liquidity of the shares of the to-be-listed M&G Prudential business following such demerger; future market conditions, including fluctuations in interest rates and exchange rates, the potential for a sustained low-interest rate environment, and the performance of financial markets generally; the policies and actions of regulatory authorities, including, for example, new government initiatives; the political, legal and economic effects of the UK’s decision to leave the European Union; the impact of continuing designation as a Global Systemically Important Insurer or ‘G-SII’; the impact of competition, economic uncertainty, inflation and deflation; the effect on Prudential’s business and results from, in particular, mortality and morbidity trends, lapse rates and policy renewal rates; the timing, impact and other uncertainties of future acquisitions or combinations within relevant industries; the impact of internal projects and other strategic actions failing to meet their objectives; disruption to the availability, confidentiality or integrity of Prudential’s IT systems (or those of its suppliers); the impact of changes in capital, solvency standards, accounting standards or relevant regulatory frameworks, and tax and other legislation and regulations in the jurisdictions in which Prudential and its affiliates operate; and the impact of legal and regulatory actions, investigations and disputes. These and other important factors may, for example, result in changes to assumptions used for determining results of operations or re-estimations of reserves for future policy benefits. Further discussion of these and other important factors that could cause Prudential's actual future financial condition or performance or other indicated results to differ, possibly materially, from those anticipated in Prudential's forward-looking statements can be found under the ‘Risk Factors’ heading in this document.

Any forward-looking statements contained in this document speak only as of the date on which they are made. Prudential expressly disclaims any obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements contained in this document or any other forward-looking statements it may make, whether as a result of future events, new information or otherwise except as required pursuant to the UK Prospectus Rules, the UK Listing Rules, the UK Disclosure and Transparency Rules, the Hong Kong Listing Rules, the SGX-ST listing rules or other applicable laws and regulations.

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Prudential plc is an international company incorporated in the United Kingdom, and its affiliated companies constitute one of the world’s leading financial services groups. It provides insurance and financial services directly and through its subsidiaries and affiliates throughout the world, and it has been in existence for over 170 years. Prudential plc is not affiliated in any manner with Prudential Financial, Inc, a company whose principal place of business is in the United States of America, or the Prudential Assurance Company, a subsidiary of M&G plc (a company incorporated in the United Kingdom).

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Prudential plc is an international company incorporated in the United Kingdom, and its affiliated companies constitute one of the world’s leading financial services groups. It provides insurance and financial services directly and through its subsidiaries and affiliates throughout the world, and it has been in existence for over 170 years. Prudential plc is not affiliated in any manner with Prudential Financial, Inc, a company whose principal place of business is in the United States of America, or the Prudential Assurance Company, a subsidiary of M&G plc (a company incorporated in the United Kingdom).

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For M&G and Prudential UK customers and policyholders:

In October 2019, Prudential plc separated its UK operations and, as a result of this separation, Prudential UK is now owned by M&G plc. The M&G plc group is a separate, independent group and as such we are not able to help any M&G or Prudential UK customers or policyholders.

Therefore, to find the best way to make contact, please visit www.pru.co.uk/contact-us

For further information on the M&G plc group, please visit the M&G website: www.mandg.com