MILAN, 10 FEB – The Unipol group closed 2022 with a net profit of €866m, up 8.8% compared to €796m in 2021, and premium income up 2.4% to 13, 6 billion, with a contribution of 8.3 billion from the non-life business (+4.5%) and 5.3 billion from the life business (-0.8%). Net of extraordinary items, which include early retirement costs for around 900 employees in 2022, normalized profit jumped by 55%, from 514 to 797 million. The results, read a note, are “in line with the objectives of the 2022-2024 strategic plan” and allow the board to propose a dividend of 0.37 euro per share, up 23% on 2021, with a dividend yield of 7.5%. The amount of dividends of 265 million for shareholders is “higher than the forecasts of the strategic plan” which included the payment of cumulative dividends of 750 million euros for the three-year period 2022-204. “Results in line” with the objectives of the plan also for the subsidiary Unipolsai, in which all the group’s insurance activities are concentrated. Net profit stood at 651 million, down from 723 million in 2021, but net of extraordinary items it showed growth from 596 to 789 million. Proposed payment of a coupon of 0.16 euro per share, compared to 0.19 euro in 2021, equal to total dividends of around 453 million euro, “in line with the forecasts of the strategic plan”, and a dividend yield by 6.4%. “In the absence of currently unforeseeable events also linked to a worsening of the reference context”, Unipol and Unipolsai expect “an income performance of the consolidated management for the current year in line with the objectives set in the 2022-2024 strategic plan”. (HANDLE).
(ANSA)
