Hong Kong, 24 July 2015 – The Board of Directors of AIA Group Limited (stock code: 1299) is pleased to announce that AIA delivered another strong set of results for the six months ended 31 May 2015.

 

The main highlights of the results are:

 

 

 

 

 

 

"AIA has delivered another strong performance in the first half of 2015. VONB growth is 25 per cent on a constant exchange rate basis, which more clearly reflects the underlying performance of the business during the recent period of foreign exchange volatility.

 

"Our disciplined approach to the management of our in-force business has enabled us to achieve a strong increase in IFRS operating profit and maintain our resilient solvency position. Our financial results continue to demonstrate the value of the consistent execution of our wellestablished growth strategy and our exclusive focus on the Asia-Pacific region.

 

"The region continues to present enormous growth opportunities for AIA. Ongoing urbanisation and rising disposable incomes, coupled with low provision of social welfare benefits, will continue to fuel the substantial and growing need for healthcare, protection and long-term savings products. AIA is exceptionally well-positioned to make the most of these opportunities.

 

"The Board has declared a 17 per cent increase in the interim dividend, a clear reflection of the health of AIA's business, our strong financial results and our confidence in the future prospects for the Group. The power of AIA's franchise, the breadth of our product range, our trusted brand and unrivalled financial strength will enable us to continue to generate sustainable value for our customers and shareholders."

 

 

"AIA Singapore is pleased to report another strong set of financial results, sustaining the growth momentum in recent years. This strong performance was achieved against a relatively flat industry environment.

 

"In the first half of 2015, on a constant exchange rate basis, AIA Singapore achieved a 19% increase in Value of New Business (VONB), 13% increase in Annualised New Premium (ANP) and a steady increase in Operating Profit After Tax (OPAT) of 10%, compared to the first half of 2014.

 

"The strong business performance has been driven by growth across all distribution channels, including AIA's market leading agency force, intermediated distribution via banks and financial advisers, and corporate business lines.

 

"We are heartened by the efforts from our agency force, business partners and staff, who contributed to our broad-based growth in the first half of 2015, despite the challenging environment.

 

"AIA Singapore continues to invest in Singapore's future, pro-actively contributing to the health and financial well-being of individuals and families through their different life stages. In line with this, AIA Singapore has introduced a slew of initiatives to celebrate our nation's 50th birthday including providing free insurance coverage, complimentary AIA Vitality and gym memberships, and raising S$250,000 for families from the Asian Women's Welfare Association (AWWA).

 

"As part of our efforts to meeting the evolving needs of individuals and families in Singapore, we continually review our products to provide easier access to protection and greater peace of mind among families in Singapore so that they can focus on achieving their dreams and aspirations in life.

 

"An example of this is the recent enhancement of our retirement plan, AIA Retirement Saver (II), which offers the option for major cancer coverage, given the rising incidence of cancer in Singapore1 . Singaporeans need to be able to protect themselves into retirement without being thrown off course by the unexpected.

 

"While more can be done, we are heartened to note that our efforts continue to help narrow the protection gap in Singapore. Our efforts have also contributed to strong business performance for the first half of this financial year amidst a challenging period for the industry.

 

"AIA Singapore's success can primarily be attributed to: 

 

 

More information about AIA Singapore's SG50 efforts and AIA Vitality can be found at http://www.aia.com.sg/sg50/ and http://www.aiavitality.com.sg/ respectively. 

 

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AIA Group Limited and its subsidiaries (collectively "AIA" or the "Group") comprise the largest independent publicly listed pan-Asian life insurance group. It has a presence in 18 markets in Asia-Pacific – wholly-owned branches and subsidiaries in Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, China, Korea, the Philippines, Australia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Vietnam, New Zealand, Macau, Brunei, a 97 per cent subsidiary in Sri Lanka, a 26 per cent joint venture in India and representative offices in Myanmar and Cambodia.

 

The business that is now AIA was first established in Shanghai over 90 years ago. It is a market leader in the Asia-Pacific region (ex-Japan) based on life insurance premiums and holds leading positions across the majority of its markets. It had total assets of US$172 billion as of 31 May 2015.

 

AIA meets the long-term savings and protection needs of individuals by offering a range of products and services including life insurance, accident and health insurance and savings plans. The Group also provides employee benefits, credit life and pension services to corporate clients. Through an extensive network of agents, partners and employees across Asia-Pacific, AIA serves the holders of more than 29 million individual policies and over 16 million participating members of group insurance schemes.

 

AIA Group Limited is listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited under the stock code "1299" with American Depositary Receipts (Level 1) traded on the over-thecounter market (ticker symbol: "AAGIY").