About Baloise Group
Who we are:
Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, the Baloise Group is a European provider of insurance and pension solutions. In Switzerland Baloise operates as a focused financial services provider, combining insurance and banking. Its other markets are Germany, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, Croatia and Serbia. The sales network includes its own sales organisation, brokers and other partners. Its innovative pension product business for private customers throughout Europe is driven by the Baloise competence centres in Luxembourg and Liechtenstein. Bâloise Holding Ltd shares are quoted in the main segment of the SIX Swiss Exchange. Baloise Group has approximately 9,100 employees.
Our key figures:
- Profit of CHF 61.3 million (previous year: CHF 436.7 million), mainly impacted by negative non-current effects due to economic development
- Increase in premium volume by 4.1 % in local currencies
- Strong nonlife business, despite above-average major claims; net combined ratio of 95.5 % (previous year: 95.2 %)
- Embedded value (MCEV) of CHF 2,153.0 million (previous year: CHF 2,573.5 million). New business margin of 10.2% (previous year: 11.8%)
- Programme “Baloise 2012”: higher efficiency and lower costs
- Good solvency margin of 203 % (previous year: 224 %)
- Equity amounting to CHF 3,893.6 million (previous year: CHF 4,133.5 million)
- Distinctly improved brand positioning in Belgium through additional purchases
- Unchanged high dividend of CHF 4.50 per share (proposal to Annual General Meeting on 27 April 2012)
What we want to achieve:
We will focus on our efficient and profitable core business. As a result, we strive for a combined ratio of below under 100% in nonlife business. In life insurance, we want to attain a new business margin of at least 10%. However, in the years to come we anticipate volatile financial markets and an uncertain economic and interest rate development. We are therefore cautious in our forecasts. Yet our focus on the quality of our operational business creates the basis for being able to pay an attractive dividend in the future as well.
