| Copyright: | PRWEB.COM Newswire | | Source: | PR Web | | Wordcount: | |
Lower expenses offset declining revenues and investment losses to help the life insurance industry generate $8.9 billion in 2nd-quarter net income.
Charlottesville, VA (Vocus) October 6, 2009 -- According to new data released by SNL Financial, strength in second-quarter income statements more than compensated for first-quarter weakness as the U.S. life and health insurance industry saw its capital and surplus levels rebound just short of year-end 2008 levels.
Unexpectedly strong life sector profitability helped the industry's policyholders' surplus jump to $252.2 billion in the aggregate as of June 30, up from $240.6 billion as of March 31 and not far from the year-end 2008 level of $252.5 billion. The increase in surplus stands in contrast to the quarter-over-quarter declines the life sector experienced in five of the six previous reporting periods.
SNL data indicate that 16 of the top 25 U.S. life groups saw their statutory net income improve sequentially in the second quarter, despite declining revenues and investment losses. Lower expenses helped the life industry produce net income of $8.9 billion in the second quarter, up from a loss of $804 million in the first quarter and a $556.7 million loss in the year-earlier period.
Total underwriting deductions of $162.6 billion marked a sharp decline from $193.1 billion in the first quarter and $201.1 billion in the year-earlier period. Death benefits fell only slightly on a linked-quarter basis to $14.5 billion from just under $15 billion. Surrender benefits and withdrawals for life contracts amounted to $54.9 billion in the second quarter, compared with $63.7 billion in the first quarter and $67.9 billion in the year-earlier period.
However, the most notable factor identified by SNL in the lower underwriting deductions and, in turn, sharply higher net income, came in the line item labeled "increase in aggregate reserves for life and accident and health contracts" on the statutory income statement. That increase totaled just $9.8 billion in the second quarter, down from $31.5 billion in the first quarter and $26.4 billion in the year-earlier period.
"In the midst of the global financial crisis, it's reassuring to see such a striking increase in surplus, particularly in a sector governed by its capitalization," said Jon Wright, associate director of Insurance at SNL. "However, even with the increase, invested asset leverage for life insurance industry remains almost 12 times equity, only slightly below the decade-high level of 12.5 recorded in the first quarter."
SNL's statutory insurance data, available exclusively as part of SNL Unlimited service for Financial Institutions, includes detailed financial data on each filer, reinsurance, investment and loss reserve schedules, data by state and line of business and hundreds of ratios, snapshots and analytics. SNL is the only information provider to offer clients a comprehensive insurance product, linking statutory data with public company data, mergers & acquisitions data, proprietary news, documents and more. To find out more, contact sales (at) snl (dot) com or call 866.296.3743.
About SNL Financial
SNL collects, standardizes and disseminates all relevant corporate, financial, market and M&A data - plus news and analysis - for the Banking, Financial Services, Insurance, Real Estate, Energy and Media & Communications industries. For more information, visit www.SNL.com.
Visit the SNL Press Room to learn more about resources available to members of the media.
SNL Contact
Monica Jenkins
Press Relations Manager
+1.434.951.6951
mjenkins (at) snl (dot) com
SNL Financial
One SNL Plaza
Charlottesville, VA 22902
+1.434.977.1600
Other office locations:
Ahmedabad, India; Arlington, Va.; Boston, Mass.; Boulder, Colo.; Islamabad, Pakistan; Jersey City, N.J.; London; Monterey, Calif.; New York.
###
Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/life_insurance/snl_financial/prweb3002214.htm.
This is a news service of Thomson Business Intelligence Service ©2006. This content is for your personal use only, subject to Terms and Conditions. No redistribution allowed.
|
