27 July 2017

Hansard Global plc

New business results for the year ended 30 June 2017

Hansard Global plc ("Hansard" or "the Group"), the specialist long-term savings provider, issues its new business results for the financial year ended 30 June 2017 ("FY 2017").

Summary

Gordon Marr, Group Chief Executive Officer, commented:

"Our annual results show the continued delivery of strong levels of new business growth across all the regions in which we operate. We expect to see this continuing into the current financial year."

For further information:

Hansard Global plc

NEW BUSINESS RESULTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2017

OVERVIEW

The Group continues to focus on the distribution of regular and single premium products in a range of jurisdictions around the world, achieving well diversified new business growth.

In Present Value of New Business Premiums ("PVNBP") terms, levels of new business in Q4 2017 were 5.8% ahead of the equivalent prior year quarter (Q4 2016) and 24.3% ahead for the full year.

Q4 2017 and FY 2017 PVNBP figures are net of year-end persistency assumption changes applicable to regular premiums which reduced PVNBP by £6.1m.  Excluding the assumption changes, Q4 2017 new business was up 24.5% on Q4 2016 and FY 2017 new business was up 29.4% on FY 2016.

Expatriate broker distribution continues to perform strongly and we have benefited from the groundwork we have done, revitalising old relationships and developing new ones.  Latin America in particular has continued its strong growth as new relationships have developed. 

Middle East & Africa experienced a dip in Q4 2017 as one of our larger broker's experienced financial difficulties and ceased writing new business and a number of other key brokers didn't repeat the large volumes achieved in Q4 2016.  PVNBP for the region was also impacted by the persistency assumption change noted above.  Growth on an annual basis remained up 10% and our outlook for that region remains positive.  We are seeing significant levels of pipeline activity through our previously announced alliance with Union Insurance, with new terms of business signed with all the main locally-licensed insurance brokers.

Q4 2017 saw a significant upswing in single premiums driven primarily by the continued success of our Universal Personal Portfolio product, especially for pensions business in the Rest of World region.  We also experienced success with a new sales campaign for our Capital Builder II product, particularly through our license in Labuan, Malaysia.

New Business Flows

New business flows for Hansard International for FY 2017 are summarised as follows:

Present Value of New Business Premiums ("PVNBP")

New business flows for Hansard International on the basis of PVNBP are broken down as follows:

The value of new business premiums is influenced, among other factors, by the Group's expectations of future premium collections on regular premium contracts issued during the year. Where these expectations at year end are different from the assumptions used in the calculation in prior quarters, the assumptions are amended in Q4 to better report the cumulative value of new business. As has been the case in previous years, this adjustment is reflected in the final quarter's reporting.

The impact of assumption changes (predominantly related to persistency, where certain retention initiatives can no longer be demonstrated to yield expected improvements) in the current year has been to decrease PVNBP for the year by £6.1m or 4%, compared with the assumptions used in the previous year.  Before that adjustment, cumulative new business flows for FY 2017 would have been reported as £154.4m and new business in Q4 2017 would have been reported as £40.6m.  The effect of assumption changes in FY 2016 was not material.

·    New business margins

New business margins (calculated on a PVNBP basis) are sensitive to sales levels and product mix (regular premium products typically having a higher margin).  During FY 2017, we experienced higher new business levels than FY 2016 which is positive for our margin because much of our cost base is fixed.  However this has been offset by an increasing percentage of single premium business as a proportion of PVNBP and increased volumes of our Vantage Platinum product which has a lower margin than its predecessor.  The margin has also reduced slightly due to the assumption change referenced in the section above.  Overall we expect our new business margin to be slightly below the 1.3% margin from our half year results when we release our full year results on 28 September 2017. 

Assets under Administration ("AUA")

The composition and value of AuA is based upon the assets selected by or on behalf of contract holders to meet their savings and investment needs.  Reflecting the wide geographical spread of the Group's customer base, the majority of premium contributions and of AuA are designated in currencies other than sterling.

The total of such assets is affected by the level of new premium contributions received from new and existing policy contracts, the amount of assets withdrawn by contract holders (including those withdrawn from Hansard Europe, which closed to new business in 2013), charges and the effect of investment market and currency movements. These factors ultimately affect the level of fund-based income earned by the Group.

During Q4 2017, AuA grew marginally by £8m as market and currency effects were largely neutral.  Over the course of the full financial year, £126m of AuA was added, driven primarily by significant stock market and currency gains earlier in the year.

The movement in AuA is split as follows between Hansard International and Hansard Europe:

RESULTS FOR YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2017

The Group has traded profitably during the period and generated positive net cash flows before dividends.  Full trading results for the year are scheduled to be announced on 28 September 2017.  The results for the year will take account of the following significant items:

Litigation

The Group continues to carefully manage its litigation relating to the legacy operations of Hansard Europe.  There has been no significant change to our exposure other than for movements in foreign exchange rates.

Outlook

We look forward to a continuing positive trend in each of the regions in which we operate. Our previously announced alliance with Union Insurance is driving significant levels of activity in the UAE.   New terms of business have been signed with all the main locally-licensed insurance brokers and we expect to see pipeline activity translate into issued business in the coming period.

Notes to editors:

Forward-looking statements:

This announcement may contain certain forward-looking statements with respect to certain of Hansard Global plc's plans and its current goals and expectations relating to future financial condition, performance and results. By their nature forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainties because they relate to future events and circumstances which are beyond Hansard Global plc's control. As a result, Hansard Global plc's actual future condition, performance and results may differ materially from the plans, goals and expectations set out in Hansard Global plc's forward-looking statements. Hansard Global plc does not undertake to update forward-looking statements contained in this announcement or any other forward-looking statement it may make. No statement in this announcement is intended to be a profit forecast or be relied upon as a guide for future performance.

This announcement contains inside information which is disclosed in accordance with the Market Abuse Regulation No 596/2014