In spite of difficult market conditions, the UNIQA group was able to record a clear premium growth of 9.4% to ATS 34,472.1 million (EUR 2,505.2 million) in the financial year 2000.

The profit on ordinary business activities, according to IAS, amounted to ATS 577.1 million (EUR 41.9 million) for the financial year 2000. The profit on ordinary activities, calculated according to Austrian accounting standards, amounted to ATS 816.9 million (EUR 59.4 million) and was therewith on last years level.

The profit per share amounted to EUR 0.18 (1999: EUR 0.14) for the financial year 2000. After goodwill amortisation the profit per share for 2000 amounted to EUR 0.14 (1999: 0.11).

After the restructuring of the Group in 1999, all domestic companies were able to maintain their market position. The Raiffeisen Versicherung, Austria’s largest insurer, was successfully restructured to a composite insurer within the bank sales sector. The Salzburger Landes-Versicherung continues to operate as a local provider.
The direct insurance segment is covered by the CALL DIRECT Versicherung within the UNIQA Group. In the course of renaming Collegialität Direct to CALL DIRECT in the first quarter 2001, CALL DIRECT was aligned to the brand of the Group parent company and recently offers its services over the Internet.

The strategic expansion of the Group foreign activities was continued on schedule. In the reporting period the UNIQA Group acquired the majority of the Assicurazioni La Carnica in Udine, founded a subsidiary of the UNIQA Personenversicherung AG in Milan and concluded all preparations for this years planned entry into the Polish market.

Simultaneously, the commenced restructuring to simplify the share structure of the foreign segments was implemented successfully and a start was made to rename several foreign Group subsidiaries, ‘UNIQA’.

The forced growth abroad created new space for expansion, and through regional risk diversification, reduced dependence on the tense home market.            

UNIQA Versicherungen AG
The listed Group parent company, which conducts the reinsurance business exclusively, achieved premiums written of ATS 6,233.0 million (EUR 453.0 million) (+12.1%) and a 10,2% increased profits on ordinary activities of ATS 366.4 million (EUR 26.6 million) in the past financial year. The expenses for insurance losses amounted to ATS 3,328.0 million (EUR 241.9 million), an increase of 16.6%.

In August of the past year, the share capital was converted from schilling to euro on the Vienna Stock exchange. Simultaneously, the existing par-value-shares were converted to no-par-value-individual-share-certificates and a stock split-up in the ratio 1:8 implemented.
A dividend distribution of ATS 2.2 (EUR 0.16) will be proposed at the shareholders meeting on 25 June 2001.