UNIQA confirms the figures for 2009
- Group premium growth of 1.4% that was influenced by currency fluctuations – adjusted for these fluctuations, growth was +4.8%
- Gains in market share, particularly in the core market of Austria
- Profit of €82 million just slightly below the previous year’s value despite high storm damage and the economic crisis
- The dividend is expected to remain unchanged at 40 cents

Good start to 2010
- Premium growth of 5.8%
- Increases in recurring premiums in all segments and regions
- Profit in 2010 could exceed 2009 by 40% to 50%

According to the final, audited data for the 2009 IFRS balance sheet, the UNIQA Group Austria achieved an increase in premium volume written (excluding the savings portion from unit and index-linked life insurance) of 1.4% to reach €5,012 million (adjusted for currency devaluation: +4.8%). This resulted in increased market share in many of the areas in which the UNIQA Group is active – particularly within the important core market of Austria, where the UNIQA Group Austria grew three times faster than the market. The final profit for the 2009 financial year was €82 million, as announced, placing it 8.7% below the previous year’s value despite significant storm losses and the extensive effects of the financial and economic crisis on the IFRS balance sheet. A dividend of 40 cents, unchanged from the previous year, will be proposed at the Annual General Meeting on 31 May.

The UNIQA Group has also enjoyed a very successful start to the 2010 financial year. Despite continued uncertainty and difficult economic conditions, it was possible to increase the premiums (according to preliminary figures from local accounting, incl. savings portions, unconsolidated) by roughly 5.8% during the first three months to reach €1,710 million. Apart from the single premium life insurance business in Austria, where considerable portions where not brought onto the market until April, UNIQA achieved clear growth in all segments and regions. Under the assumption that no negative surprises will occur on the capital markets which could affect the income statement and that natural catastrophes in 2010 are comparable to those in 2009, it is possible that the pre-tax Group profit could be increased by 40% to 50%.

Above-average growth in 2009 brought increased market shares
UNIQA CEO Konstantin Klien on the 2009 financial year: “The worst economic crisis in decades also had a direct and indirect influence on the development of the UNIQA Group and presented us with major challenges. Thanks to our business model with a strong support pillar in the Austrian core market and widely diversified commitments in Eastern and Western Europe, we succeeded in weathering the negative effects and even expanding the operational insurance business. This can be seen especially clearly in the core market of Austria, where innovative product solutions fuelled organic growth at three times the market average, resulting in increased market share. This increased market share reflects a further increase in the trust placed in us by our customers. I view the fact that we also expanded our position in the markets of Eastern Europe across a broad front as further confirmation of our quality offensive, which relies more on increasing customer trust – by expanding sales and service units – than on expensively purchased growth. However, the good development of the operational insurance business could not entirely offset the negative effects of the financial crisis on Group profits. Exceptional factors such as massive storm losses, low interest rates and high volatility in the investment area kept Group profit below the previous year’s value at €82 million. We will propose a dividend of 40 cents for our shareholders, the same amount as in 2008.”

In the consolidated premiums written, the UNIQA Group achieved an increase of 1.4% to €5,012 million in 2009 according to international accounting principles (excluding the savings portion of unit and index-linked life insurance). Adjusted for exchange rate fluctuations, premium growth amounted to 4.8%.

In the home market of Austria, the IFRS premiums written increased by 2.8% to €3,131 million. Including the savings portion on the basis of market statistics, growth of the UNIQA companies in Austria was roughly 5.2%, compared with market growth of about 1.5%.

In Eastern and South Eastern Europe, the companies of the UNIQA Group generated premium volume written of roughly €1,078 million (+7.1% adjusted for exchange rate fluctuations / -7.4% on a euro basis). In Western Europe, UNIQA succeeded in increasing premium volume written by 9.5% to €802 million, thanks above all to the good single premium business in Italy.

Group-wide, property and casualty insurance saw premium growth of 2.7% to €2,446 million. Health insurance grew by 3.3% to €937 million. Premiums in life insurance fell by 1.5% to €1,628 million due to currency devaluations and the generally more cautious saving behaviour in Eastern Europe.

Adjusted for exchange rate fluctuations, premium growth in property and casualty insurance was 7.1%, in life insurance 2.1% and in health insurance 3.8%.

The insurance benefits paid to customers of the UNIQA Group and the corresponding reserves increased by 15.1% to €4,054 million. The growth was caused almost exclusively by the exceptional storm events and the major increase in provisions for latent profit sharing due to the considerable increase in capital investment income. Adjusted for these effects, growth amounted to 2.8%.

Costs rose by 2.7% to €1,269 primarily due to increased expenditures for social capital. Adjusting for this effect caused by the interest rate situation in 2008 and 2009 produces a decline in costs in the operational insurance business of roughly 2% and a reduced cost ratio in all segments.

Capital investments grew by 6.1% to €22.6 billion.The net return on capital increased considerably again in the past year to roughly €717 million.

Group profit in the last business year reached €82 million after a profit of €90 million in 2008. An unchanged dividend in the amount of 40 cents will be proposed at the Annual General Meeting. This corresponds to a distribution of €56.9 million to the shareholders of UNIQA Versicherungen AG.

Klien on the strategy of the UNIQA Group Austria: “Even though operational profitability and cost efficiency remain at the focus of our efforts, there is no reason for UNIQA to alter its strategy or engage in radical cost-cutting measures in face of the crisis. On the contrary, we want to further improve our local customer service in terms of both quality and quantity, including in Austria. Our high quality standards and our focus on innovative and flexible insurance solutions for all our customers remain unchanged. In addition to our core market of Austria, we will also continue to rely on the expansion of our position in Central and Eastern Europe. The connection between the growth markets of Eastern and South Eastern Europe and the stable markets in the West forms an outstanding foundation for future success. All in all, our business model has proven itself well and has also proven highly crisis-resistant during the past year.”

First quarter of 2010 with significant premium growth and a positive outlook
UNIQA CEO Klien on the current financial year: “According to preliminary data, we were once again able to significantly grow the current premium income in all regions and segments during the first three months of the year, despite there being no change in the difficult economic conditions. Together with satisfactory developments in the loss and cost situation and supported by the good development of the capital markets, we laid the foundation for a significant increase in Group profits. This assumes that there are no negative surprises, such as severe natural catastrophes or sustained declines on the capital markets that affect the income statement.”

According to preliminary data, the UNIQA Group was once again able to increase the premium volume considerably during the first three months of this year. The premium volume written (according to local accounting, incl. savings portions, unconsolidated) increased by 5.8% to €1,710 million.

Premium growth in property and casualty was 2.1%, in health insurance 3.0% and in life insurance (incl. savings portions) 11.9%.
The positive developments in property and casualty insurance are being driven by a significant, disproportionately large increase in motor vehicle premiums in Eastern and South Eastern Europe. The growth in life insurance rests on massive gains in Italy.

The development of the claims situation in Austria has been very satisfactory so far and devoid of losses from major or natural catastrophes. Outside of Austria, the benefits paid increased due to storm damage in Germany and the long-lasting winter (particularly in Poland).

Under the assumption that no negative surprises will occur on the capital markets which could affect the income statement and that natural catastrophes in 2010 are comparable to those in 2009, it is possible that the pre-tax Group profit could be increased by 40% to 50%.

Reservations concerning statements about the future
This message contains statements that refer to future developments in the UNIQA Group Austria. These statements are appraisals that are made based on all information available to us at the current point in time. If the assumptions on which they are based do not occur, the actual events may vary from the results currently expected. For this reason, we cannot accept liability for these statements.