Axa Launches Buyback After Rise in Net Profit
By Helena Smolak
Axa launched a new share buyback and raised its dividend on increased full-year net profit, boosted by higher underlying earnings and net realized capital gains.
The French insurer said Thursday that its 2023 net profit rose to 7.19 billion euros ($7.78 billion) from EUR5.06 billion in 2022, a figure that was restated after a change in accounting standards adopted on Jan. 1.
Axa's net profit missed analysts' expectations of EUR7.46 billion, according to a consensus provided by Factset.
Underlying earnings rose to EUR7.6 billion from EUR6.08 billion, buoyed by a strong operational performance in its property-and-casualty business and fully-owned American subsidiary AXA XL, the company said.
Gross revenues climbed 3% to EUR102.74 billion, driven by its property-and-casualty segment, although this was partly offset by tumbling reinsurance revenue as the company pursued its strategy of reducing its natural-catastrophe exposure.
The Paris-based company launched a share-buyback program of up to EUR1.6 billion and declared a dividend of EUR1.98 per share, up 16% on year.
Write to Helena Smolak at helena.smolak@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
February 22, 2024 01:24 ET (06:24 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2024 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.-
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