Ceylinco Life’s 9-month income up 14% to Rs.26bn

• Premium income improves 14% to Rs. 15.5bn
• Investment & other income grows 14% to Rs. 10.8bn
• Net claims & benefits to policyholders up by 13% to Rs.  9.1bn

Sri Lanka’s life insurance market leader Ceylinco Life has posted consolidated income of Rs.26 billion for the nine months ending September 30, 2020, achieving noteworthy top line growth of 14 percent in a period dominated by adverse business conditions.

Gross Written Premium income for the period grew by 13.8 percent to Rs. 15.5 billion, while investment and other income increased by 14.3 percent to Rs. 10.8 billion, the company reports. 

Ceylinco Life transferred Rs. 6.7 billion to its life fund for the period under review, enlarging the life fund to Rs. 103.6 billion as at September 30, 2020 and transferred Rs. 2.9 billion to the shareholders’ fund in respect of the nine months, increasing the shareholder fund to Rs. 35.8 billion at the end of the third quarter.

The company said it paid Rs. 9.1 billion in net claims and benefits to policyholders for the period, an increase of 12.8 percent over the corresponding nine months of the previous year.

Ceylinco Life reported profit of Rs. 5.29 billion before tax and Rs. 4.18 billion after tax for the nine months, recording declines of 8.4 percent and 6.7 percent respectively, on account of a lower transfer of Rs. 2.9 billion to shareholder profits as against Rs. 3.3 billion for the first nine months of 2019.

“Our results reflect Ceylinco Life’s ability to maintain its momentum in terms of volumes even in difficult times, as well as the resilience of the company’s investment strategies,” Ceylinco Life Managing Director/CEO Thushara Ranasinghe commented.  “A decline in profits was anticipated and factored in, as a consequence of the need to make provisions for the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the business. We remain confident that our business model will generate equitable returns for policyholders and shareholders alike, while expanding the footprint of life insurance in the market.”

Total assets of Ceylinco Life grew by Rs. 27.5 billion or 20.7 percent since December 31, 2019 to Rs.160.7 billion as at September 30,2020, while the company’s investment portfolio increased by Rs.27.4 billion or 23.5 percent over the nine months to Rs. 144.3 billion at the end of the third quarter of the year.

The company’s net assets value per share stood at Rs.716.08 as at September 30, 2020, up by Rs.86.23 or 13.6 percent YoY.