Legal & General reported a 2% drop in first-half operating profit to £941m. The alternative asset portfolio did well, as did the retirement business, writing £5.0bn of new pension transfer business as the market remains healthy. But that was offset by lower profit from Investment Management, as higher rates contributed to a 10% drop in assets under management, and falls from Retail.
The stock of deferred profits, a new measure that reflects profits expected to be released over the life of insurance contracts, rose 3% to £13.8bn. The solvency II coverage ratio, a measure of balance sheet strength, rose from 212% to 230%.
The group is on track to meet its targets over the period of 2020-24, which includes dividends growing at 5% a year and capital generation of £8-£9bn (£5.9bn to date).
An interim dividend of 5.71p was proposed, up 5%.
The shares fell 1.7% in early trading.
View the latest Legal & General share price and how to deal
Our view
The reaction to half-year results was a little harsh, a reflection of broader market uncertainty rather than anything relating to results in our view. Nonetheless, operating profit beat expectations, guidance remains, and solvency looks strong - all in, this read like a decent half.
L&G is a beast by any standards, with operations across insurance and investments with pretty much every service you can think of in each of those buckets.
Higher interest rates have been causing some trouble for assets under management from the investment management division, though things are starting to stabilise. But at the same time, higher rates are benefiting the larger pension businesses.
Pension risk transfers (PRTs) are core to operations, these see Legal & General take on responsibility for paying some, or all, of the pensions from a company's final salary pension scheme (often called bulk annuities). In return, the group receives a lump sum. That's then managed by Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM) and underpinned with real assets developed by the Capital division (which includes UK housing and infrastructure projects). This circular flow within the business means L&G can deliver strong margins on its bulk annuity business and is a core benefit to the model.
Demand for bulk annuities is growing, and despite the UK being the most mature global market, L&G estimates only 15% of the total defined benefit pension schemes have been transferred to insurance companies. So, the scope to grow at home is still a big one.
But expansion overseas is also on the cards. and activity in overseas markets like the US, Canada and the Netherlands is increasing. There's around $6trn of pensions liabilities across those countries, with the percentage transferred to insurers barely touching double digits.
We'd be remiss not to mention the group's formidable solvency II ratio, which is a core measure of capitalisation. At well north of 200%, this offers the group some resilience and with capital generation exceeding dividend payouts, the yield of 9% looks well supported. Of course, there are no guarantees.
There are a lot of strings to L&G's bow, but bulk annuities remain core and we see the market staying healthy over the medium-term. The valuation doesn't look too demanding to us but reflects sentiment toward the sector right now, which is a little weak.
Legal & General key facts
All ratios are sourced from Refinitiv. Please remember yields are variable and not a reliable indicator of future income. Keep in mind key figures shouldn't be looked at on their own - it's important to understand the big picture.
This article is original Hargreaves Lansdown content, published by Hargreaves Lansdown. It was correct as at the date of publication, and our views may have changed since then. Unless otherwise stated estimates, including prospective yields, are a consensus of analyst forecasts provided by Refinitiv. These estimates are not a reliable indicator of future performance. Yields are variable and not guaranteed. Investments rise and fall in value so investors could make a loss.
This article is not advice or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any investment. No view is given on the present or future value or price of any investment, and investors should form their own view on any proposed investment. This article has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and is considered a marketing communication. Non-independent research is not subject to FCA rules prohibiting dealing ahead of research, however HL has put controls in place (including dealing restrictions, physical and information barriers) to manage potential conflicts of interest presented by such dealing. Please see our full non-independent research disclosure for more information.