Core ROE target met through capital deployment and strong
profitability supported by solid business growth
The results presented
below are for iA Financial Corporation Inc. ("iA Financial
Corporation" or the "Company"), the holding company that owns 100%
of the common shares of Industrial Alliance Insurance and Financial
Services Inc. ("iA Insurance"). The results for iA Insurance are
presented in a separate section on page 8 of this
document.
|
SECOND QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS – iA Financial
Corporation
- Core EPS† of $2.75, up
15% YoY, and trailing-12-month core ROE† of 15.0%,
meeting the medium-term target of 15%+
- Strong sales momentum, reflected by solid 15% YoY increase in
premiums and deposits and 12% YoY increase in assets (AUM and
AUA)†
- Robust solvency ratio† of 141%, supported by strong
organic capital generation of $175M
in Q2
- High level of capital deployment, including through
acquisitions and $287M in share
buybacks, leading to ROE expansion
- Book value per common share reaching $69.92 at June 30,
2024, up 9% over 12 months (excluding share buyback
impact)
QUEBEC
CITY, Aug. 6, 2024 /CNW/ - For the second
quarter ended June 30, 2024, iA
Financial Corporation (TSX: IAG) recorded core diluted earnings per
common share (EPS)† of $2.75, which is 15%
higher than the same period in 2023. Core return on common
shareholders' equity (ROE)† for the trailing twelve
months was 15.0%, meeting the Company's medium-term target of
15%+. On a reported basis, which includes the impact of volatile
items (primarily short-term macroeconomic variations), second
quarter net income attributed to common shareholders
was $206 million, diluted EPS was $2.12 and
ROE† for the trailing twelve months was 11.1%. The
solvency ratio† of 141% at June 30, 2024
is well above the Company's operating target of 120%.
"Second quarter results were solid in every respect. Core EPS
of $2.75 is at a record level, and business growth was strong
across all sectors, contributing to a 15% increase in premiums and
deposits. Particularly noteworthy were sales of individual
insurance and segregated funds in Canada, as well as record sales in U.S.
insurance," commented Denis Ricard,
President and CEO of iA Financial Group. "Along with strong
organic growth, we recently completed acquisitions in two
high-growth sectors: our U.S. insurance operations and our wealth
management distribution business in Canada, reflecting our disciplined execution
of our strategy."
"Profitability was strong in the second quarter with a 15%
increase in core EPS. In addition to continued sales momentum, this
performance was notably driven by favourable insurance experience
for a third consecutive quarter," added Éric Jobin, Executive
Vice–President, CFO and Chief Actuary. "This good profitability,
combined with our capital deployment initiatives, has driven an
increase in core ROE, which has already met our medium-term target
of 15%+ with an annualized core ROE of 15.9%. Organic capital
generation was strong, reaching $175 million in the
second quarter, supporting our solid capital position and the
continuity of our capital deployment initiatives."
Earnings
Highlights
|
Second
quarter
|
Year-to-date at
June 30
|
2024
|
2023
|
Variation
|
2024
|
2023
|
Variation
|
Net income attributed
to shareholders (in millions)
|
$214
|
$204
|
5 %
|
$448
|
$477
|
(6 %)
|
Less: dividends on
preferred shares issued by a subsidiary (in millions)
|
($8)
|
($8)
|
|
($9)
|
($11)
|
|
Net income attributed
to common shareholders (in millions)
|
$206
|
$196
|
5 %
|
$439
|
$466
|
(6 %)
|
Weighted average number
of common shares (in millions, diluted)
|
97.1
|
103.5
|
(6 %)
|
98.3
|
104.0
|
(5 %)
|
Earnings per common
share (diluted)
|
$2.12
|
$1.89
|
12 %
|
$4.47
|
$4.48
|
—
|
Core
earnings†
|
267
|
247
|
8 %
|
510
|
464
|
10 %
|
Core earnings per
common share (diluted)†
|
$2.75
|
$2.39
|
15 %
|
$5.19
|
$4.47
|
16 %
|
Other Financial
Highlights
|
June 30, 2024
|
March
31, 2024
|
December 31,
2023
|
June 30, 2023
|
Return on common
shareholders' equity†
|
11.1 %
|
10.9 %
|
11.6 %
|
9.7 %
|
Core return on common
shareholders' equity†
|
15.0 %
|
14.6 %
|
14.4 %
|
14.5 %
|
Solvency
ratio†
|
141 %
|
142 %
|
145 %
|
154 %
|
Book value per
share1
|
$69.92
|
$68.93
|
$66.90
|
$65.39
|
Assets under management
and administration† (in billions)
|
$235.4
|
$229.3
|
$218.9
|
$210.2
|
__________________________________________
|
1
|
Book value per common
share is a financial measure calculated by dividing the common
shareholders' equity by the number of common shares outstanding at
the end of the period; all components of this measure are IFRS
measures.
|
†
|
This item is a non-IFRS
measure; see the "Non-IFRS and Additional Financial Measures"
section in this document for relevant information about such
measures.
|
Unless otherwise indicated, the results presented in this
document are in Canadian dollars and are compared with those from
the corresponding period last year.
This news release presents non-IFRS measures used by the
Company when evaluating its results and measuring its performance.
These non-IFRS measures are not standardized financial measures and
are not included in the financial statements. Some of these
measures have no IFRS equivalents. For relevant information about
non-IFRS measures used in this document, including information
about the Company's core earnings,† see the "Non-IFRS
and Additional Financial Measures" section in the Management's
Discussion and Analysis for the period ended
June 30, 2024, which is hereby incorporated by reference,
and is available for review at
sedarplus.ca or on iA Financial Group's
website at ia.ca.
ANALYSIS OF EARNINGS
Reported and core earnings
The Company recorded core earnings†
of $267 million in the second quarter of 2024, which
compares to $247 million for the second quarter of 2023. Core
diluted earnings per common share (EPS)† of $2.75 in the second quarter is 15% higher than
the same period last year. Core return on common shareholders'
equity (ROE)† for the trailing twelve months was 15.0%
at June 30, 2024, meeting the Company's medium-term
target of 15%+.
On a reported basis, which includes the impact of volatile items
(primarily short-term macroeconomic variations), quarterly net
income attributed to common shareholders was $206 million and
compares with $196 million in the second quarter of 2023. EPS
of $2.12 was 12% higher than the same period last year and ROE
for the trailing twelve months was 11.1% at
June 30, 2024.
An analysis of these results is presented in the following
sections.
Earnings
|
|
(In millions of
dollars, unless otherwise indicated)
|
Second
quarter
|
Year-to-date at
June 30
|
2024
|
2023
|
Variation
|
2024
|
2023
|
Variation
|
Net income to common
shareholders
|
206
|
196
|
5 %
|
439
|
466
|
(6 %)
|
Earnings per common
share (EPS) (diluted)
|
$2.12
|
$1.89
|
12 %
|
$4.47
|
$4.48
|
—
|
Core
earnings
|
267
|
247
|
8 %
|
510
|
464
|
10 %
|
Core EPS
(diluted)
|
$2.75
|
$2.39
|
15 %
|
$5.19
|
$4.47
|
16 %
|
Return on common
shareholders' equity (ROE)†
|
June 30, 2024
|
March 31,
2024
|
December 31,
2023
|
June 30, 2023
|
Reported ROE (trailing
twelve months)
|
11.1 %
|
10.9 %
|
11.6 %
|
9.7 %
|
Core ROE†
(trailing twelve months)
|
15.0 %
|
14.6 %
|
14.4 %
|
14.5 %
|
Reported earnings and core
earnings reconciliation
The following table presents net income to common shareholders
and the adjustments, divided into six categories, that account for
the difference between reported and core earnings.
Core earnings of $267 million in
the second quarter are derived from net income to common
shareholders of $206 million and a
total adjustment of $61 million
from:
- the unfavourable market-related impacts that differ from
management's best estimate assumptions and that total $27 million, as the impact of favourable equity
variations was more than offset by investment property value
adjustments and, to a lesser extent, unfavourable interest rate and
credit spread variations;
- a total of $12 million for
expenses related to the Vericity acquisition ($6 million), the charge for the Surex minority
shareholders' sell option ($2
million) and restructuring costs ($4
million);
- the expenses associated with acquisition-related intangible
assets of $17 million;
- the impact of non-core pension expense of $4 million; and
- the unfavourable impact of a minor assumption change in the
Investment segment ($1 million).
Reported earnings
and core earnings reconciliation
|
|
(In millions of
dollars, unless otherwise indicated)
|
Second
quarter
|
Year-to-date at
June 30
|
2024
|
2023
|
Variation
|
2024
|
2023
|
Variation
|
Net income to common
shareholders
|
206
|
196
|
5 %
|
439
|
466
|
(6 %)
|
Core earnings
adjustments (post tax)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Market-related
impacts
|
27
|
72
|
|
18
|
2
|
|
Assumption changes and
management actions
|
1
|
(43)
|
|
(4)
|
(43)
|
|
Charges or proceeds
related to acquisition, disposition or restructuring of a
business,
including acquisition,
integration and restructuring costs
|
12
|
2
|
|
15
|
3
|
|
Amortization of
acquisition-related finite life intangible assets
|
17
|
16
|
|
34
|
32
|
|
Non-core pension
expense
|
4
|
4
|
|
8
|
4
|
|
Other specified
unusual gains and losses
|
—
|
—
|
|
—
|
—
|
|
Total
|
61
|
51
|
|
71
|
(2)
|
|
Core
earnings
|
267
|
247
|
8 %
|
510
|
464
|
10 %
|
Core earnings by business segment
The second quarter core earnings result of $267 million is described in the following
paragraphs by business segment.
Core earnings by
business segment
|
Year-to-date at
June 30
|
(In millions of
dollars, unless otherwise indicated)
|
Q2/2024
|
Q1/2024
|
Variation
|
Q2/2023
|
Variation
|
2024
|
2023
|
Variation
|
Insurance,
Canada
|
106
|
92
|
15 %
|
91
|
16 %
|
198
|
165
|
20 %
|
Wealth
Management
|
98
|
95
|
3 %
|
76
|
29 %
|
193
|
141
|
37 %
|
US
Operations
|
22
|
19
|
16 %
|
26
|
(15 %)
|
41
|
43
|
(5 %)
|
Investment
|
91
|
86
|
6 %
|
106
|
(14 %)
|
177
|
214
|
(17 %)
|
Corporate
|
(50)
|
(49)
|
2 %
|
(52)
|
(4 %)
|
(99)
|
(99)
|
—
|
Total
|
267
|
243
|
10 %
|
247
|
8 %
|
510
|
464
|
10 %
|
Insurance, Canada –
This operating business segment includes all Canadian insurance
activities offering a wide range of life, health, auto and home
insurance coverage, as well as vehicle warranties, to individuals
and groups. Second quarter core earnings for this business segment
were $106 million, which is 16%
higher than the same period in 2023. Expected insurance earnings
were 5% higher than a year ago and the impact of new insurance
business was $5 million lower. Core
insurance experience gains of $11 million were recorded
during the quarter as a result of: 1) continuing favourable
mortality experience in individual and group insurance; 2) a solid
result again at iA Auto and Home due to lower auto and home
protection claims and the favourable impact of premium increases
implemented in 2023; and 3) all other main experience results being
near expectations. Core non-insurance activities of $12 million were higher than $9 million in the same period of 2023, mainly due
to a higher result from Dealer Services.
Wealth Management – This operating business segment
includes all the Company's wealth management activities offering a
wide range of savings and retirement solutions to individuals and
groups. In this business segment, core earnings of $98 million
for the second quarter were much higher than $76 million a
year earlier. This solid performance is the result of a 25%
year–over–year increase in the core insurance service result for
segregated funds and a 29% increase in core non-insurance
activities. Also, good financial market performance continues to
have a positive impact on the segment's profitability. The higher
segregated funds result is due to the increase in the CSM
recognized for services provided, strong net sales over the last 12
months and insurance experience that was as expected. As for
non-insurance activities, a solid performance once again was
recorded from the distribution affiliates, arising mainly from
higher net commissions and better margins.
US Operations – This operating business segment
includes all the Company's U.S. activities offering individuals a
range of life insurance and vehicle warranty products. Second
quarter core earnings for this business segment were $22 million, which compares to $26 million
for the same period in 2023 and $19
million the previous quarter. The impact of new insurance
business was higher than a year ago as a result of higher sales and
more onerous contracts. Insurance experience losses were recorded
this quarter due to unfavourable insurance lapses and higher claims
than expected in Dealer Services. Core non-insurance activities of
$22 million in the second quarter
compares with $23 million in the
second quarter of 2023 and with $17
million in the first quarter. Lastly, core other expenses
were lower than the previous quarter and also lower than the same
period in 2023.
Investment – This accounting segment includes the
Company's investment and financing activities, except for the
investment activities of the wealth distribution affiliates. In
this business segment, core earnings of $91 million for the second quarter compare
to $86 million the previous quarter and $106 million a year earlier. Expected investment
earnings of $113 million were higher than the previous
quarter, mainly as a result of interest rate increases during the
first quarter of 2024. Recall that expected investment
earnings for a given quarter are dependent on the yield curve at
the beginning of the quarter. Credit experience was unfavourable
during the quarter due to an increased provision for credit loss at
iA Auto Finance and, to a lesser extent, more downgrades than
upgrades in the fixed income portfolio. Finally, core other
expenses of $14 million for the segment were at the same
level as the previous quarter.
Corporate – This accounting segment reports all
expenses that are not allocated to other segments, such as expenses
for certain corporate functions. These expenses include, among
other things, investments in the digital transformation, M&A
prospecting activities, digital data and security projects, and
regulatory compliance projects. During the second quarter of 2024,
this segment recorded after-tax expenses of $50 million, which compares with $52 million in the second quarter of 2023. This
quarter's result is derived from core other expenses before taxes
of $64 million, which is in line with
the 2024 quarterly expectation of $65
million plus or minus $5
million and compares with $66
million the previous quarter. The favorable outcome for
corporate expenses since the beginning of 2024 is the result of a
strong emphasis on operational efficiency, a cost-conscious
execution and a disciplined approach to project and workforce
management.
CSM (contractual service margin) – During the second
quarter, the CSM increased organically by $108 million
due to the positive impact of new insurance business of
$167 million, the organic financial
growth of $76 million and an
insurance experience gain of $35 million. These favourable
items were partly offset by the CSM recognized in earnings
of $170 million, which was 11% higher than a year ago.
Non-organic items led to an increase of $204 million
during the second quarter, mainly due to the positive impacts
of macroeconomic variations and the Vericity acquisition. As
a result, the total CSM increased by $312 million
during the quarter to stand at $6,471 million at
June 30, 2024, an increase of 13% over the last
twelve months.
An analysis of results according to the financial statements
and additional analysis are presented in the Management's
Discussion and Analysis as at June 30, 2024. They
supplement the information presented above by providing additional
indicators for assessing financial performance.
Business growth – Sales† momentum
continued to be strong in both Canada and the U.S. in the second quarter,
with virtually all business units recording good sales growth. In
particular, solid sales were posted by Individual Insurance Canada,
segregated fund inflows were strong and individual insurance sales
reached record levels in the U.S. In this context,
premiums† and deposits were propelled to nearly
$4.9 billion, up 15% compared to
the same period last year, and total assets under management and
administration† increased by 12% over twelve months,
amounting to $235.4 billion.
INSURANCE, CANADA
- In Individual Insurance, second quarter
sales† totalled $98
million, 10% higher than the same period last year. This
solid result reflects the strength of all our distribution
networks, the excellent performance of our digital tools as well as
our comprehensive and distinctive range of products. Sales were
particularly strong for participating insurance and living benefit
products, and the Company maintained the leading position in the
Canadian market for the number of policies issued.2
- In Group Insurance, second quarter sales† of
$25 million in Employee Plans were
significantly higher than the $13
million recorded during the same quarter last year,
reflecting our success in generating sales amid a high volume of
quotes. Premiums3 increased by 8% year over year,
benefiting from sales and good retention of in-force business.
Special Markets sales† were up 16% year over year,
reaching $100 million, driven
particularly by strong sales growth in travel insurance
products.
- For Dealer Services, total sales† ended the
second quarter at $194 million, 2%
higher than the same period in 2023. Sales were tempered by the
macroeconomic environment that continued to impact vehicle
affordability and by the temporary outage at CDK Global, a
dealership software provider, which occurred from June 19 to July 4.
- At iA Auto and Home, direct written premiums†
reached $188 million in the second
quarter. The solid 15% increase compared to the same period last
year is supported by good retention of in-force business, strong
new sales and the impact of premium increases implemented in
2023.
_____________________________________________
|
[2]
|
According to the latest
Canadian data published by LIMRA.
|
[3]
|
Net premiums, premium
equivalents and deposits.
|
WEALTH MANAGEMENT
- In Individual Wealth Management, gross sales†
of segregated funds amounted to nearly $1.3
billion for the second quarter, an increase of 53% year over
year, and net sales† were strong at $608 million. The Company continued to rank first
in gross and net segregated fund sales.4 This robust
performance was driven by the strength of our distribution
networks. Also favourable was the performance of financial markets,
which continued to increase client optimism towards asset classes
with higher return potential compared to guaranteed investments.
Despite continuing industry-wide challenges, mutual fund gross
sales† totalled $468
million for the quarter, up 26% year over year, while net
outflows were $194 million. Insured
annuities and other savings products generated elevated
sales† of $541 million in
the second quarter, a good performance that compares to a very
strong quarter a year earlier.
- Group Savings and Retirement sales† for the
second quarter totalled $858 million
and were up 6% year over year. This good result was mainly driven
by strong sales of accumulation products.
US OPERATIONS
- In Individual Insurance, record sales†
of US$49 million in the second
quarter were up 14% from a year earlier, driven by the good results
in all markets, in particular the final expense and
government/worksite markets. This solid result, along with the
Company's recent acquisition of Vericity and the announced
acquisition of two existing insurance blocks of business from
Prosperity Life Group, confirms our strong growth potential in the
U.S. life insurance market.
- In Dealer Services, second quarter sales† of
US$279 million were up 13% over the
same period last year, a good result as dealers' emphasis on
supplementary products sold with vehicles (F&I products)
continued amid rising vehicle inventories and declining profit
margins from vehicle sales. Sales growth was tempered by ongoing
reduced consumer affordability, and by the temporary outage at CDK
Global, a dealership software provider, which occurred from
June 19 to July 4.
____________________________________________
|
4
|
Source: Investor
Economics, May 2024.
|
† This item is a non-IFRS
measure; see the "Non-IFRS and Additional Financial Measures"
section in this document for relevant information about such
measures.
ASSETS UNDER MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION
Assets under management and administration† ended the
second quarter at $235.4 billion, up
12% over the last 12 months and up 3% during the quarter,
mainly driven by favourable market conditions and very strong net
fund inflows, in particular from segregated funds.
NET PREMIUMS, PREMIUM EQUIVALENTS AND DEPOSITS
Net premiums, premium equivalents and deposits†
totalled nearly $4.9 billion in
the second quarter, recording a solid increase of 15% over the
same period last year. All business units contributed to this
strong performance, in particular Individual Wealth Management.
FINANCIAL POSITION
The Company's solvency ratio† was 141% at
June 30, 2024, compared with 142% at the end of the
previous quarter and 154% a year earlier. This result is well
above the Company's operating target of 120%. The one percentage
point decrease during the second quarter is the result of various
factors. These include the favourable impact of the $350 million LRCN issuance outlined below in this
section, as well as the strong organic capital
generation.† These impacts were more than offset by the
high level of capital deployment through share buybacks (NCIB), the
acquisition of Vericity completed on June
28, 2024 and, to a lesser extent, IT investments.
Subsequent to the second quarter, the Company announced the
acquisition of two blocks of business from Prosperity Life Group on
July 15, 2024, and on July 29, 2024, Industrial Alliance Insurance and
Financial Services Inc. ("iA Insurance") completed the redemption
of its Non-Cumulative Class A Preferred Shares Series B. These
actions should reduce the Company's solvency ratio by one
percentage point each. Therefore, on a pro-forma basis at
June 30, 2024, the solvency ratio was 139%. The Company's
financial leverage ratio† at June
30, 2024 was 16.4%.5
Organic capital generation and capital available for
deployment† – The Company
organically generated $175 million in additional capital
during the second quarter. After six months, $305 million has been generated and this result
is in line with projections to exceed the minimum annual target of
$600 million in 2024. At
June 30, 2024, the capital available for deployment was
assessed at $1.1 billion.
Book value – In a context where the Company has
deployed a high level of capital, the book value per common
share6 was $69.92 at
June 30, 2024, up 1% during the
quarter and 7% year over year. Excluding the impact of the NCIB,
the increase over the last twelve months exceeds 9%.
Normal Course Issuer Bid – In the second
quarter of 2024, the Company redeemed and cancelled 3,326,112
outstanding common shares for a total value of $287 million under the NCIB program. Also, the
Company increased the maximum number of shares that can be
repurchased under its share buyback program from 5% to 8%. A total
of 5,625,104 shares, or approximately 5.6% of the issued
and outstanding common shares as at October 31, 2023,
were redeemed under the current program between
November 14, 2023 and June 30, 2024.
Dividend – The Company paid a quarterly
dividend of $0.8200 to common
shareholders in the second quarter of 2024. The Board of
Directors approved a quarterly dividend of $0.8200 per share for the third quarter of 2024.
This dividend is payable on September 16, 2024 to the
shareholders of record at August 23,
2024.
Dividend Reinvestment and Share
Purchase Plan – Registered shareholders wishing to
enrol in iA Financial Corporation's Dividend Reinvestment and Share
Purchase Plan (DRIP) so as to be eligible to reinvest the next
dividend payable on September 16, 2024 must ensure that
the duly completed form is delivered to Computershare no later than
4:00 p.m. on August 16, 2024. Enrolment information is
provided on iA Financial Group's website at
http://ia.ca/investorrelations, under the Dividends section.
Common shares issued under iA Financial Corporation's DRIP
will be purchased on the secondary market and no discount will be
applicable.
Acquisition of Vericity Inc. – On
June 28, 2024, iA Financial
Corporation Inc. completed the acquisition of Vericity, Inc.
Vericity is composed of two entities servicing the middle-market
life insurance space: Fidelity Life, an insurance carrier, and
eFinancial, a direct–to–consumer digital agency. Together, the two
entities leverage synergies and deliver innovative, proprietary
technology powered by artificial intelligence and rich data
analytics and diversify iA's already strong distribution
capabilities by providing access to a digital platform and direct
access to consumers.
Acquisition of assets of Laurentian Bank Securities'
retail full-service investment broker
division – On April 4,
2024, iA Financial Group's subsidiary, iA Private Wealth
(iAPW), agreed to acquire the retail full-service investment broker
division of Laurentian Bank Securities Inc., which represents over
$2 billion in assets. The transaction
closed effective August 2, 2024, and
has no material impact on the Company's solvency ratio.
Global Minimum Tax Act (Pillar II) – As
announced in the 2023 federal budget, Bill C-69 came into effect on
June 20, 2024 and enacts the Global
Minimum Tax Act, which aims to ensure that large multinational
corporations pay an effective tax rate of at least 15% on
their profits per jurisdiction in which they do business. The
recurring impact of this new regulation is expected to be
immaterial.
Capital issuance – On June
25, 2024, iA Financial Corporation Inc. completed the
offering of a $350 million aggregate
principal amount of 6.921% Limited Recourse Capital Notes Series
2024-1 (Subordinated Indebtedness) due September 30, 2084. Among other things, this
issuance was made in replacement of the Non-Cumulative Class A
Preferred Shares Series B mentioned below in the "Subsequent to the
second quarter" section.
________________________________________
|
5
|
Calculated by dividing
the sum of debentures, preferred shares issued by a subsidiary and
other equity instruments by the sum of capital structure and
post-tax CSM.
|
6
|
Book value per common
share is a financial measure calculated by dividing the common
shareholders' equity by the number of common shares outstanding at
the end of the period; all components of this measure are IFRS
measures.
|
Launch of Symbiosis program – On
June 17, 2024, iA Financial Group
launched Symbiosis, an enhanced solution that allows plan sponsors
to combine their group insurance and group retirement savings plans
and benefit from a complete, streamlined experience.
Annual Shareholder Meeting – The
Annual Shareholder Meeting of iA Financial Corporation was held on
May 9, 2024. All fifteen directors
nominated for election were elected by the shareholders.
Changes to the Executive Committee – On
May 9, 2024, iA Financial Group
announced changes to its Executive Committee. Please refer to the
May 9, 2024 news release for more
information.
iA Financial Group named one of Canada's 50 Best Corporate
Citizens – On June 26,
2024, iA Financial Group was named one of Canada's 50 Best Corporate Citizens by
Corporate Knights, standing out for its initiatives in the fight
against climate change and for its sound and solid corporate
governance.
Subsequent to the second quarter:
- Strategic partnership with Clutch – On
July 5, 2024, iA Financial Group
announced a strategic investment in Toronto-based business Clutch Technologies
Inc., which is one of Canada's
largest retailers in online sales of pre-owned vehicles. This
investment enables the Company's Dealer Services business unit in
Canada to add online sales as a
new product distribution channel to its current extensive
network.
- Acquisition of two blocks of business from Prosperity
Life Group – On July 15,
2024, iA Financial Group announced the acquisition of two
blocks of business from Prosperity Life Group, amounting to over
115,000 policies and US$100 million
in annual premiums. The transaction will further increase iA's
growth momentum and expand its presence in the United States. It is expected to close in
the third quarter and to be accretive from the first year, on both
a core and reported basis. The impact on the Company's solvency
ratio will be around a one percentage point decrease.
- Preferred share redemption – On
July 29, 2024, iA Insurance completed
the redemption of its 5,000,000 outstanding Non–Cumulative Class A
Preferred Shares Series B. The redemption price per share was
$25.00 plus an amount of $0.090625 equal to the cash dividend in respect
of the third quarter, pro rated to the redemption date, for a total
of $25.090625. Following the
redemption, iA Insurance will file an application for an order
under the securities legislation that iA Insurance will cease to be
a reporting issuer. Once the order is granted, iA Insurance will no
longer be subject to continuous disclosure requirements under
securities legislation, including the requirement to file its
financial statements.
OUTLOOK
Medium-term guidance for iA Financial
Corporation
- Core earnings per common share: target of 10%+ annual average
growth
- Core return on common shareholders' equity (ROE): target of
15%+
- Solvency ratio operating target: target of 120%
- Organic capital generation: target of $600+ million in
2024
- Dividend payout ratio based on core earnings: target range of
25% to 35%
The Company's outlook, including the market guidance provided,
constitutes forward-looking information within the meaning of
securities laws. Although the Company believes that its outlook is
reasonable, such statements involve risks and uncertainties and
undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. Factors
that could cause actual results to differ materially from
expectations include, but are not limited to: insurance, market,
credit, liquidity, strategic, operational and regulatory risks. In
addition, certain material factors or assumptions are applied in
preparing the Company's outlook, including but not limited to:
accuracy of estimates, assumptions and judgments under applicable
accounting policies, and no material change in accounting standards
and policies applicable to the Company; no material variation in
interest rates; no significant changes to the Company's effective
tax rate; no material changes in the level of the Company's
regulatory capital requirements; availability of options for
deployment of excess capital; credit experience, mortality,
morbidity, longevity and policyholder behaviour being in line with
actuarial experience studies; investment returns being in line with
the Company's expectations and consistent with historical trends;
different business growth rates per business unit; no unexpected
changes in the economic, competitive, insurance, legal or
regulatory environment or actions by regulatory authorities that
could have a material impact on the business or operations
of iA Financial Group or its business partners; no unexpected
change in the number of shares outstanding; and the
non-materialization of risks or other factors mentioned or
discussed elsewhere in this document. The Company's outlook serves
to provide shareholders, market analysts, investors, and other
stakeholders with a basis for adjusting their expectations with
regard to the Company's performance throughout the year and may not
be appropriate for other purposes. Additional information about
risk factors and assumptions applied may be found in the
"Forward-looking Statements" section of this document.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
† This item is a non-IFRS
measure; see the "Non-IFRS and Additional Financial Measures"
section in this document for relevant information about such
measures.
SECOND QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS – iA Insurance
Profitability – In the second quarter of
2024, iA Insurance recorded net income attributed to its sole
common shareholder, iA Financial Corporation,
of $233 million, compared to $227 million in the
second quarter of 2023. An analysis of results according to the
financial statements and additional analysis are presented in the
Management's Discussion and Analysis as at
June 30, 2024.
Financial position – The solvency
ratio of iA Insurance was 133% at June 30, 2024,
compared with 138% at the end of the previous quarter and
146% a year earlier. The decrease of five percentage points in
the second quarter is mainly due to a dividend payment to iA
Financial Corporation, the Company's sole common shareholder, the
acquisition of Vericity Inc. and, to a lesser extent, the
unfavourable impacts of macroeconomic variations. These items were
partly offset by the positive contribution of organic capital
generation.
Dividend – In the second quarter of 2024, iA
Insurance paid a dividend of $300
million to its sole common shareholder, iA Financial
Corporation. For the third quarter of 2024, no dividend was
approved by the Board of Directors of iA Insurance to iA
Financial Corporation. As a result, no dividend should be paid by
iA Insurance to iA Financial Corporation during the third quarter
of 2024.
iA
Insurance
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Earnings
Highlights
|
Second
quarter
|
Year-to-date at
June 30
|
(In millions of
dollars, unless otherwise indicated)
|
2024
|
2023
|
Variation
|
2024
|
2023
|
Variation
|
Net income attributed
to shareholders
|
235
|
229
|
3 %
|
496
|
505
|
(2 %)
|
Less: dividends on
preferred shares
|
(2)
|
(2)
|
|
(3)
|
(5)
|
|
Net income attributed
to common shareholder
|
233
|
227
|
3 %
|
493
|
500
|
(1 %)
|
Other Financial
Highlights
|
(In millions of
dollars, unless otherwise indicated)
|
June 30, 2024
|
March 31,
2024
|
December 31,
2023
|
June 30, 2023
|
Total
capital†
|
6,311
|
6,362
|
6,190
|
6,500
|
Solvency
ratio†
|
133 %
|
138 %
|
139 %
|
146 %
|
Acquisition of assets of Laurentian Bank Securities' retail
full-service investment broker division – On
April 4, 2024, the Company's
subsidiary, iA Private Wealth (iAPW), agreed to acquire the retail
full-service investment broker division of Laurentian Bank
Securities Inc., which represents over $2
billion in assets. The transaction closed effective
August 2, 2024, and has no material
impact on the Company's solvency ratio.
Annual Shareholder Meeting – The Annual
Shareholder Meeting of iA Insurance was held on May 9, 2024. All thirteen directors nominated for
election were elected. Five were elected by the participating
policyholders and eight were elected by iA Financial Corporation
Inc.
Changes to the Executive Committee – On May 9, 2024, iA Financial Group announced changes
to its Executive Committee. Please refer to the May 9, 2024 news release for more
information.
Subsequent to the second quarter:
- Preferred share redemption – On
July 29, 2024, iA Insurance completed
the redemption of its 5,000,000 outstanding Non–Cumulative Class A
Preferred Shares Series B. The redemption price per share was
$25.00 plus an amount
of $0.090625 equal to the cash dividend in respect of the
third quarter, pro rated to the redemption date, for a total of
$25.090625 per Series B
Preferred Share. iA Insurance will subsequently file an
application for an order under the securities legislation that
iA Insurance will cease to be a reporting issuer. Once the
order is granted, iA Insurance will no longer be subject to
continuous disclosure requirements under securities legislation,
including the requirement to file its financial statements.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
GENERAL INFORMATION
Non-IFRS and Additional Financial Measures
iA Financial Corporation and iA Insurance report their financial
results and statements in accordance with International Financial
Reporting Standards ("IFRS"). They also publish certain financial
measures or ratios that are not based on IFRS ("non-IFRS"). A
financial measure is considered a non-IFRS measure for Canadian
securities law purposes if it is presented other than in accordance
with the generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") used for
the Company's audited financial statements. The Company uses
non-IFRS measures when evaluating its results and measuring its
performance. The Company believes that non-IFRS measures provide
additional information to better understand its financial results
and assess its growth and earnings potential, and that they
facilitate comparison of the quarterly and full year results of the
Company's ongoing operations. Since non-IFRS measures do not have
standardized definitions and meaning, they may differ from the
non-IFRS financial measures used by other institutions and should
not be viewed as an alternative to measures of financial
performance determined in accordance with IFRS. The Company
strongly encourages investors to review its financial statements
and other publicly filed reports in their entirety and not to rely
on any single financial measure. These non-IFRS measures are often
accompanied by and reconciled with IFRS financial measures. For
certain non-IFRS measures, there are no directly comparable amounts
under IFRS. This document presents non-IFRS measures used by the
Company when evaluating its results and measuring its
performance.
For relevant information about non-IFRS measures used in this
document, see the "Non-IFRS and Additional Financial Measures"
section in the Management's Discussion and Analysis for the period
ended June 30, 2024, which is hereby incorporated by
reference and is available for review at sedarplus.ca or on iA
Financial Group's website at ia.ca.
Forward-Looking Statements
This document may contain statements relating to strategies used
by iA Financial Group or statements that are predictive in nature,
that depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, or that
include words such as "may", "will", "could", "should", "would",
"suspect", "expect", "anticipate", "intend", "plan", "believe",
"estimate", and "continue" (or the negative thereof), as well as
words such as "objective", "goal", "guidance", "outlook" and
"forecast", or other similar words or expressions. Such statements
constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of
securities laws. In this document, forward-looking statements
include, but are not limited to, information concerning possible or
assumed future operating results. These statements are not
historical facts; they represent only expectations, estimates and
projections regarding future events and are subject to change.
Although iA Financial Group believes that the expectations
reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, such
statements involve risks and uncertainties, and undue reliance
should not be placed on such statements. In addition, certain
material factors or assumptions are applied in making
forward-looking statements, and actual results may differ
materially from those expressed or implied in such statements.
– Material factors and risks that could
cause actual results to differ materially from expectations
include, but are not limited to: general business and economic
conditions; level of competition and consolidation and ability to
adapt products and services to market or customer changes;
information technology, data protection, governance and management,
including privacy breach, and information security risks, including
cyber risks; level of inflation; performance and volatility of
equity markets; interest rate fluctuations; hedging strategy risks;
accuracy of information received from counterparties and the
ability of counterparties to meet their obligations; unexpected
changes in pricing or reserving assumptions; the occurrence of
natural or man-made disasters, international conflicts, pandemic
diseases (such as the COVID-19 pandemic) and acts of terrorism;
iA Financial Group liquidity risk, including the availability
of funding to meet financial liabilities as they come due;
mismanagement or dependance on third-party relationships in a
supply chain context; ability to attract, develop and retain key
employees; risk of inappropriate design, implementation or use of
complex models; fraud risk; changes in laws and
regulations, including tax laws; contractual and legal disputes;
actions by regulatory authorities that may affect the business or
operations of iA Financial Group or its business partners; changes
made to capital and liquidity guidelines; risks associated with the
regional or global political and social environment;
climate-related risks including extreme weather events or
longer-term climate changes and the transition to a low-carbon
economy; iA Financial Group's ability to satisfy stakeholder
expectations on environmental, social and governance issues; and
downgrades in the financial strength or credit ratings of iA
Financial Corporation or its subsidiaries.
– Material factors and assumptions used in
the preparation of financial outlooks include, but are not limited
to: accuracy of estimates, assumptions and judgments under
applicable accounting policies, and no material change in
accounting standards and policies applicable to the Company; no
material variation in interest rates; no significant changes to the
Company's effective tax rate; no material changes in the level of
the Company's regulatory capital requirements; availability of
options for deployment of excess capital; credit experience,
mortality, morbidity, longevity and policyholder behaviour being in
line with actuarial experience studies; investment returns being in
line with the Company's expectations and consistent with historical
trends; different business growth rates per business unit; no
unexpected changes in the economic, competitive, insurance, legal
or regulatory environment or actions by regulatory authorities that
could have a material impact on the business or operations of
iA Financial Group or its business partners; no unexpected
change in the number of shares outstanding; and the
non–materialization of risks or other factors mentioned or
discussed elsewhere in this document or found in the "Risk
Management" section of the Company's Management's Discussion and
Analysis for 2023 that could influence the Company's performance or
results.
Economic and financial uncertainty in a context of geopolitical
tensions – Unfavourable economic conditions and financial
instability are causing some concern, with persistent inflation,
further deterioration in the credit market due to a high-rate
environment, rising defaults and declining realizable value, and
higher unemployment. The war in Ukraine, the Israel-Hamas conflict spreading
to other regions, and the strategic competition between
the United States and China are also causing instability in global
markets. In addition, 2024 is a record year for elections in
50 countries, including the United
States. These events, among others, could lead to reduced
consumer and investor confidence, significant financial volatility
and more limited growth opportunities, potentially affecting the
Company's financial outlook, results and operations.
Additional information about the material factors that could
cause actual results to differ materially from expectations and
about material factors or assumptions applied in making
forward-looking statements may be found in the "Risk Management"
section of the Management's Discussion and Analysis for 2023, the
"Management of Risks Associated with Financial Instruments" note to
the audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended
December 31, 2023 and elsewhere in iA
Financial Group's filings with the Canadian Securities
Administrators, which are available for review at sedarplus.ca.
The forward-looking statements in this document reflect iA
Financial Group's expectations as of the date of this document.
iA Financial Group does not undertake to update or release any
revisions to these forward–looking statements to reflect events or
circumstances after the date of this document or to reflect the
occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law.
Documents Related to the Financial Results
For a detailed discussion of iA Financial Corporation's and iA
Insurance's second quarter results, investors are invited to
consult the Management's Discussion and Analysis for the quarter
ended June 30, 2024, the related financial statements and
accompanying notes and the Financial Information Package for each
company, all of which are available on the iA Financial Group
website at ia.ca under About iA, in the
Investor Relations/Financial Reports section and on
SEDAR+ at sedarplus.ca.
Conference Call
Management will hold a conference call to present iA Financial
Group's second quarter results on Wednesday,
August 7, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. (ET). To listen
to the conference call, choose one of the options below:
▪ Live
Webcast: Click here (https://app.webinar.net/aNRLPpEn9YE) or go
to the iA Financial Group website, at ia.ca under About iA,
in the Investor Relations section under the Events and
Presentations tab.
|
- By phone: Click
here (https://emportal.ink/3wZppU8 ) and enter your phone
number to receive a phone call that will instantly connect you to
the conference call. You can also dial 416-764-8651 or
1-888-390–0620 (toll-free in North
America) fifteen minutes before the conference call is
scheduled to take place and an operator will connect you.
About iA Financial Group
iA Financial Group is one of the largest insurance and
wealth management groups in Canada, with operations in the United States. Founded in 1892, it is an
important Canadian public company and is listed on the Toronto
Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol IAG (common
shares).
iA Financial Group is a
business name and trademark of iA Financial Corporation Inc.
and Industrial Alliance Insurance and Financial Services
Inc.
|
SOURCE iA Financial Group