DIVIDENDS UP 21%, ROE UP TO 17%
Financial highlights:
· NET CASH GENERATION UP 10% TO £1,104M (2013: £1,002M)
· OPERATIONAL CASH GENERATION UP 6% TO £1,101M (2013: £1,042M)
· OPERATING PROFIT UP 10% TO £1,275M (2013: £1,158M)
· PROFIT AFTER TAX UP 9% TO £992M (2013: £906M)
· EARNINGS PER SHARE UP 10% TO 16.70P (2013: 15.20P)
· RETURN ON EQUITY 16.9% (2013: 16.1%)
· FULL YEAR DIVIDEND UP 21% TO 11.25P PER SHARE (2013: 9.30p)
Business highlights:
· ANNUITY ASSETS UP 28% TO £44.2BN (2013: £34.4BN)
· LGIM TOTAL ASSETS UP 16% TO £708.5BN (2013: £611.6BN)
· UK PROTECTION PREMIUM UP 6% TO £1,407M (2013: £1,326M)
· SAVINGS ASSETS UP 10% TO £124.2BN (2013: £113.4BN)
· DIRECT INVESTMENTS UP TO £5.7BN (2013: £2.9BN)
Nigel Wilson, Group Chief Executive, said:
"Legal & General delivers economically and socially useful products. Our market leading growth businesses coupled with continuous cost reductions have given us scale and efficiency in our chosen markets. The five global macro trends driving our strategy - ageing populations, globalisation of asset markets, welfare reform, digital connectivity and bank retrenchment - create long term growth opportunities, which we position our businesses to capture. The rapid growth of LGIM's international business to over £100bn, the £5bn of investment in physical assets in the UK, and our entrance into the lifetime mortgage market are all examples of the successful execution of our strategy.
Over the last five years we have increased dividend per share from 3.84p to 11.25p - a nearly threefold increase. In 2014 we produced another year of double digit growth across our key financial metrics enabling us to reward shareholders with a 21% rise in the dividend."
