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6 January 2020

Annual plan of the Sava Insurance Group for 2020

Pursuant to the rules of the Ljubljana Stock Exchange d.d., Ljubljana, and the Market in Financial Instruments Act, Sava Re d.d., Dunajska 56, Ljubljana, makes the following announcement:

Based on its 2020–2022 strategy, the Sava Insurance Group has prepared its annual plan for 2020 with ambitious targets. The Group’s operating revenues for 2020 are planned to exceed 4%, and the net profit for the year is planned at a minimum of EUR 45 million. Thus, the Group will aim to achieve a return on equity of at least 11%. 

The Group is planning to carry out the following activities in its most important development areas for 2020:

In the area of digital transformation and placing the customer at the centre, the Group will be carrying out activities that will make it easier for its customers to buy and manage insurance policies and file claims, and it will also focus on its online presence and mobile applications, as well as on the adjustment of its communications and products to customer preferences.

As part of its IT transformation, the Group will complete the development of unified infrastructure supporting the common data warehouse in 2020, and it will start certain activities aimed at renovating its core IT systems, including replacements, upgrades and implementations of various IT solutions.

As regards acquisitions-based growth, while delivering efficient organic growth, the Group will continue with acquisition activities in its existing markets, but it will also seek growth opportunities elsewhere in the European Union insurance industry.

The key targets for 2020 are:

Growth in Slovenian non-life gross premiums written is planned at 3%, taking into account the expected slowdown in new vehicle sales. Life insurance gross premiums written are expected to decrease by 9%, which reflects the large number of policies maturing in the Slovenian life business segment.

Outside Slovenia, we expect insurance business to grow organically at rates exceeding the expected growth rates of gross domestic product. The Group’s non-life and life insurers outside Slovenia are planning their gross premiums written to grow by 6% and 15%, respectively. In 2020, the Group’s non-life insurers will focus in particular on development and expansion of the existing sales network, diversification of their portfolios by means of new products, and strengthening of bancassurance as a sales channel. In their development of insurance products and services, the Group’s life insurers will focus in particular on reducing or abandoning guaranteed rates in 2020 in view of the low interest rates prevailing in the financial markets.

Reinsurance operations expect gross premiums written to grow by 8% in 2020. This will be achieved by growing the volume of business in new markets while maintaining portfolio diversification by both geography and partner.

The Group’s investment policy includes maintaining a high level of security of invested insurance contract assets, as well as ensuring high liquidity and risk diversification. Investment management in 2020 will be affected by the continued low interest rates, and the expected return will be 1.3%. The investment portfolio structure will also remain relatively conservative in 2020, featuring a high share of bonds and other fixed-income investments and a high credit rating profile, with the share of equity securities and infrastructure projects increasing slightly.

The management board believes that the annual plan is ambitious and takes account of all the key aspects of responsible long-term development while ensuring appropriate profitability of the Group.

Documents: Annual plan of the Sava Insurance Group for 2020.

On 27 December 2019, Sava Re signed a deal to acquire NLB Vita d.d., and the Company expects the transaction to close in the first half of 2020. Because the released annual plan does not include the financial effects of this transaction, Sava Re intends to evaluate these effects and issue a revised document after the transaction is completed.

Annual plan of the Sava Insurance Group for 2020