Earnings Release • Apr 24, 2015
Earnings Release
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Phoenix Group announces cash generation of £87 million in the three months to 31 March 2015 and remains on track to meet all its financial targets
Financial and operational highlights in the three months to 31 March 2015
"Phoenix Group remains well placed in a changing regulatory environment. We are on track for both our Solvency II Internal Model Application and to achieve an investment grade credit rating during 2015. We have successfully managed the introduction of the new pension freedoms, supporting our customers as they consider a wider range of options for their retirement provision. We remain in line to meet all our financial targets."
| Holding companies'2 cash flows |
3 months to | 3 months to | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 March | 31 March | Full Year | |
| 2015 | 2014 | 2014 | |
| £m | £m | £m | |
| Cash and cash equivalents at 1 January | 988 | 995 | 995 |
| Cash receipts | |||
| Cash receipts from Phoenix Life | 87 | 211 | 446 |
| Cash receipts from Ignis Asset Management | - | 3 | 422 |
| Other cash receipts | - | 21 | 89 |
| Total cash receipts | 87 | 235 | 957 |
| Operating expenses | (7) | (8) | (29) |
| Pension scheme contributions | (4) | (4) | (88) |
| Debt interest | (26) | (17) | (80) |
| Debt repayment | - | - | (601) |
| Other non-recurring cash outflows | (6) | (4) | (46) |
| Shareholder dividends | - | - | (120) |
| Total uses of cash | (43) | (33) | (964) |
| Cash and cash equivalents at end of period | 1,032 | 1,197 | 988 |
£87 million of cash was received by the holding companies from Phoenix Life in the 3 months to 31 March 2015.
The debt interest payments include a £20 million payment of the accrued Tier 1 coupon that was paid as part of the Tier 1 bond exchange completed in January as well as interest on the bank debt facility. Other non-recurring cash outflows of £6 million include costs relating to the Tier 1 bond exchange.
Cash and cash equivalents in the holding companies include £60 million held within Phoenix Group Holdings that will be used to pay the 2014 final dividend on 27 April 2015.
The Phoenix Life free surplus, which represents excess capital over the minimum requirements and the life companies' capital policies on a Solvency I basis, was £271 million at 31 March 2015 (FY14: £196 million). The movement during the period reflects the release of cash to the holding companies, which was more than offset by the benefit of management actions, including the acquisition of a portfolio of equity release mortgages, and positive market movements.
The estimated IGD surplus and IGD headroom remained stable at £1.2 billion and £0.5 billion, respectively at 31 March 2015 (FY14: £1.2 billion and £0.5 billion). The IGD position includes the impact of the payment of the 2014 final dividend of £60 million.
The estimated PLHL ICA surplus and PLHL ICA headroom remained stable at £0.7 billion and £0.6 billion, respectively at 31 March 2015 (FY14: £0.7 billion and £0.6 billion). The PLHL ICA position includes the impact of the payment of the 2014 final dividend of £60 million.
The Group's activities in relation to Solvency II have continued to be focused primarily on the preparation of the Group's Internal Model Application, as well as on monitoring the progress of the development of the Solvency II regulations. The Prudential Regulatory Authority ('PRA') has provided additional clarity in recent months with regards to matching adjustments and transitional provisions. The Group expects to formally apply for regulatory approval of the Group's Internal Model in June.
Although there remains uncertainties with regards to the new Solvency II capital regime, the Group expects to be well capitalised under Solvency II, with the Group capital position under Solvency II expected to be in excess of the current PLHL ICA surplus. However, this is subject to regulatory approvals and should not be seen as representing the views of the PRA.
In preparation for the impact of the new pension freedoms introduced from 6 April 2015, Phoenix Life has in co-operation with its outsource partners increased the operational capacity and skill levels of staff. As expected, the number of customer calls has increased since the introduction of the new freedoms, with volumes immediately after 6 April being around twice the usual levels. This increase in calls was well within Phoenix Life's planning parameters and there have been no material operational issues for the Group.
It will take some time before the full impact of the new pension freedoms become clear, but initial indications are that some customers are interested in full encashment of their pension savings, particularly for smaller pots. However, the tax implications of full encashment are not well understood by many customers and Phoenix Life is therefore providing detailed information to customers on their options as well as promoting the availability of the government's PensionWise service. In addition, customers are clearly informed if they have guaranteed annuity rates as part of their products and there is a further requirement for customers to take financial advice before foregoing guaranteed annuity rates on pension pots with a value above £30,000.
In order to ensure that Phoenix Life customers have access to the wider range of options available under the new pension freedoms, Phoenix Life has agreed a wider partnership agreement with Just Retirement. This provides customers with a wider range of products, including the ability to 'shop around' for standard and enhanced annuities as well as offering a drawdown pension product. The new partnership also offers customers the ability to access financial advice as they plan for their retirement.
Phoenix Life will continue to adopt its 'test and learn' strategy with regard to the changes to the retirement market in order that customers are provided with access to information and a range of products and services. The investment already made in the operational capacity of Phoenix Life will allow the Group to react to customer behaviour in the coming months.
Cash distributions to the holding companies are not evenly spread throughout the year as they depend on the emergence of free surplus within the life companies and the timing of management actions. However, having generated £87 million of cash in the first quarter, the Group is on track to meet its cash generation target for the full year of £200 - £250 million and its long term cash generation target of £2.8 billion between 2014 and 2019.
Investors: Samuel Perowne Head of Investor Relations, Phoenix Group +44 (0) 20 3735 0021
Media: Neil Bennett, Peter Ogden, Tom Eckersley Maitland + 44 (0) 20 7379 5151
A conference call for analysts and investors will take place at 9.30am (BST) today. The dial in number is +44 20 3059 8125 Please quote "Phoenix".
Access to the audiocast, with the facility to ask questions, will also be available via our website www.thephoenixgroup.com. A replay will be made available on the website.
Financial calendar 2015
| Half year 2015 results | 20 August 2015 |
|---|---|
| Q3 2015 IMS | 22 October 2015 |
The financial information contained in this announcement has not been audited or reviewed by the Group's auditors.
This announcement in relation to Phoenix Group Holdings and its subsidiaries (the 'Group') contains, and we may make other statements (verbal or otherwise) containing, forward-looking statements and other financial and/or statistical data about the Group's current plans, goals and expectations relating to future financial conditions, performance, results, strategy and/or objectives.
Statements containing the words: 'believes', 'intends', 'will', 'expects', 'plans', 'aims', 'seeks', 'targets', 'continues' and 'anticipates' or other words of similar meaning are forward-looking. Such forward-looking statements and other financial and/or statistical data involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to future events and circumstances that are beyond the Group's control. For example, certain insurance risk disclosures are dependent on the Group's choices about assumptions and models, which by their nature are estimates. As such, actual future gains and losses could differ materially from those that the Group has estimated.
Other factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those estimated by forwardlooking statements include but are not limited to: domestic and global economic and business conditions; asset prices; market related risks such as fluctuations in interest rates and exchange rates, and the performance of financial markets generally; the policies and actions of governmental and/or regulatory authorities, including, for example, new government initiatives related to the financial crisis and ultimate transition to the European Union's "Solvency II" Directive on the Group's capital maintenance requirements; the impact of inflation and deflation; market competition; changes in assumptions in pricing and reserving for insurance business (particularly with regard to mortality and morbidity trends, gender pricing and lapse rates); the timing, impact and other uncertainties of future acquisitions or combinations within relevant industries; risks associated with arrangements with third parties; inability of reinsurers to meet obligations or unavailability of reinsurance coverage; the impact of changes in capital, solvency or accounting standards, and tax and other legislation and regulations in the jurisdictions in which members of the Group operate.
As a result, the Group's actual future financial condition, performance and results may differ materially from the plans, goals and expectations set out in the forward-looking statements and other financial and/or statistical data within this announcement. The Group undertakes no obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements or data contained within this announcement or any other forward-looking statements or data it may make or publish. Nothing in this announcement should be construed as a profit forecast or estimate.
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