Investing.com — Shares of Direct Line Insurance Group (LON:) slipped on Wednesday following the release of its first-half financial results.
In the first half of 2024, Direct Line reported an operating profit of £64 million, which fell short of the consensus estimate of £85 million.
This was primarily due to weaker-than-expected results in the Motor insurance segment, though the company showed stronger performance in other areas.
The Net Insurance Margin for the group was reported at 1.8%, which was notably below the consensus estimate of 3.0%.
The Motor NIM was particularly disappointing, coming in at -3.0% versus the expected -2.1%. Conversely, the Non-Motor NIM aligned with expectations at 11.6%.
When normalized for weather effects, the Group NIM stood at 1.3%, falling significantly short of the 13% target set for 2026.
Revenues was 5% above expectations, driven largely by stronger results in the Motability segment. Despite this, the ongoing operating earnings per share (EPS) of 2.7p were below the anticipated 4.0p.
The interim dividend per share (DPS) of 2.0p also fell short of the expected 2.6p.
The solvency ratio post-dividends was reported at 198%, which met expectations and reflected a 6 percentage point boost from partnerships and market movements.
In terms of segment performance, the Motor insurance division showed a slight decrease in policy count attrition, which fell to 3.6% in the second quarter from 4.1% in the first quarter.
However, Gross Written Premium (GWP) growth slowed to 6% in the second quarter, down from 13% in the first quarter. Average written premiums for Motor declined by 1%, from £541 to £536.
Despite these challenges, management noted a return to growth in PCW-distributed policies.
Additionally, the Non-Motor segment saw growth. GWP increased by 13.7%, driven by rate increases across all segments.
UBS noted that while the Motor Insurance Service Result and investment income fell short of expectations, the company’s reaffirmed NIM targets and revenue performance in other segments could drive a positive adjustment in forward expectations.
“The Motor NIM disappointed. However, the outlook is supportive to UBSe,” UBS analysts said.
“An in-line performance at a headline level despite a weaker Motor result, countered by strength in other areas,” said analysts at RBC Capital Markets in a note.
The strength in Non-Motor insurance and the upgrade in investment yield were seen as positive developments. RBC revised its price target for Direct Line up to 200p from 195p, reflecting improved revenue and investment returns.
