保诚（Prudential）H1 2026新业务利润增8%至13.8亿美元符合预期，宣布3亿美元回购，增速放缓

British insurer Prudential announced a US$300 million share buy-back, to be completed by December, as it reported an 8 per cent increase in new business profit for the first half of the year. The buy-back and slower profit growth came amid market concerns over a potential pullback in mainland Chinese visitors to Hong Kong that could test the performance of insurers in one of their largest markets. New business profit – a key metric tracking the future profitability of newly written life insurance policies – rose to US$1.38 billion in the six months ended June 30, the company said on Thursday. That matched analysts’ estimates. The financial results showed a lower growth rate than in the first half of 2025, when new business profit surged 12 per cent to US$1.26 billion. In the first half of this year, adjusted operating profit increased by 9 per cent to US$1.81 billion, or 58.4 US cents per share. Annual premium equivalent sales – a major sales indicator combining regular and single premiums – rose 3 per cent to US$3.42 billion, up from US$3.29 billion recorded in the same period last year. “We remain focused on delivering long-term savings, health and protection solutions in our markets, meeting customer needs and supporting the societal aims of regulators and governments alike,” Prudential CEO Anil Wadhwani said in the earnings statement. “The strength of our performance is giving us the capacity to invest in long-term growth opportunities while increasing returns to shareholders. Today, we have announced a further $300 million buy-back to be completed by 18 December 2026.” Prudential declared an interim dividend of 8.88 US cents per share, compared with the 7.71 US cents payout per share in the first half of 2025. Its shares dipped 1.07 per cent to HK$110.6 in Hong Kong trading on Wednesday before the announcement on Thursday morning, underperforming the broader Hang Seng Index, which gained 0.56 per cent. More to follow …