AIA (01299) released its interim results, with new business value hitting a record high of $3.2 billion. All major financial indicators achieved double-digit growth.

AIA (01299) announced its interim results for the 6 months ending June 30, 2026, with all growth rates presented on a constant currency basis. The new business value reached $3.212 billion, an overall increase of 10%; the annualized operational return on embedded value hit a record high of 18.0%; the post-tax operating profit was $4.163 billion, up 13% per share; the annualized operational return on equity for shareholders reached a record high of 17.5%; the generated basic free surplus was $3.935 billion, up 10% per share; the basic post-tax operating profit was 39.95 cents per share; and an interim dividend of 53.90 Hong Kong cents per share is proposed. AIA Group CEO and President Lee Yuan Xiang stated, AIA achieved another remarkable performance in the first half of 2026, with all major financial indicators showing double-digit growth, while continuing to return substantial capital to shareholders. The new business value reached a record high of $3.2 billion, with growth realized across all distribution channels and all reporting segments excluding Thailand. Since the first half of 2023, the group has maintained a compound annual growth rate of 17%, reflecting strong demand in the market for AIAs professional advice and distinctive products. Our market-leading Best Agents are at the core of our unrivaled distribution platform. I am pleased that AIA has once again ranked first among multinational companies in terms of membership in the Global Million Dollar Round Table. We have been at the top for a record 12 consecutive years, with our membership exceeding that of our nearest competitor by more than double. In the first half of 2026, excluding Thailand operations, our Best Agents achieved a strong 11% growth in new business value. With robust performances from the bank insurance channel, as well as independent financial advisors and brokerage channels, AIAs extensive strategic partner distribution network has further expanded our market coverage and achieved an 18% increase in new business value. The strong new business performance, along with our rigorous management of the effective policy portfolio, supports continuous growth in recurring profits, with post-tax operating profit per share rising 13% in the first half of the year. Therefore, we expect to exceed our goal of a 9% to 11% compound annual growth rate for post-tax operating profit per share from 2023 to 2026. The generated basic free surplus is a core indicator of the groups operational cash flow generation, increasing 10% per share. After deducting new business investments, the net generated free surplus per share rose 12%. Based on our prudent, sustainable, and progressive dividend policy, the board has announced a 10% increase in the interim dividend to 53.90 Hong Kong cents per share. These achievements reflect that our financial strategy is delivering results as expected. Asia continues to offer the most attractive growth opportunities for life and health insurance. Strong structural tailwinds in the region continue to create substantial demand for our professional advice and distinctive products, laying a solid foundation for AIA's extraordinary long-term development prospects. I firmly believe that AIA, through the rigorous and orderly execution of strategic priorities, will continue to create long-term, sustainable value for all our stakeholders.