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AIG Swings To 2Q Loss On $3.3B Alico Write-Down
American International Group Inc. (AIG) swung to a second-quarter loss as the bailed-out insurance behemoth took a $3.3 billion write-down on the operations set to be sold to MetLife Inc. (MET).
But shares jumped 5.3% premarket to $42 as Chief Executive Robert Benmosche said the company's "continuing insurance operating results remain solid, while the company continues to execute on its restructuring plans and prepares for separation from the U.S. government."
He added, "Importantly, operating earnings at our continuing insurance operations have remained solid and stable."
AIG has seen signs of improvement, as it saw earnings grow at most of its core insurance businesses in the first quarter. The bottom line also hasn't been as pressured recently by write-downs and restructuring expenses. Its financial-services unit, which was a key in the company's meltdown during the financial crisis, has narrowed its losses, and results at its Chartis business have improved.
AIG has recently tapped its Asian life-insurance unit AIA for an initial public offering, hoping to execute a share sale that could raise as much as $23 billion for U.S. taxpayers. Prudential PLC's (PUK, PRU.LN) $35.5 billion bid for AIA collapsed in June.
Earnings for AIG's Asian life-insurance business, the majority of which being from AIA, nearly doubled on a prior-year charge and higher investment income.
Meanwhile, MetLife is paying $15.5 billion for Alico, AIG's second-largest foreign life-insurance business behind AIA. Minus the write-down, AIG said Alico's second-quarter pretax profit "increased significantly" from a year earlier on lower realized capital losses plus trading gains.
AIG reported a second-quarter loss of $2.66 billion, or $3.96 a share, compared with a prior-year profit of $1.82 billion, or $2.30 a share. Excluding hedging and other impacts, earnings from continuing operations rose to $1.99 from $1.71 even as revenue dropped 16% to $19.98 billion.
Earnings for AIG's general-insurance operation saw rose on a 28% jump in investment income. Net premiums written fell 1.6%.
The company's domestic life-insurance and retirement business, SunAmerica Financial Group, saw its pre-tax profit decline 56%, and the financial-services operations had a 75% slump.