Sovereign Trust Insurance Opens Rights Issue
Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc has opened its Rights Issue for existing Shareholders as it moves to improve liquidity ahead of recapitalisation deadline set by the insurance regulator, the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM).
The Rights Issue which commenced Monday, June 24, 2019, and run through July 31, 2019 will see the company offering 4,170,411,648 ordinary shares of 0.50k each at 0.50k per share on the basis of one (1) new ordinary share for every two (2) ordinary shares of 0.50k each held as at the close of register on Tuesday, January 15, 2019.
Insurance firms have devised several strategies to comply with the directive of NAICOM which deadline is set for June 2020.
Insurance regulator in May 2019 directed underwriting firms to increase their capitalisation depending on the line of business they transact. Life providers are to recapitalise to N8 billion from N2 billion and General business operators are to move N10 billion.
Composite insurers are to upscale to N18 billion while reinsurance firms are to buoy up their capital base to N20 billion.
In the same vein, the Management has enjoined all Shareholders of the company to take advantage of this unique opportunity by maximally taking up their rights in the Rights Issue with a view to increasing their stake in the company and as well grow their wealth in the very near future as the company is poised to moving on to the next phase of its growth stage.
Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc, Mr. Olaotan Soyinka said the Management of the company has set a growth agenda which is aimed at positioning the underwriting firm as one of the top five in the insurance industry in Nigeria.
According to the MD. “In achieving this aspiration, we have identified that a very robust capital base is critical to the success of the set agenda; hence the need to call on our Shareholders to fully exercise their rights by subscribing fully to the Rights Issue and ultimately grow their investments in the company”.
In a statement by the company’s Head, Corporate Communications and Brand Management, Segun Bankole, he said, Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc is working assiduously towards being one of the most preferred Insurance companies in the country for people to do business with, invest in as well as be the choice Employer of Labour.
“Judging by the results of the performance of the company in the last financial year in 2018, it leaves no one in doubt that the company is set for the path of profitability. It is quite interesting to note that the company recorded a marked positive shift from what was recorded in the financial year of 2017 when compared to the 2018 financial year performance.
“The company recorded a Gross Premium Written of N10.5 billion representing a 23% increase over the N8.5 billion recorded in 2017. The Net premium income equally grew by 31% to N5.5 billion over the sum of N3.85 billion recorded in the corresponding year,” he said.
In the same vein, he said, the company recorded a Profit Before Tax of N540 million as against N202 million recorded in year 2017 representing over 167% increase.
He said Profit after tax also rose to N344 million, a 118% increase when compared with the sum of N158 million recorded in 2017.
“Consequently, the Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) recorded a positive performance of 9.29% as against 1.87% achieved in the corresponding year of 2017. Similarly, the Earning per share improved by 118% from 1.89kobo in 2017 to 4.13kobo in 2018.
The company’s Total Assets rose from N10.8b to N11.3billion representing 5% increase while the shareholders’ fund increased by 6% from N5.5b in 2017 to N5.8b in 2018.
Certainly, there are brighter days ahead and the opportunity for the shareholders to latch on to the bright side of life with Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc is now,” the MD added.
Comments are closed.