Sampo as an investment
Sampo is the leading property and casualty (P&C) insurance group in the Nordic region—and the only one operating across all Nordic countries, customer segments, and product lines. The Group also holds a strong position in the fast-growing digital P&C insurance market in the UK.
Why invest in Sampo?
Listed on Nasdaq Helsinki since 1988, Sampo is one of the most valuable companies on the exchange. The Group is also listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and Copenhagen.
Comprehensive diversification and strong market position
Sampo is the only pan-Nordic P&C insurance group with a leading presence in all customer segments. In total, we have around 4 million customers in the Nordics with a core focus on private individuals and SMEs.
In the UK, Sampo is one of the leading digital motor insurers and an emerging challenger in the digital home insurance market with over 4 million customers. In addition, Sampo operates in the Baltic region, serving around 370,000 customers.
Unique operating capabilities
Sampo’s strategy centers on disciplined underwriting and leveraging digital capabilities through the group’s pan-Nordic operating platform.
Our sizeable and growing investments in digitalisation enhances every part of the value chain – from distribution and pricing to underwriting and claims handling. Combined with our industry-leading partner network, this enables superior customer service and continued cost efficiency improvements.
Multiple growth areas
Around half of the Group’s business is positioned in attractive growth areas.
In personal insurance, growth is driven by rising demand in the Nordics and our cross-selling opportunities. Meanwhile, the growth outlook in private property benefits from our extensive digital product offering, broad channel mix, partnerships, and pricing capabilities. In the Commercial SME business, we are able to capture growth potential by leveraging our digital capabilities and service model.
In the UK, Sampo is well-positioned to expand in both digital motor and home insurance markets supported by our advanced pricing, risk selection, and distribution capabilities.
Stable and growing earnings
Our operations are inherently resilient, supported by stable and consolidated Nordic markets. Combined with wide diversification, scale benefits, and operational excellence, this creates a solid foundation for predictable earnings.
Sampo has an exceptional track record of delivering strong results and a clear focus on underwriting profitability is the cornerstone of our strategy. Growth is pursued selectively whenever it can be achieved without compromising margins.
Sampo targets an operating EPS growth of more than 9 per cent annually on average, while maintaining below 85% combined ratio in 2024-2026.
Attractive capital returns
Sampo’s cash-generative business model and disciplined capital management enable us to deliver consistently attractive capital returns to shareholders.
We aim to return capital through a reliable and progressive regular dividend complemented by share buybacks. In a typical year, Sampo expects to return around 90 per cent of its operating result to shareholders through dividends and share buybacks, of which its annual dividend is expected to represent more than two-thirds. In adverse years, the Group intends to keep the regular dividend per share stable.
For 2024-2026, Sampo’s target is to generate over EUR 4.5 billion of deployable capital and most of this will be returned to shareholders through regular dividends and share buybacks.
Frequently asked investor questions
For more questions, contact us at ir(at)sampo.fi.
Sampo was listed on Helsinki Stock Exchange, known today Nasdaq Helsinki, on 14 January 1988. In addition, Sampo has been listed on Nasdaq Stockholm since 2022 and on Nasdaq Copenhagen since 2024.
The Sampo AGM is usually held in April-May. Notice to the AGM will be published, at the latest, three weeks before the AGM as a stock exchange release and on Sampo's website.
If's competitors are all Nordic P&C insurance companies and many of them operate locally only in one country. Main competitors are OP and LähiTapiola in Finland, LF and Folksam in Sweden and Tryg and Gjensidige in Norway. In Denmark, the main competitors are Tryg and Alm. Brand.
All kind of risks that cause turbulence in the fixed income and stock markets affect Sampo Groups investment activities. From an operational point of view, political risks in our home markets, in the Nordics are relatively small. Main risks are potential changes in taxation and regulation in the finance sector.
Sampo has detailed plans in case of changes in personnel when the time comes.
Especially If has very large weight in fixed income. It can be explained by two factors: dividends and credit rating. When it comes to return on equity, our objective is to keep If's balance sheet light and efficient. However, at the same time, the high credit rating and ability to pay large dividends require strong solvency. Thus, the risk profile of If's investment portfolio must be low. In addition, the group level profit performance benefits from the fact that If's profit is based on successful risk assessment and pricing i.e. underwriting rather than profits from investments.
Vast amount of Sampo’s investments are fixed income investments. Thus, rising interest rates would increase returns when assets are re-invested in fixed income. In addition, higher rates would lead to higher discount rates for technical provisions.
Very high inflation would create pressure on profitability as the increase in claims costs cannot be passed on to insurance prices in the middle of contract periods. So-called “normal” inflation does not have a large impact on business as If takes inflation trend into account in its pricing. In addition, as a large company, If has a good negotiating position and long-term contracts with its partners, which provides stability and predictability on the cost side.
Geographically we prefer the Nordic countries, where we know the markets, companies and people. Other main principle is that we like to keep our investments and technical reserves in substantially the same currency in order to avoid extra currency risk.
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