Swiss Life shocked investors this morning by warning its 2002 loss would be twice as bad as analysts expected.
Blaming weak markets that pummelled its investments and spurred large write-offs, Swiss Life said it expects a record 2002 net loss of around 1.7 billion Swiss francs (€1.5 billion). Analysts had been expecting a net loss of only 839 million Swiss francs.
The group said restructuring costs and big losses at its domestic life insurance business and its Banca del Gottardo private bank will also weigh on results due to be detailed on April 8th.
Swiss Life's unexpected warning unsettled investors already dismayed by a series of accounting botches and management changes at the company in 2002. Its shares - which have lost a third of their value this year - fell sharply and were down 7.3 per cent at 63.15 Swiss francs by 10.35 a.m.
Like other insurers, Swiss Life has been forced to sharply cut the equity portion of its investment portfolio, to below 2 per cent at the end of February from 16 per cent at the start of 2002. It had to realise big losses as it dumped large parts of its huge stock holdings into weak markets.
Swiss Life said it expected to return to profit this year, but warned 2003 would still be "very challenging".