TORONTO, Aug. 10, 2018 /CNW/ - E-L Financial Corporation Limited ("E-L Financial") (TSX: ELF) (TSX: ELF.PR.F) (TSX: ELF.PR.G) (TSX: ELF.PR.H) today reported for the quarter ended June 30, 2018, consolidated shareholders' net income of $108.2 million, or $26.56 per common share, compared with $97.5 million, or $23.84 per common share in 2017. For the six months ended June 30, 2018, E-L Financial earned consolidated shareholders' net income of $173.7 million, or $42.26 per common share, compared with $361.6 million, or $90.10 per common share in 2017.

E-L Financial's net equity value per common share was $1,349.93 as at June 30, 2018, an increase of 2.5% from $1,316.64 as at December 31, 2017.

E-L Corporate

E-L Corporate reported net income of $51.3 million in the second quarter of 2018 compared to $64.4 million for the comparable period in 2017. The decrease in net income for the second quarter of 2018 was mostly due to a higher amount of earnings attributable to non-controlling interests. E-L Corporate's net gain on investments for the second quarter of 2018 and the second quarter of 2017 contributed to a pre-tax total return of 2% for each of the periods.

For the six months ended June 30, E-L Corporate earned net income of $78.4 million in 2018 compared to $278.7 million in 2017. The decrease in net income is primarily due to lower net gains on investments of $64.0 million in 2018 compared to $312.1 million in 2017. E-L Corporate's global investment portfolio yielded a pre-tax total return of 3% in the first six months of 2018 compared to 8% in the prior year.

Empire Life

For the quarter ended June 30, 2018, Empire Life's net income attributable to E-L Financial was $56.9 million compared to $33.1 million for the comparable period in 2017. The increase in earnings for the second quarter of 2018 was primarily as a result of higher gains realized from management actions, higher investment gains in the Individual Insurance product line and improved operating performance across all product lines.

The Empire Life segment reported net income of $95.3 million for the six months ended June 30, 2018 compared to $82.9 million in 2017. The increase in net income was due to improved operating performance across all product lines and higher experience gains in the Individual Insurance and Employee Benefits product lines, partially offset by lower gains realized from management actions in the Individual Insurance product line.

Effective January 1, 2018, MCCSR has been replaced by the Life Insurance Capital Adequacy Test ("LICAT"). The LICAT is intended to improve the quality of available capital and provide a better alignment of the risk measures with the long-term economics of the life insurance business. The LICAT will behave differently under various economic scenarios when compared to MCCSR. As a result, LICAT ratios are not comparable to the MCCSR ratio. Empire Life's LICAT total ratio was 161% at June 30, 2018, well above the requirements set by the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions Canada as well as Empire Life's minimum internal targets.

CONSOLIDATED SUMMARY OF NET INCOME (UNAUDITED)

Non-GAAP Measures

The Company uses non-GAAP measures including net equity value per Common Share to provide investors with supplemental measures of its operating performance that may not otherwise be apparent when relying solely on International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS") financial measures. Net equity value per Common Share provides an indication of the accumulated shareholder value, adjusting shareholders' equity to reflect investments in associates at fair value, net of tax, as opposed to their carrying value.

The Company also uses sources of earnings and assets under management to provide investors with supplemental measures of Empire Life's performance and to highlight trends in its core business that may not otherwise be apparent when relying solely on IFRS financial measures. The Company also believes that securities analysts, investors and other interested parties frequently use non-GAAP measures in the evaluation of issuers.

About E-L Financial

E-L Financial operates as an investment and insurance holding company. In managing its operations, E-L Financial distinguishes between two operating segments, E-L Corporate and Empire Life.

E-L Corporate represents investments in stocks and fixed income securities held directly and indirectly through pooled funds, closed-end investment companies and other investment companies. The investment strategy is to accumulate shareholder value through long-term capital appreciation and dividend and interest income from its investments.

Empire Life is a subsidiary of E-L Financial. Since 1923, Empire Life has provided individual and group life and health insurance, investment and retirement products to Canadians. Empire Life's mission is to make it simple, fast and easy for Canadians to get the investment, insurance and group benefits coverage they need to build wealth, generate income, and achieve financial security. As of June 30, 2018 Empire Life had total assets under management of $17.3 billion.

SOURCE E-L Financial Corporation Limited

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