Admiral Group Plc (LSE:ADM) shares jumped 6% after the insurer posted a strong first-half showing, comfortably beating market expectations.
Group pre-tax profit came in at £521 million, up 69% year-on-year and ahead of consensus at £492 million. Motor insurance led the charge, delivering £559 million in profit versus forecasts of £528 million.
The combined operating ratio, a key measure of underwriting profitability, was 77.7%, well ahead of the 80.5% expected.
Shareholders will receive a total interim dividend of 115p per share, up 62% on last year and ahead of the 106p pencilled in by analysts. This includes a normal payout of 85.9p and a special dividend of 29.1p.
Customer numbers rose 10% to 11.4 million, underscoring steady growth.
The stock rose 204p to 3,572p.