Suncorp's New Zealand 1H profit jumps on premium price hikes

Suncorp's New Zealand 1H profit jumps on premium price hikes
Paul McBeth
By Paul McBeth Feb. 14 (BusinessDesk) - Suncorp Group's New Zealand insurance arm boosted first-half profit by 79 percent as the latest round of premium hikes coincided with a dip in how much it paid out in claims.  The Brisbane-based financial services firm is a major Kiwi player in general and life insurance, with a suite of New Zealand brands including Vero Insurance, the AA Insurance joint venture, Asteron Life and AA Life joint venture.  Within the New Zealand operations, the general insurance arm more than doubled profit to $103...