Tower annual profit drops 32% from 2013 asset sales, flags share buyback

Tower annual profit drops 32% from 2013 asset sales, flags share buyback
By Paul McBeth Nov. 27 (BusinessDesk) - Tower, which sold its health, life, and investment units to focus on general insurance, reported a 32 percent drop in annual profit, while improving its underlying earnings in general insurance, and signalled plans for another share buyback. Net profit fell to $23.6 million in the 12 months ended Sept. 30 from $34.4 million a year earlier, the Auckland-based insurer said in a statement. Underlying earnings from its general insurance business, which excludes the impact of the Canterbury earthquakes a...