Zurich Insurance Targets Higher Earnings Growth, Boosted by Market Environment

By Pierre Bertrand

Zurich Insurance said it is targeting increased earnings growth as part of its new three-year plan to 2027, after benefiting from a better-than-anticipated market environment.

The Swiss insurer said it was targeting a core earnings per share compound annual growth rate of more than 9% and core return on equity of more than 23%, for the three-year period.

At the same time cumulative cash remittances, or the amount of money mainly consisting of dividends Zurich's business units submit to the group, is expected to exceed $19 billion.

The targets spanning the 2025 to 2027 period were unveiled one year before the company's current three-year plan to 2025 came to an end. Zurich reiterated Thursday that it was on track to exceed its current targets.

The company was previously targeting for the 2023 to 2025 period an earnings per share compound organic growth rate of 8%, a business operating profit after tax return on equity in excess of 20% and cash remittances in excess of $13.5 billion.

Write to Pierre Bertrand at pierre.bertrand@wsj.com