Prudential profits rise on strong US, Asia results

UK insurer Prudential yesterday posted a jump in first-half profit as a strong performance in Asia and the US offset negative currency swings in some of its most important markets.

Shares in Britain’s biggest insurer rose as much as 3%, making it the top gainer on the FTSE 100 Index, after the company boosted its interim dividend by 15% to 11.18p per share.

Prudential’s operating profit rose 17% to £1.52bn (€1.91bn) on a constant-currency basis, boosted by fee income from its US business and higher sales of health and protection products in Asia.