Preliminary information on annual accounts – return on investments 17.6 per cent

Return on investments of Suomi Mutual Life Assurance Company (Suomi Mutual) was excellent in 2005. Return on investments at current values was 17.6 per cent, which corresponds to around EUR 1 billion. Thus, return on investments more than doubled from 2004 when the corresponding rate was around 8.6 per cent.

According to President and CEO Eino Halonen, year 2005 was one of the best in the company's recent history. The top result was taken into account when determining the level of new supplementary benefits, information on which was disclosed last November.

Suomi Mutual is in charge of handling insurance matters and managing related investments for the benefit of the company's customers. According to its objectives, the company fulfils – earlier than expected – the promises given to the company's long-term customers. As of 2006, the company will declare new supplementary benefits to those insured whose policies were valid with Suomi Mutual on 1 July 1997 and which still continue to be valid. This is two years earlier than originally estimated.

The company's solvency continued to strengthen. The solvency ratio was 25 per cent in 2005 (16 per cent in 2004 and 20 per cent after the portfolio transfer to Pohjola on 1 January 2005 ). In the financial year, the portion of shares in the investment portfolio remained on average at the same level as previously, i.e. at around 25 per cent.

The figures are tentative. A press release on Suomi Mutual's official annual accounts for 2005 will be disclosed in March 2006.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION please contact at Suomi Mutual

Mr Markku Vesterinen, Senior Executive Vice President, tel. +358 10 559 2844 or +358 50 348 3502 or
Mr Timo Hukka, Chief Investment Officer, tel. +358 10 559 2002 or +358 40 519 0510