Lloyds Banking Group (LYG)

Investment variance

In accordance with generally accepted accounting practice in the UK, it is Lloyds TSB Group’s accounting policy to carry the investments comprising the reserves held by its life companies at market value. The reserves held to support the with-profits business of Scottish Widows are substantial and changes in market values cause significant volatility in the Group’s embedded value earnings, which are beyond the control of management. Consequently, in order to provide a clearer representation of the underlying performance, the results of the life and pensions business are separately analysed to show an operating profit including investment earnings calculated using longer-term investment rates of return, and annual management charges based on unsmoothed fund values. The investment variance represents the difference between the actual investment return in the year on investments backing shareholder funds and the expected return based upon the economic assumptions made at the beginning of the year, and the effect of these fluctuations on the value of in-force business. The effects of other changes in economic circumstances beyond the control of management are also reflected in the investment variance. A similar approach has been adopted for Lloyds TSB Group’s general insurance business.

In 2004, there was a positive investment variance of £147 million (2003: positive £125 million, 2002: negative £943 million) reflecting increases in stock market values during 2004; the FTSE All-Share index increased by 9 per cent in 2004 compared with a 17 per cent increase in 2003. The benefit of improving stock markets was limited by the lower equities content in the long-term assurance funds and a reduction in the rates of return on fixed interest investments.

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