Share performance

Swiss Re shares

Swiss Re had a market capitalisation of CHF 34.7 billion on 31 December 2016, with 360.1 million shares outstanding, of which 326.0 million are entitled to dividends. Swiss Re shares are listed in accordance with the International Reporting Standard on the SIX Swiss Exchange (SIX) and are traded under the ticker symbol SREN.

General information on Swiss Re shares

American Depositary Receipts (ADR)

In the US Swiss Re maintains an ADR level I programme (OTC symbol SSREY).

Share price performance

Swiss Re shares opened the year at CHF 97.35 on 4 January 2016. The shares experienced an intra-day low of CHF 79.00 on 27 June 2016. An intra-day high of CHF 97.85 was achieved on 27 December 2016. The year-end share price was CHF 96.50.

During 2016 the STOXX Europe 600 Insurance index (SXIP) decreased by 5.6% and the broader index of Swiss blue chips (SMI) decreased by 6.8%. The Swiss Re share decreased by 1.7%.

Swiss Re share price and trading volume in 2016

Share trading

The average on-exchange daily trading volume for 2016 was 1.4 million shares. Trading volume peaked at 3.1 million shares on 17 June 2016.

Swiss Re’s dividend policy

Swiss Re’s dividend policy is a central element of Swiss Re’s capital management priorities. The Group aims to ensure a superior capitalisation at all times and maximise financial flexibility, growing the regular dividend with long-term earnings and at a minimum maintaining it.

Swiss Re will then deploy capital for business growth where it meets its strategy and profitability requirements and repatriate further excess capital to shareholders, with the preferred form of future capital repatriation being share buy-back programmes.

Dividends are typically paid out of current earnings and Swiss Re pays its dividend annually. Shares are ex-dividend two working days after the Annual General Meeting (AGM). Dividend payment is typically two working days after the ex-dividend date. The corresponding dates in 2017 are 25 and 27 April.

Dividends

The Board of Directors proposes a regular dividend of CHF 4.85 per share for 2016. As the tax privileged legal reserves from capital contributions were exhausted with the payment of the 2014 dividend, the dividend paid for 2016 will be subject to 35% Swiss withholding tax.

Public share buy-back programme

The Board of Directors launched on 4 November 2016 the public share buy-back programme authorised by the AGM 2016. This programme was completed on 9 February 2017.

For further information please visit www.swissre.com/investors/shares/share_buyback/

The Board of Directors will seek the AGM's authorisation to repurchase own shares for the purpose of cancellation by way of a public share buy-back programme of up to CHF 1.0 billion purchase value to be executed before the 2018 AGM.

Swiss Re will ask the AGM in April 2018 permission to cancel the repurchased shares.

Index representation

In addition to its relevant industry indices, Swiss Re is also represented in various equity indices, including the SMI and the SXIP. Swiss Re is also a member of various sustainability indices, including the Dow Jones Sustainability and FTSE4Good index families. In 2016, Swiss Re was named as the insurance industry sector leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability indices. This is the tenth time since 2004 that Swiss Re has led the insurance sector in these rankings.

Weighting in indices

Information for investors

More information on Swiss Re’s shares is available in the Investor Relations section on Swiss Re’s website at: www.swissre.com/investors

Key share statistics 2012–2016