Singapore Fuels Strong First-Half Growth at Great Eastern
Singapore’s largest insurer has reported a strong set of half-year results, underlining the continued resilience of the city-state’s insurance and wealth-management market.
Great Eastern Holdings, the insurance arm of OCBC, said total weighted new sales (TWNS) rose 15 percent year-on-year to S$813.2 million in the first six months of 2026, while new business embedded value (NBEV) increased 28 percent to S$405.3 million. Profit attributable to shareholders climbed 43 percent to S$849.5 million.
The insurer said Singapore remained the primary engine of growth across its business, supported by sustained customer demand and improved productivity across distribution channels.
Profitability Improves
One of the most notable aspects of the results was the stronger growth in embedded value compared with new sales. NBEV expanded by 28 percent, almost twice the pace of overall sales growth, reflecting a more favourable product mix and the group’s continued focus on value creation.
The figures suggest that Great Eastern is not only writing more business but also generating higher-quality and more profitable new business.
Group Chief Executive Greg Hingston said the company’s performance was supported by healthy insurance operations and improved investment returns during the second quarter. He highlighted prudent risk management, business diversification and disciplined execution as key drivers of the results.
Positive Signal for Singapore’s Wealth Market
The results offer another indication that demand for long-term savings, protection and wealth-planning solutions remains robust in Singapore despite ongoing market uncertainty.
Higher insurance operating profits and continued earnings from the in-force portfolio contributed to the earnings increase, while investment performance also improved compared with the same period a year earlier.
The insurer also announced an interim dividend of 35 Singapore cents per share, representing a 17 percent increase over the final dividend paid for the 2025 financial year.
Founded in 1908, Great Eastern manages more than S$123 billion in assets and serves over 16 million policyholders across Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei.
