Insurer OUTsurance expects full-year earnings to rise as much as a quarter after strong operational performances from its businesses.The news gave the company’s share price an early boost on the JSE on Thursday. As of 9.30am, the share was up 3.85% at R84.22, adding to its 1% gain on Wednesday. Year to date it is up just over 13% this year, valuing the company at about R124.5bn.The group said on Thursday that it expected headline earnings per share for the year ended June to be 21%-26% higher in a range of 360.9c-375.9c.The group regards normalised earnings, which excludes non-operational items and accounting anomalies, as the key indicator of operational performance. It expects normalised earnings per share to increase 15%-21% to 352.1c-370.5c.The group attributed the strong operational and financial performance to “standout earnings growth” delivered by the South African property and casualty insurance operations due to higher underwriting margins resulting from lower claims and cost-to-income ratios. In addition, there was a substantial reduction in the share-based payments expense due to the replacement of the group’s employee share option scheme with the conditional share plan which is significantly less geared to share price movements.However, its Australian unit Youi’s strong operational performance was dampened by the higher natural perils losses which particularly impacted the results of the first half of the financial year.OUTsurance Life delivered a strong operational performance marked by excellent new business growth and improved cost efficiency following a period of simplification, it said. However, earnings growth was impacted by the high base in the prior financial year which benefited from the favourable net impact of yield movements on profit.OUTsurance Ireland continued to increase its presence in the Irish car and home insurance market. The monthly operating loss profile started to decline as the business moved through its peak loss period in the first half of the financial year, OUTsurance said.The group recorded ”pleasing gross written and net earned premium growth” across its property and casualty insurance operations, despite lower premium inflation. Gross written premiums increased by 15.7% and net earned premiums rose 18.7%, it said.The group will release its results on September 10.Business Day