Return on average equity (ROAE) of Europe's largest insurers 2018

Return on average equity (ROAE) is an adjusted version of the return on equity (ROE). Whereas ROE divides the net income by the shareholders' equity at the end of a given reporting period, the ROAE looks at the average of the shareholders' equity during the reporting year. This can be especially important as a measurement of profitability if the shareholders equity has fluctuated during the reporting year.

All companies listed, other than Standard Life Aberdeen Plc, saw a positive return on average equity in 2018, suggesting that for this period, the UK based Multiline insurance company was making a loss. This was something that was also reflected in terms of return on assets.