3. Other investments

UNIQA has applied the deferral approach for IFRS 9 since 1 January 2018. This enables UNIQA to postpone the date of first-time application of IFRS 9 until IFRS 17 comes into force.

Financial assets are recognised for the first time on the settlement date. They are derecognised when the contractual rights to cash flows from an asset expire or the rights to receive the cash flows in a transaction in which all major risks and opportunities connected with the ownership of the financial asset are transferred.

Financial assets at fair value through profit or loss

Financial assets are recognised at through profit or loss if the asset is either held for trading or is designated at fair value and recognised in profit and loss ( option). These include structured bonds, hedge funds and investment certificates whose original classification fell within this category.

The fair value option is applied to structured products that are not split between the underlying transaction and the derivative but are instead accounted for as a unit. Unrealised gains and losses are recognised in profit/(loss) for the period.

Derivatives are used within the limits permitted under the Austrian Insurance Supervisory Act for investments and for increasing earnings. All fluctuations in value are recognised in profit/(loss) for the period. Financial assets from derivative financial instruments are recognised under other investments. Financial liabilities from derivative financial instruments are recognised under financial liabilities.

Available-for-sale financial assets

are initially measured at fair value plus directly attributable transaction costs. Subsequently, available-for-sale financial assets are measured at fair value. Corresponding value changes are, with the exception of impairment and foreign exchange differences in the case of available-for-sale debt securities, recognised in the accumulated profits in equity. When an asset is derecognised, the accumulated other comprehensive income is reclassified to profit/(loss) for the period.

Impairment of is recognised in profit/(loss) for the period by reclassifying the losses accumulated in equity. The accumulated loss that is reclassified from equity to profit/(loss) for the period is the difference between the , net of any redemptions and amortisations and current fair value, less any impairment loss previously recognised in profit or loss. If the fair value of an impaired, available-for-sale debt instrument increases in a subsequent period and the increase can be objectively related to an event occurring after the impairment was recognised, the impairment is reversed, with the amount of the reversal recognised in profit or loss. Reversals of impairment losses of equity instruments held at fair value cannot be recognised in profit/(loss) for the period.

Loans and receivables

When first recognised, loans and receivables are measured at their fair value plus directly attributable transaction costs. Subsequently, they are measured at using the effective interest method.

For debt instruments and assets in the category “Loans and receivables”, this test is executed within the framework of an internal impairment process. If objective indicators suggest that the value currently attributed is not tenable, an impairment is recognised.

Objective indications that financial assets are impaired are:

  • the default or delay of a debtor,
  • the opening of bankruptcy proceedings for a debtor, or signs indicating that such proceedings are imminent,
  • adverse changes in the rating of borrowers or issuers,
  • changes in the market activity of a security, or
  • other observable data that indicate a significant decrease in the expected payments from a group of financial assets.

In the case of an investment in an equity instrument, a significant or prolonged decline in the fair value below its cost is also objective evidence of impairment. A significant decrease is a decrease of 20 per cent, and a prolonged decline is one that lasts for at least nine months.

Impairment is calculated as the difference between the carrying amount and the present value of the estimated future cash flows, discounted at the original effective interest rate of the asset. Losses are recognised in profit/ (loss) for the period. If there are no realistic chances of recovering the asset, an impairment has to be recognised. In case of an event that causes a reversal of impairment losses, this is recognised in profit/(loss) for the period. In the event of a definitive non-performance, the asset is derecognised.

Investments are broken down into the following classes and categories of financial instruments:

At 31 December 2019

In € thousand

Variable-income securities

Fixed-income securities

Loans and other investments

Derivative financial instruments

Investments under investment contracts

Total

Financial assets at fair value through profit or loss

7,345

201,234

0

21,981

58,547

289,106

Available-for-sale financial assets

909,764

16,992,181

0

0

0

17,901,946

Loans and receivables

0

114,050

539,837

0

0

653,887

Total

917,109

17,307,466

539,837

21,981

58,547

18,844,939

of which fair value option

7,345

201,234

0

0

0

208,579

At 31 December 2018

In € thousand

Variable-income securities

Fixed-income securities

Loans and other investments

Derivative financial instruments

Investments under investment contracts

Total

Financial assets at fair value through profit or loss

24,538

308,029

0

20,804

56,395

409,767

Available-for-sale financial assets

840,857

15,702,491

0

0

0

16,543,348

Loans and receivables

0

172,985

507,715

0

0

680,701

Total

865,396

16,183,505

507,715

20,804

56,395

17,633,815

of which fair value option

24,538

308,029

0

0

0

332,567

Determination of fair value

A range of accounting policies and disclosures requires the determination of the fair value of financial and non-financial assets and liabilities. UNIQA has defined a control framework with regard to the determination of fair value. This includes a measurement team, which bears general responsibility for monitoring all major measurements of fair value, including Level 3 fair values, and reports directly to the respective Member of the Management Board.

A review of the major unobservable inputs and the measurement adjustments is carried out regularly. If information from third parties (e.g. price quotations from brokers or price information services) is used to determine fair values, the evidence obtained from third parties is examined in order to see whether such measurements meet the requirements of . The level in the fair value hierarchy to which these measurements are attributable is also tested. Major items in the measurement are reported to the Audit Committee.

As far as possible, UNIQA uses data that are observable on the market when determining the fair value of an asset or a liability. Based on the inputs used in the measurement techniques, the fair values are assigned to different levels in the fair value hierarchy.

  • Level 1: quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets and liabilities. At UNIQA, these primarily involve quoted shares, quoted bonds and quoted investment funds.
  • Level 2: measurement parameters that are not quoted prices included in Level 1 but which can be observed for the asset or liability either directly (i.e. as a price) or indirectly (i.e. derived from prices), or are based on prices from markets that have been classified as inactive. The parameters that can be observed here include, for example, exchange rates, yield curves and volatilities. At UNIQA, these include in particular quoted bonds that do not fulfil the conditions under Level 1, along with structured products.
  • Level 3: measurement parameters for assets or liabilities that are not based or are only partly based on observable market data. The measurement here primarily involves application of the discounted cash flow method, comparative procedures with instruments for which there are observable prices and other procedures. As there are no observable parameters here in many cases, the estimates used can have a significant impact on the result of the measurement. At UNIQA, it is primarily other equity investments, private equity and hedge funds, as well as ABS and structured products that do not fulfil the conditions under Level 2 that are assigned to Level 3.

If the inputs used to determine the fair value of an asset or a liability can be assigned to different levels of the fair value hierarchy, the entire fair value measurement is assigned to the respective level of the fair value hierarchy that corresponds to the lowest input significant for the measurement overall.

UNIQA recognises reclassifications between different levels of the fair value hierarchy at the end of the reporting period in which the change occurred.

The measurement processes and methods are as follows:

Financial instruments measured at fair value

For the measurement of capital investments, techniques best suited for the establishment of corresponding value are applied. The following standard measurement techniques are applied for financial instruments which come under levels 2 and 3:

  • Market approach
    The measurement method in the market approach is based on prices or other applicable information from market transactions which involve identical or comparable assets and liabilities.
  • Income approach
    The income approach corresponds to the method whereby the future (expected) payment flows or earnings are inferred on a current amount.
  • Cost approach
    The cost approach generally corresponds to the value which would have to be applied in order to procure the asset once again.

Measurement techniques and inputs in the determination of fair values

Assets

Price method

Input factors

Price model

Fixed-income securities

 

 

 

Listed bonds

Listed price

Unlisted bonds

Theoretical price

CDS spread, yield curves

Discounted cash flow

Unquoted asset-backed securities

Theoretical price

Discounted cash flow, single deal review, peer

Infrastructure financing

Theoretical price

Discounted cash flow

Variable-income securities

 

 

 

Listed shares/investment funds

Listed price

Private equities

Theoretical price

Certified net asset values

Net asset value method

Hedge funds

Theoretical price

Certified net asset values

Net asset value method

Other shares

Theoretical value

WACC, (long-term) revenue growth rate, (long-term) profit margins, control premium

Expert opinion

Derivative financial instruments

 

 

 

Equity basket certificate

Theoretical price

CDS spread, yield curves, volatilities (FX, cap/floor, swaption, constant maturity swap, shares)

Black-Scholes Monte Carlo N-DIM

CMS floating rate note

Theoretical price

CDS spread, yield curves, volatilities (FX, cap/floor, swaption, constant maturity swap, shares)

LIBOR market model, Hull-White-Garman-Kohlhagen Monte Carlo

CMS spread certificate

Theoretical price

CDS spread, yield curves, volatilities (FX, cap/floor, swaption, constant maturity swap, shares)

Contract specific model

FX (Binary) option

Theoretical price

CDS spread, yield curves, volatilities (FX, cap/floor, swaption, constant maturity swap, shares)

Black-Scholes-Garman-Kohlhagen Monte Carlo N-DIM

Option (Inflation, OTC, OTC FX options)

Theoretical price

CDS spread, yield curves, volatilities (FX, cap/floor, swaption, constant maturity swap, shares)

Black-Scholes Monte Carlo N-DIM, contract specific model, inflation market model NKIS

Structured bonds

Theoretical price

CDS spread, yield curves, volatilities (FX, cap/floor, swaption, constant maturity swap, shares)

Black-Scholes-Garman-Kohlhagen Monte Carlo N-DIM, LMM

Swap, cross currency swap

Theoretical price

CDS spread, yield curves, volatilities (FX, cap/floor, swaption, constant maturity swap, shares)

Black-Scholes-Garman-Kohlhagen Monte Carlo N-DIM, Black-76-model, LIBOR market model, contract specific model

Swaption, total return swaption

Theoretical price

CDS spread, yield curves, volatilities (FX, cap/floor, swaption, constant maturity swap, shares)

Black - basis point volatility, contract specific model

Investments under investment contracts

 

 

 

Listed shares/investment funds

Listed price

Unlisted investment funds

Theoretical price

Certified net asset values

Net asset value method

Valuation hierarchy

Assets and liabilities measured at fair value

In € thousand

 

Level 1

 

Level 2

 

Level 3

 

Total

31/12/2019

31/12/2018

31/12/2019

31/12/2018

31/12/2019

31/12/2018

31/12/2019

31/12/2018

Available-for-sale financial assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Variable-income securities

729,829

695,196

20,298

1,135

159,637

144,526

909,764

840,857

Fixed-income securities

13,170,835

12,567,999

2,941,560

2,633,039

879,787

501,453

16,992,181

15,702,491

Total

13,900,664

13,263,195

2,961,858

2,634,175

1,039,424

645,979

17,901,946

16,543,348

Financial assets at fair value through profit or loss

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Variable-income securities

0

0

2,077

14,445

5,267

10,094

7,345

24,538

Fixed-income securities

108,261

197,100

51,098

48,235

41,876

62,694

201,234

308,029

Derivative financial instruments

261

12

3,695

5,205

18,025

15,587

21,981

20,804

Investments under investment contracts

49,977

49,008

3,727

932

4,843

6,456

58,547

56,395

Total

158,498

246,120

60,597

68,816

70,011

94,830

289,106

409,767

In € thousand

 

Level 1

 

Level 2

 

Level 3

 

Total

31/12/2019

31/12/2018

31/12/2019

31/12/2018

31/12/2019

31/12/2018

31/12/2019

31/12/2018

Financial liabilities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Derivative financial instruments

0

0

669

13,345

1

0

670

13,345

Total

0

0

669

13,345

1

0

670

13,345

Fair values of assets and liabilities measured at amortised cost

In € thousand

 

Level 1

 

Level 2

 

Level 3

 

Total

31/12/2019

31/12/2018

31/12/2019

31/12/2018

31/12/2019

31/12/2018

31/12/2019

31/12/2018

Investment property

0

0

0

0

2,258,862

2,086,093

2,258,862

2,086,093

Loans and receivables

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Loans and other investments

0

0

384,350

395,016

155,488

112,700

539,837

507,715

Fixed-income securities

16,276

30,789

112,957

123,862

0

31,443

129,233

186,094

Total

16,276

30,789

497,307

518,878

155,488

144,143

669,070

693,809

In € thousand

 

Level 1

 

Level 2

 

Level 3

 

Total

31/12/2019

31/12/2018

31/12/2019

31/12/2018

31/12/2019

31/12/2018

31/12/2019

31/12/2018

Financial liabilities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liabilities from collateral received for securities lending

0

0

0

0

0

772,196

0

772,196

Liabilities from loans

0

0

0

0

74,846

12,943

74,846

12,943

Total

0

0

0

0

74,846

785,139

74,846

785,139

Subordinated liabilities

1,051,425

959,400

0

0

0

0

1,051,425

959,400

Transfers between levels 1 and 2

In the reporting period transfers from Level 1 to Level 2 were made in the amount of €492,529 thousand (2018: €443,997 thousand) and from Level 2 to Level 1 in the amount of €144,533 thousand (2018: €234,586 thousand). These are attributable primarily to changes in trading frequency and trading activity.

Level 3 financial instruments

The following table shows the changes to the fair values of financial instruments whose measurement techniques are not based on observable inputs.

In € thousand

Fixed-income securities

Other

Total

 

2019

2018

2019

2018

2019

2018

At 1 January

501,453

308,578

239,356

282,743

740,809

591,321

Transfers from Level 3 to Level 1

0

–24

0

–6

0

–29

Transfers from Level 3 to Level 2

0

0

–4,218

0

–4,218

0

Transfers to Level 3

0

772

0

0

0

772

Gains and losses recognised in profit or loss

–2,432

1,630

–1,539

–12,527

–3,971

–10,897

Gains and losses recognised in other comprehensive income

46,002

–14,445

–1,500

3,290

44,502

–11,155

Additions

343,940

217,244

32,645

43,676

376,585

260,920

Disposals

–9,206

–12,273

–35,078

–77,814

–44,284

–90,087

Changes from currency translation

30

–29

–19

–6

11

–35

At 31 December

879,787

501,453

229,648

239,356

1,109,434

740,809

Sensitivities

For the most important financial instruments in Level 3, an increase in the discount rate by 100 basis points results in a reduction in value of 6.2 per cent (2018: 5.7 per cent). A reduction in the discount rate by 100 basis points results in a 7.5 per cent increase in value (2018: 6.4 per cent).

Transfer of financial assets

In € thousand

Fair value

 

31/12/2019

31/12/2018

Transferred financial assets from securities lending

0

772,406

Liabilities from collateral received for securities lending

0

772,196

Net position

0

210

The carrying amounts of the transferred financial assets from securities lending transactions and liabilities from collateral received for securities lending transactions are equal to the fair values. There were no open securities lending transactions as at 31 December 2019.

Carrying amounts for loans and other investments

In € thousand

31/12/2019

31/12/2018

Loans

 

 

Loans to affiliated unconsolidated companies

4,400

4,382

Mortgage loans

9,931

14,100

Loans and advance payments on policies

12,827

13,481

Other loans

103,094

54,986

Total

130,251

86,950

Other investments

 

 

Bank deposits

384,350

395,016

Deposits retained on assumed reinsurance

25,236

25,750

Total

409,586

420,766

Total sum

539,837

507,715

The carrying amounts of the loans and other investments correspond to their fair values. The measurement is based on collateral and the creditworthiness of the debtor; for deposits with banks it is based on quoted prices.

Impairment of loans

In € thousand

31/12/2019

31/12/2018

At 1 January

–3,657

–6,339

Allocation

0

–114

Use

502

1,870

Reversal

439

933

Currency translation

3

–7

At 31 December

–2,713

–3,657

Contractual maturities for fair values of loans

In € thousand

31/12/2019

31/12/2018

Up to 1 year

3,096

4,227

More than 1 year and up to 5 years

16,059

16,703

More than 5 years up to 10 years

103,478

56,240

More than 10 years

7,619

9,780

Total

130,251

86,950

Fair value
The fair value is the price that would be collected in an ordinary business transaction between market participants for the sale of an asset or that would be paid for transferring a liability.
Fair value
The fair value is the price that would be collected in an ordinary business transaction between market participants for the sale of an asset or that would be paid for transferring a liability.
Hedging
Hedging against unwanted changes in exchange rates or prices using an appropriate offsetting item, particularly derivative financial instruments.
Available-for-sale financial assets
The available-for-sale financial assets include financial assets that are neither due to be held to maturity, nor have they been acquired for short-term trading purposes. Available-for-sale financial assets are measured at fair value. Fluctuations in value are recognised in other comprehensive income in the consolidated statement of comprehensive income.
Available-for-sale financial assets
The available-for-sale financial assets include financial assets that are neither due to be held to maturity, nor have they been acquired for short-term trading purposes. Available-for-sale financial assets are measured at fair value. Fluctuations in value are recognised in other comprehensive income in the consolidated statement of comprehensive income.
Acquisition costs
The amount paid to acquire an asset in cash or cash equivalents or the fair value of another form of compensation at the time of acquisition.
Amortised cost
Amortised costs are costs of acquisition less permanent impairment (e.g. ongoing depreciation and amortisation).
IFRSs
International Financial Reporting Standards. Since 2002 the term IFRSs has applied to the overall concept of standards adopted by the International Accounting Standards Board. Standards already adopted beforehand continue to be referred to as International Accounting Standards (IASs).