UPDATE 1-Vienna Insurance sees 2007 profit hitting forecast

VIENNA, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Vienna Insurance Group WISV.VI expects 2007 pretax profit to rise 35 percent and come in at its forecast of some 435 million euros ($627 million), it said on Tuesday.

A Reuters poll of 7 analysts had projected, on average, pretax profit of 435 million euros.

Reporting preliminary results, the second biggest insurer in eastern Europe said written unconsolidated premiums had risen by 17 percent to 7.17 billion euros on growth in central and eastern Europe where it generated around 43 percent of premiums.

While premiums in Austria had risen by nearly 8 percent in 2007, they rose by one third in central and eastern Europe, where growth is high as people catch up with insurance usually held be their western neighbours.

Vienna Insurance said it planned to increase its 2007 dividend by more than 34 percent to 1.10 euros per share. The Reuters poll of analysts had forecast a dividend of 1.07 euros.

It also said it was seeking a listing on the Prague Stock Exchange.

By 0907 GMT, shares in Vienna Insurance -- formerly known as Wiener Staedtische -- traded down 0.27 percent at 48.00 euros while the Austrian blue chip index ATX .ATX was down 1.31 percent. Vienna Insurance shares have lost more than 12 percent this year. (Reporting by Karin Strohecker; Editing by Quentin Bryar/Rory Channing)