RSA Insurance Group plc

British insurer RSA posted on Thursday a 1% increase in its operating profit in the first half of the year driven by strong performance in its general insurance business.

Milder weather in Britain and Ireland helped RSA's operating profit in the first quarter, the insurer said on Thursday, driving its shares higher.

British insurer RSA, which has been looking at ways to improve profitability in its commercial insurance business, has set up five new departments within one of its commercial divisions, it said on Wednesday.

British general insurer RSA's full-year operating profit fell 19 percent to 517 million pounds ($687.09 million), it said on Thursday, hit by high weather-related losses and weakness in commercial underwriting.

British general insurer RSA's full-year operating profit fell 19 percent to 517 million pounds ($687.09 million), it said on Thursday, hit by high weather-related losses and weakness in commercial underwriting.

* Analysts reduce FY estimates by 10 pct (Adds CFO comments, details, share movement)

Icy roads and frozen pipes due to bad weather in Canada and Britain hit insurer RSA's <RSA.L> first-half operating profit on Thursday, though results were in line with analyst forecasts.

Sainsbury's, the British supermarket group that has agreed to take over rival Asda, said on Wednesday its next chairman will be Martin Scicluna, who currently holds the same role at insurer RSA .

Sainsbury's <SBRY.L>, the British supermarket group that is merging with rival Asda, has lined up Martin Scicluna as the successor to chairman David Tyler, Sky News reported on Tuesday.

Bad weather in RSA's key markets are likely to hit first-half profits, the British insurer's chief financial officer said on Thursday, as the firm reported a 2 percent rise in net written premiums in the three months to end-March.

Insurer RSA posted a two percent rise in net written premiums in the first quarter to 1.5 billion pounds ($2.03 billion), helped by a shift in customer focus, but poor weather hit profits, it said on Thursday.

* BOARD PROPOSES FY CASH DIVIDEND OF 30 PERCENT OF SHARE CAPITAL Source: (http://bit.ly/2Hbxg1b) Further company coverage:

Cyber security professionals from companies including Facebook Inc and Alphabet Inc announced on Monday a small alternative to Dell Inc's RSA Conference after criticizing the major industry gathering for scheduling just one female keynote speaker.

* Final dividend 13 pence, total dividend 19.6 pence (Releads, adds CEO comment, detail, share price, analyst)

* CHIEF EXECUTIVE STEPHEN HESTER SAYS ~SHOULD BE SCOPE FOR INCREASED DIVIDEND PAYOUTS IN 2018 Further company coverage: (Reporting By Carolyn Cohn)

Insurer RSA's 2017 operating profit rose 1 percent to an above-forecast 663 million pounds ($920.24 million), boosted by strong performance in its Canadian and Scandinavian businesses, it said on Thursday.

* UNDERLYING EPS 43.5P, UP 10%; STATUTORY PROFIT AFTER TAX £322M (2016: £20M)

RSA Insurance Group Plc named Tony Buckle and Rob Gibbs managing directors of global risk solutions and commercial risk solutions, respectively, for RSA's UK and International business.

* CFO Scott Egan says taking pricing action in response to rising UK household claims; market average price increase of 9 percent.