Alecta reports continued high solvency

1/14/2002 6:18 AM EST

Occupational pension company Alecta's solvency margin was 124 per cent
at year-end 2001. Due to increased pension commitments, the solvency
margin fell by five percentage points compared with November.

In December, Alecta decided to raise pension payments and the value of
earned pension for 2002 by three per cent in line with the rise in the
CPI, and to provide a bonus which includes lower disability insurance
premiums. As a result of these increased pension commitments, Alecta's
solvency margin decreased from 129 per cent to a preliminary 124 per
cent in December.

"The fact that Alecta, despite a weak market trend, succeeded in
achieving a satisfactory and comparatively high solvency in 2001 is
proof of the efficiency of our management and administration," says
Alecta's president Lars Otterbeck.

"Standardised occupational pension solutions of this type allow low
operating expenses which benefit the companies through low premiums and
give people with ITP insurance financial security during and after their
working lives," Otterbeck continues.

The solvency reserve provides a buffer against fluctuations in insurance
risks and investment return. It comprises the difference between the
market value of Alecta's assets and the company's insurance commitments.

Normally, Alecta's solvency margin is allowed to fluctuate between 110
and 130 per cent. A new allocation of surplus funds in Alecta requires a
solvency margin of more than 130 per cent at year-end. Since the
solvency margin was 124 per cent at the end of 2001, no new allocation
of surplus funds will be made in 2002.

For further information, please contact:
Cecilia Schön Jansson, Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications,
telephone +46 8 441 93 50, +46 70 526 93 50
Birger Bjurén, Senior Actuary, telephone +46 8 441 63 20, +46 70-588 63 20