Swiss Life Net profit from continuing operations for the first half rose 13 percent to 172 million Swiss francs ($162 million) against an average analyst forecast of 144 million francs in a Reuters poll. Gross written premiums fell to 10.39 billion francs from 10.89 billion francs a year earlier.
Switzerland’s largest life insurer said on Wednesday it aimed to cut 520 jobs in Switzerland by 2012 about 6 percent of its total workforce — and reduce costs by around 350 to 400 million francs at the same time.