Prudential will see strong first-half earnings, outgoing CEO says

By Carolyn Cohn LONDON (Reuters) - Prudential will post "very strong" first-half earnings, outgoing chief executive Tidjane Thiam said on Wednesday, as the insurer reported an 11 percent decline in new business profit in the first quarter. Thiam, who leaves at the end of the month to run Credit Suisse , said a healthy performance in protection insurance across the company's Asian, U.S. and British divisions would boost the broader earnings numbers when they are reported in three months. "IFRS (I