South Africa’s Santam FY earnings up 28 pct, crop business hit by drought

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South African short-term insurer Santam’s full-year earnings beat expectations by rising 28 percent jump largely due to fewer claims, sending its shares seven percent higher.
Santam said diluted headline earnings per share rose to 1,844 cents in the year to end-December from 1,446 cents a year ago. Analysts polled by Reuters had predicted a 1.8 percent increase in earnings to 1,472 cents per share.
Headline EPS is the main profit measure used in South Africa