AIA to Become a Constituent Stock of the Hang Seng Index

First pan-Asian life insurer to be included in the leading indicator for Hong Kong's stock market performance 

HONG KONG, May 12, 2011 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- AIA Group Limited, ("AIA" or "the Group"; stock code: 1299), is pleased to announce that it has been selected as a constituent stock of the Hang Seng Index ("HSI") with effect from 7 June 2011. AIA will be one of the 46 constituents and the first pan-Asian life insurer to be included in the HSI. The weighting of AIA in the Index will be 3.59%.

AIA's inclusion in the HSI marks another significant milestone for AIA and comes just over six months after AIA's record breaking IPO in October 2010. Since its listing, the Group's market capitalisation has risen by 36% to HK$322.78 billion*.

Commenting, Mark Tucker, AIA's Group Chief Executive & President, said: "AIA is very pleased to be included as one of the leading blue chip stocks in the Hang Seng Index, only six months after our initial listing.

To be acknowledged as one of the leading blue chip stocks in Asia and internationally, is testament to the scale and quality of our business, the professionalism of our people as well as recognition of our strong market leading position as the largest listed pan-Asian life insurer.  We are grateful for the trust and continued support of our customers and shareholders, as well as the loyalty and dedication of our agents, employees and distribution partners.

Our roots in Hong Kong are long and deep and we are delighted to become a constituent part of the Hang Seng Index.  AIA Hong Kong is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year, so being a part of the Hang Seng Index is truly another special milestone for us and for this great business."

AIA is also included in the FTSE All-World, FTSE Multinationals, FTSE Global Style, FTSE Hong Kong and FTSE Hong Kong (excluding H Shares), the Morgan Stanley Capital International ("MSCI") Hong Kong, Hang Seng Composite ("HSCI"), Hang Seng Composite Large Cap and Hang Seng Composite Industry – Financials.

* As of market close on 12 May 2011, calculated based on the IPO price of HK$19.68 per share.

Note to editor  

The Hang Seng Index ("HSI") is the most widely quoted indicator of the performance of the Hong Kong stock market and was one of the earliest stock market indexes in Hong Kong, publicly launched on 24 November 1969. HSI constituent stocks are grouped into Finance, Utilities, Properties, Commerce and Industry Sub-indexes to better reflect the price movements of the major sectors of the market. For detailed information, please refer to the following link: http://www.hsi.com.hk/HSI-Net/HSI-Net

About the AIA Group

AIA Group Limited and its subsidiaries (collectively "the AIA Group" or "the Group") comprise the largest independent publicly listed pan-Asian life insurance group in the world. It has wholly-owned main operating subsidiaries or branches in 14 markets in Asia Pacific - Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, China, Korea, the Philippines, Australia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Vietnam, New Zealand, Macau and Brunei and a 26% joint venture shareholding in India.

The Group traces its origins in Asia back more than 90 years. It is a market leader in the Asia Pacific region (ex Japan) based on life insurance premiums and holds leading positions across the majority of its markets. It has total assets of US$107.9 billion (as at 30 November 2010).

The AIA Group meets the savings and protection needs of individuals by offering a comprehensive suite of products and services including retirement planning, life insurance and accident and health insurance. The Group also provides employee benefits, credit life and pension services to corporate clients. Through an extensive network of more than 260,000 agents and over 21,000 employees across Asia Pacific, AIA serves the holders of over 23 million individual policies and over 10 million participating members of group schemes.

AIA Group Limited is listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited under the stock code "1299".