14.01.2015 Views

2007 - April

2007 - April

2007 - April

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

3.0<br />

Information on the company’s activities<br />

In <strong>2007</strong>, 12 internal audit missions were carried out in 8<br />

Group companies, notably covering the following issues:<br />

intellectual protection within the Group, review of insurance<br />

policies, application of the French law on intermediation, preclosing<br />

process, compensation and IT risks. In addition, two<br />

integration follow-up audits were carried out on companies<br />

that joined the Group in 2005.<br />

All of this work aims to consolidate the internal control<br />

process within Group companies.<br />

representing 1,524 thousand euros, 10,703 thousand euros<br />

in various bank borrowings, 2,294 thousand euros in credit<br />

current accounts and 15,118 thousand euros in financial<br />

liabilities resulting from commitments to buy out minority<br />

interests.<br />

The Group’s cash-flow, excluding current bank borrowings, is<br />

invested in full in short-term financial investments (96,568<br />

thousand euros at December 31 st , <strong>2007</strong>) through a dedicated<br />

“monetary equivalent” UCITS (APRIL Trésorerie).<br />

3.6.2. Market risk (interest rate, foreign exchange,<br />

equity, credit)<br />

3.6.2.1. Link between the business and the risks<br />

identified<br />

APRIL GROUP’s business is based around two key areas with<br />

significantly different approaches to market risks: brokerage,<br />

which does not expose the Group to market risks, and<br />

insurance companies, for which market risk management<br />

represents one of their core businesses.<br />

Brokerage<br />

Through its activity and financial model, where cash-flow<br />

generates a negative working capital requirement, the<br />

brokerage business enables the Group to achieve a very low<br />

level of debt (total financial liabilities of only 30,305 thousand<br />

euros on the consolidated balance sheet) and a very high<br />

level of liquidity (177,718 thousand euros in net cash and<br />

cash equivalents on the consolidated balance sheet).<br />

The Group’s financial debt comprises a subordinated loan<br />

Insurance companies<br />

One of the basic functions of the insurance business involves<br />

investing premiums received from clients with a view to<br />

settling any future claims.<br />

Asset management, i.e. the choice of asset class and<br />

securities, is therefore a crucial element of Insurance<br />

companies business. In order to improve performance levels,<br />

the financial management of the Group’s insurance portfolios<br />

is delegated to a qualified external service provider.<br />

The management of assets and liabilities makes it possible<br />

to maximize the match between the rate of future payments<br />

and the investment of these premiums in various categories<br />

of assets.<br />

3.6.2.2. Risk assessment<br />

At December 31 st , <strong>2007</strong>, APRIL GROUP, through its<br />

insurance subsidiaries (mainly Axeria Prévoyance and<br />

Axeria Iard), had a portfolio of financial investments worth some<br />

309,797 thousand euros, with the following breakdown:<br />

26<br />

Return to the contents section

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!