On Friday Dutch insurer NN Group posted "solid" H1 results, thanks to continued growth in its business and strong commercial momentum, a publication that made its share the biggest rise on the AEX index on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange.

The financial services provider reported higher-than-expected capital generation, driven by its life insurance business in the Netherlands and lower claims in non-life insurance thanks to favorable weather conditions.

This rose by 6% to €1,020m, while analysts had expected around €960m.

NN Group reported an 8.6% increase in operating profit to €1,443m, again exceeding the consensus of €1,300m.

The Dutch insurance leader added that its Solvency II ratio, a key measure of financial health in the sector, stood at 208% at the end of June, compared with 194% a year earlier, while the market had expected 201%.

'"The strength of its capital paves the way for an increase in returns to shareholders next year," KBC's teams said in a statement.

In its press release, NN said it would immediately increase its interim dividend to €1.38 per ordinary share, up 8%.

The group also said it was well on track to achieve its target of generating €2.2bn in capital by 2028.

All these announcements were welcomed by investors, who pushed NN Group shares up more than 4% on Friday on Euronext Amsterdam.