AMP Ltd (ASX: AMP) shares are leading the market on Monday, up 4.7% to an intraday high of $1.77.
This makes AMP the No. 1 riser within the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) at the time of writing.
Meanwhile, the benchmark ASX 200 is starting the week in the red, down 0.26%.
The lift in AMP shares follows two announcements from the company.
Let's check them out.
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AMP shares lead the market as superannuation class action ends
AMP has announced the settlement of a class action brought against it by the beneficiaries of deceased superannuation clients.
The wealth management firm announced an agreement in principle to settle the dispute over fees charged to members of
certain AMP superannuation funds; and the interest rates received, and fees charged, on cash-only fund options.
The claims relate to a period between July 2008 and May 2020.
Under the terms, AMP will pay $120 million to the plaintiffs without admitting liability.
AMP said the company would fund $75 million of the settlement while the rest would be funded by its insurers.
The settlement is subject to the finalisation and execution of a deed of settlement, as well as approval by the Federal Court.
CEO of AMP, Alexis George, said:
The settlement of this class action is another important step forward for AMP, which means we can put this legacy matter behind us.
We have transformed our Superannuation offer in recent years and we remain focused on delivering for members, through strong investment returns, competitive fees and insurance, and quality service to our members.
AMP receives $44 million from insurers
AMP also announced today that it has received $44 million from insurers after settlement of its own claim against them.
The wealth manager sued its insurers for money it paid out to customers in historical remediation programs, which ended in 2022.
In a statement, AMP said:
AMP sought recovery under its insurance policy of compensation and costs arising out of these historical remediation programs.
To date proceeds totalling approximately $44 million have been received.
AMP said it was still in discussions with several other insurers about these proceedings, following a court hearing last month.
AMP share price snapshot
The AMP share price has risen by 41% in just six months.
AMP shares hit a five-year high of $1.90 last month.
The company's recent tailwinds include its half-yearly report, which led to one of the biggest share price boosts of earnings season.
AMP reported a 1.8% rise in revenue to $632 million and a 9.2% lift in underlying net profit after tax (NPAT) to $131 million for 1H FY25.
Statutory NPAT slipped 4.9% to $98 million.
Underlying earnings per share (EPS) leapt 18.2% to 5.2 cents per share, reflecting better earnings and the final stages of the buyback.
Macquarie says AMP shares are trading on a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 14.9x.
This is well below the current market average P/E of 20.1x, but 0.7 standard deviations higher than AMP shares' historical norm.
