American International Group, Inc., (AIG) reported an after-tax operating income of $1.9 billion or $1.39 per diluted share, for the second quarter of 2015, according to a press release issued by AIG.
The second quarter income report has beaten the expectations of analysts.
Analysts were estimating an average profit of $1.21 per diluted share, according to a report from Bloomberg.
The company's boost in operating results in the second quarter of 2015 reflected the pre-tax earnings from the sale of its shares in AerCap Holdings N.V., and SpringLeaf Holdings, Inc., according to the press release.
In addition, the company earned a total of $4.2 billion from the sale of approximately 86.9 million ordinary shares of AerCap and a net proceed of $410 million from the sale of approximately 8.4 million shares of common stock of SpringLeaf.
AIG also added that investments in the People's Insurance Company of China Limited and the PICC Property & Casualty Company Limited helped boost operating results in the second quarter.
Reuters adds that AIG gained $170 million in value from these investments.
AIG also reported in the press release that the company's board of directors has declared a quarterly dividend of $0.28 per share, a 124 percent increase.
They also announced the increase of its share buyback by up to $5 billion.
Peter D. Hancock, president and CEO of AIG, said that the second quarter results show their "steadfast commitment to value-based management," according to the press release.
"We're taking action today to create long-term value for tomorrow," he said. "We continued to proactively manage our capital resources through both common stock and debt repurchases."
"Our Board's approval of an additional $5.0 billion share repurchase authorization, and a 124 percent increase in the quarterly dividend to $0.28 per share, highlights our commitment to shareholder return and our positive outlook for long-term profitability," he added.
