RSA posts above-forecast 663 mln stg op profit in 2017

LONDON, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Insurer RSA's 2017 operating profit rose 1 percent to an above-forecast 663 million pounds ($920.24 million), boosted by strong performance in its Canadian and Scandinavian businesses, it said on Thursday.

Analysts in a company-supplied consensus forecast had expected operating profit of 639 million pounds.

Combined operating ratio, a measure of underwriting profitability, was 94 percent against 94.2 percent a year earlier and against a forecast 94.1 percent. A level below 100 percent indicates a profit.

The company, best known in Britain for its More Than brand, said it would pay a final dividend of 13 pence and total dividend of 19.6 pence per share, up 23 percent. ($1 = 0.7205 pounds) (Reporting by Carolyn Cohn; editing by Simon Jessop)