AmerUs Group Announces 2005 Earnings Guidance and Date For 2005 Invest

    Business Editors

    DES MOINES, Iowa--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 4, 2005--AmerUs Group Co. (NYSE:AMH), a leading producer of life insurance and annuity products, today announced its earnings guidance for 2005. AmerUs Group expects 2005 adjusted net operating income(1) to be within a range of $4.45 to $4.57 per diluted common share, an 11-12 percent increase over its 2004 guidance of $4.00 to $4.10 per diluted common share. The company will release fourth quarter earnings at the close of market on Wednesday, February 2, 2005 and hold a teleconference call on Thursday, February 3, 2005 at 9 a.m. EST.

    2005 Investor Conference

    The company also announced it will hold its 2005 investor conference in New York City on Tuesday, February 22, 2005. The half-day event will be held at The Inter-Continental The Barclay New York (Lexington and East 48th Street) and will provide an update on AmerUs Group's strategy, operations and key initiatives, among other items.
    Investors and other interested parties who wish to attend the event should contact the company's investor relations department at (515) 362-3695.
    AmerUs Group Co. is an Iowa corporation located in Des Moines, Iowa, engaged through its subsidiaries in the business of marketing and distributing individual life insurance and annuity products in 50 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Its major operating subsidiaries include AmerUs Life Insurance Company, American Investors Life Insurance Company, Inc., Indianapolis Life Insurance Company and Bankers Life Insurance Company of New York.
    As of September 30, 2004, AmerUs Group's total assets were $22.6 billion and shareholders' equity totaled $1.6 billion, including accumulated other comprehensive income.

    (1) Adjusted net operating income per share is a non-GAAP financial measure. Due to the unpredictability of the timing and recognition of gains and losses, especially items such as credit impairments, trading gains and losses, FAS 133 adjustments as well as the unpredictable nature of certain other unusual or non-recurring items that management believes are not indicative of ongoing operational performance, guidance on GAAP net income cannot readily be estimated because management has not regularly projected the foregoing non-recurring items. Accordingly, the company is unable to provide guidance with respect to, or a reconciliation of guidance on adjusted net operating income per share, to GAAP net income per share.

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CONTACT: AmerUs Group Co., Des Moines Investor Relations: Marty Ketelaar, 515-362-3693

KEYWORD: IOWA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: INSURANCE BANKING EARNINGS CONFERENCE CALLS SOURCE: AmerUs Group Co.

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