** Shares of Australian insurer Suncorp SUN.AX rise 4.3% to a record high of A$21.22

** SUN second-biggest gainer in the ASX200 benchmark index .AXJO

** Reports 1H25 cash earnings of A$860 million ($541.46 million), ahead of Visible Alpha consensus estimate of A$775.1 million

** Announces capital return of A$3 per share from net proceeds of Suncorp Bank sale

** Declares special dividend of 22 Australian cents per share and an interim dividend of 41 Australian cents apiece

** SUN says "robust capital position with capacity for further capital management initiatives, most likely on-market buyback"

** Expects GWP growth in mid- to high-single digits; FY24 growth was 13.9%

** SUN up 12.2% this year, including day's move

($1 = 1.5883 Australian dollars)

(Reporting by Sameer Manekar in Bengaluru)

((Sameer.Manekar@thomsonreuters.com;))