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Prudential Financial (PRU) Q4 Earnings Beat, Improve Y/Y

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Prudential Financial, Inc. (PRU - Free Report) reported fourth-quarter 2016 operating income of $2.46 per share that beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 6.5%. Earnings also improved 26.8% year over year.

 

Including the impact of one-time items, net income was 65 cents per share, down 59.4% year over year.

Total revenue inched up 1.3% year over year to $13.4 billion due to 0.9% growth in policy charges and fee income, 11.3% increase in net investment income, and 1.9% rise in asset management fees, commissions and other income.

Total benefits and expenses of $11.9 billion decreased approximately 0.8% year over year in the quarter. The decrease in expenses is mainly attributable to lower insurance and annuity benefits and interest expenses.

Full-Year Highlights

Prudential Financial’s adjusted operating income for 2016 came in at $9.13 per share, down 9.1% year over year.

Total revenues climbed 6.1% year over year to $51.6 billion.

Quarterly Segment Update

U.S. Retirement Solutions and Investment Management reported adjusted operating income of $964 million, up 24.2% year over year. The upside was driven by higher contribution from Individual Annuities, Retirement, and Asset Management businesses.

U.S. Individual Life and Group Insurance reported adjusted operating income of $181 million, up 43.7% from the prior-year quarter. Higher contribution from Individual Life led to the upside.

International Insurance reported adjusted operating income of $755 million, up 2.3% year over year. The upside was due to higher contribution from Life Planner operations.

Corporate and Other Operations reported adjusted operating loss of $441 million, narrower than a loss of $458 million in the year-ago quarter.

As of Dec 31, 2016, Prudential Financial’s assets under management increased 6.8% to $1.264 trillion from $1.184 trillion as of Dec 31, 2015. Book value, a measure of the company’s net worth, increased 9.6% to $71.62 per share as of Dec 31, 2016, from $65.32 per share as of Dec 31, 2015.

Prudential Financial, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

 

Prudential Financial, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise | Prudential Financial, Inc. Quote

Zacks Rank

Currently, Prudential Financial holds a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Performance of Other Multi-Line Insurers

Among other multi line insurers that have reported their fourth-quarter earnings so far, the bottom line at Assurant, Inc. (AIZ - Free Report) and The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (HIG - Free Report) beat their respective Zacks Consensus Estimate, while CNO Financial Group, Inc. (CNO - Free Report) missed the same.

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