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PFG Q2 Earnings Beat on Solid Underwriting, Revenues Rise Y/Y
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Key Takeaways
PFG beat Q2 earnings estimates on underwriting strength, revenue growth and expanding margins.
PFG posted growth in Retirement, International Pension and Specialty Benefits.
Principal Financial raised its quarterly dividend, repurchased shares and agreed to acquire Beam Benefits.
Principal Financial Group, Inc.’s (PFG - Free Report) second-quarter 2026 operating earnings of $2.50 per share beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 7.3%. The bottom line increased 16% year over year.
Revenues rose 6.4% year over year to $3.99 billion, which missed the consensus mark of $4.09 billion by 2.4%. Strong underwriting, higher net revenues and margin expansion supported earnings.
Principal Financial Group, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Total expenses increased 7.6% year over year to $3.41 billion. Benefits, claims and settlement expenses rose 8.3% to $1.99 billion, while operating expenses increased 8.1% to $1.40 billion.
Non-GAAP operating earnings climbed 12% to $547 million. Excluding significant variances, operating earnings advanced 13% to $528.7 million, reflecting growth across the operating segments. Net income attributable to PFG declined 1% to $403.4 million.
Principal's Retirement Business Gains Ground
Retirement and Income Solutions’ net revenues increased 9% year over year to $779 million. Favorable market performance and business growth supported the increase.
Pre-tax operating earnings rose 11% to $323.3 million, while the operating margin expanded 60 basis points to 41.5%. Transfer deposits increased 30% to $9 billion, and recurring deposits advanced 6% to $13 billion. Participant roll-ins totaled $1.7 billion in the quarter.
PFG's Asset Management Results Stay Mixed
Investment Management’s operating revenues less pass-through expenses increased 1% to $431.6 million. Pre-tax operating earnings edged up 1% to $159.4 million, while the operating margin remained stable at 37.5%.
International Pension delivered stronger growth. Net revenues increased 16% to $184.8 million, and pre-tax operating earnings rose 24% to $97 million. Assets under management reached a record $168.5 billion, up 18%, aided by more favorable encaje returns and foreign-currency tailwinds.
PFG's Benefits Unit Drives Profit Growth
Specialty Benefits’ premiums and fees increased 4% to $873.3 million. Pre-tax operating earnings rose 25% to $158.9 million, driven by premium growth and more favorable underwriting. Specialty Benefits’ loss ratio improved 280 bps to 57.4%. This was driven by improvements across all products.
The unit’s operating margin improved 300 basis points to 18.2%, while the incurred loss ratio declined 280 basis points. Life Insurance revenues fell 6% to $224.1 million, but pre-tax operating earnings increased 26% to $25.2 million on improved mortality experience. Its operating margin expanded 280 basis points to 11.2%.
PFG's AUM Rises Despite Net Outflows
Principal Financial’s assets under management increased 7% year over year to $808 billion. The total was included within assets under administration of $1.89 trillion.
AUM net cash outflows were $11.1 billion compared with $2.6 billion a year earlier. Investment Management recorded $12 billion of net outflows, concentrated in a small number of U.S. active equity strategies. Market performance added $47.5 billion to AUM during the quarter.
Principal Financial's Capital Returns Remain Strong
The company returned $426.7 million to shareholders during the quarter. This included $250.2 million of share repurchases and $176.5 million of dividends.
Principal Financial ended the quarter with $1.6 billion of excess and available capital, an estimated 400% risk-based capital ratio and a 23.6% debt-to-capital ratio. Book value per share, excluding certain fair-value and accumulated other comprehensive income effects, was $58.40.
PFG's SMB Strategy Adds Scale
Principal Financial agreed to acquire Beam Benefits, a provider of dental, vision, life, disability and supplemental health products for small and midsized businesses. Beam serves more than 25,000 employer customers and generated $175 million in premiums during 2025. The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2026. Principal Financial maintained its 2026 earnings-per-share and capital targets and expects Specialty Benefits growth to be at or above the high end of its 5-9% target range in 2027. The board also raised the third-quarter dividend by 2 cents to 84 cents per share.
Selective Insurance Group, Inc. (SIGI - Free Report) reported second-quarter 2026 operating earnings of $1.95 per share, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 13.4%. The bottom line increased 48.9% year over year. Revenues of $1.37 billion rose 4.5% from the year-ago quarter and topped the consensus estimate by 0.7%.
Net premiums written declined 5% year over year to $1.22 billion due to a 6% decrease in Standard Commercial Lines, an 8% fall in Standard Personal Lines, and a 2% decline in Excess and Surplus Lines. Our estimate was $1.33 billion. Net premiums earned increased 2.3%. Direct new business fell to $206.1 million from $248.1 million. Renewal pure price increases averaged 6.5%, down from 9.9% in the prior-year quarter.
Chubb Limited (CB - Free Report) reported second-quarter 2026 core operating earnings of $7.26 per share, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $6.63 by 9.5%. The bottom line increased 18.2% year over year. Revenues rose 2.7% year over year to $15.77 billion but missed the consensus mark of $15.90 billion by 0.8%. Stronger P&C underwriting, record investment income, and higher life insurance income supported results.
Net premiums earned increased 5.8% to $13.89 billion. P&C underwriting income increased 18.8% year over year to $1.94 billion. The combined ratio improved 180 basis points to 83.8%, reflecting a lower share of premiums consumed by claims and expenses. Our estimate was $1.15 billion.
The Travelers Companies, Inc. (TRV - Free Report) reported second-quarter 2026 core income of $10.04 per share, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $5.21 by 92.7%. The bottom line climbed 54% year over year. Revenues of $12.09 billion missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $12.27 billion by 1.5%.
Net investment income rose 14% year over year to $1.07 billion pre-tax ($883 million after tax). The combined ratio improved 670 basis points year over year to 83.6%, reflecting lower catastrophe losses, stronger reserve development and a better underlying combined ratio.
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PFG Q2 Earnings Beat on Solid Underwriting, Revenues Rise Y/Y
Key Takeaways
Principal Financial Group, Inc.’s (PFG - Free Report) second-quarter 2026 operating earnings of $2.50 per share beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 7.3%. The bottom line increased 16% year over year.
Revenues rose 6.4% year over year to $3.99 billion, which missed the consensus mark of $4.09 billion by 2.4%. Strong underwriting, higher net revenues and margin expansion supported earnings.
Principal Financial Group, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Principal Financial Group, Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Principal Financial Group, Inc. Quote
PFG's Costs Rise With Benefit Outlays
Total expenses increased 7.6% year over year to $3.41 billion. Benefits, claims and settlement expenses rose 8.3% to $1.99 billion, while operating expenses increased 8.1% to $1.40 billion.
Non-GAAP operating earnings climbed 12% to $547 million. Excluding significant variances, operating earnings advanced 13% to $528.7 million, reflecting growth across the operating segments. Net income attributable to PFG declined 1% to $403.4 million.
Principal's Retirement Business Gains Ground
Retirement and Income Solutions’ net revenues increased 9% year over year to $779 million. Favorable market performance and business growth supported the increase.
Pre-tax operating earnings rose 11% to $323.3 million, while the operating margin expanded 60 basis points to 41.5%. Transfer deposits increased 30% to $9 billion, and recurring deposits advanced 6% to $13 billion. Participant roll-ins totaled $1.7 billion in the quarter.
PFG's Asset Management Results Stay Mixed
Investment Management’s operating revenues less pass-through expenses increased 1% to $431.6 million. Pre-tax operating earnings edged up 1% to $159.4 million, while the operating margin remained stable at 37.5%.
International Pension delivered stronger growth. Net revenues increased 16% to $184.8 million, and pre-tax operating earnings rose 24% to $97 million. Assets under management reached a record $168.5 billion, up 18%, aided by more favorable encaje returns and foreign-currency tailwinds.
PFG's Benefits Unit Drives Profit Growth
Specialty Benefits’ premiums and fees increased 4% to $873.3 million. Pre-tax operating earnings rose 25% to $158.9 million, driven by premium growth and more favorable underwriting. Specialty Benefits’ loss ratio improved 280 bps to 57.4%. This was driven by improvements across all products.
The unit’s operating margin improved 300 basis points to 18.2%, while the incurred loss ratio declined 280 basis points. Life Insurance revenues fell 6% to $224.1 million, but pre-tax operating earnings increased 26% to $25.2 million on improved mortality experience. Its operating margin expanded 280 basis points to 11.2%.
PFG's AUM Rises Despite Net Outflows
Principal Financial’s assets under management increased 7% year over year to $808 billion. The total was included within assets under administration of $1.89 trillion.
AUM net cash outflows were $11.1 billion compared with $2.6 billion a year earlier. Investment Management recorded $12 billion of net outflows, concentrated in a small number of U.S. active equity strategies. Market performance added $47.5 billion to AUM during the quarter.
Principal Financial's Capital Returns Remain Strong
The company returned $426.7 million to shareholders during the quarter. This included $250.2 million of share repurchases and $176.5 million of dividends.
Principal Financial ended the quarter with $1.6 billion of excess and available capital, an estimated 400% risk-based capital ratio and a 23.6% debt-to-capital ratio. Book value per share, excluding certain fair-value and accumulated other comprehensive income effects, was $58.40.
PFG's SMB Strategy Adds Scale
Principal Financial agreed to acquire Beam Benefits, a provider of dental, vision, life, disability and supplemental health products for small and midsized businesses. Beam serves more than 25,000 employer customers and generated $175 million in premiums during 2025.
The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2026. Principal Financial maintained its 2026 earnings-per-share and capital targets and expects Specialty Benefits growth to be at or above the high end of its 5-9% target range in 2027. The board also raised the third-quarter dividend by 2 cents to 84 cents per share.
Zacks Rank
Principal Financial currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Performance of Other Insurers
Selective Insurance Group, Inc. (SIGI - Free Report) reported second-quarter 2026 operating earnings of $1.95 per share, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 13.4%. The bottom line increased 48.9% year over year. Revenues of $1.37 billion rose 4.5% from the year-ago quarter and topped the consensus estimate by 0.7%.
Net premiums written declined 5% year over year to $1.22 billion due to a 6% decrease in Standard Commercial Lines, an 8% fall in Standard Personal Lines, and a 2% decline in Excess and Surplus Lines. Our estimate was $1.33 billion. Net premiums earned increased 2.3%. Direct new business fell to $206.1 million from $248.1 million. Renewal pure price increases averaged 6.5%, down from 9.9% in the prior-year quarter.
Chubb Limited (CB - Free Report) reported second-quarter 2026 core operating earnings of $7.26 per share, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $6.63 by 9.5%. The bottom line increased 18.2% year over year. Revenues rose 2.7% year over year to $15.77 billion but missed the consensus mark of $15.90 billion by 0.8%. Stronger P&C underwriting, record investment income, and higher life insurance income supported results.
Net premiums earned increased 5.8% to $13.89 billion. P&C underwriting income increased 18.8% year over year to $1.94 billion. The combined ratio improved 180 basis points to 83.8%, reflecting a lower share of premiums consumed by claims and expenses. Our estimate was $1.15 billion.
The Travelers Companies, Inc. (TRV - Free Report) reported second-quarter 2026 core income of $10.04 per share, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $5.21 by 92.7%. The bottom line climbed 54% year over year. Revenues of $12.09 billion missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $12.27 billion by 1.5%.
Net investment income rose 14% year over year to $1.07 billion pre-tax ($883 million after tax). The combined ratio improved 670 basis points year over year to 83.6%, reflecting lower catastrophe losses, stronger reserve development and a better underlying combined ratio.