HIG

The Hartford Insurance Group, Inc. HIG is set to report third-quarter 2026 results on Oct. 26, after the closing bell. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the to-be-reported quarter's earnings is currently pegged at $3.15 per share on revenues of $5.3 billion. The third-quarter earnings estimate has witnessed four upward estimate revisions against two downward movements over the past 30 days. Meanwhile, the bottom-line projection indicates a year-over-year decline of 16.7%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for quarterly revenues suggests year-over-year growth of 3.3%. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research For the current year, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Hartford's revenues is pegged at $20.9 billion, implying a rise of 4.8% year over year. However, the consensus mark for current-year EPS is pegged at $12.89, implying a fall of around 4% on a year-over-year basis. HIG beat the consensus estimate for earnings in three of the last four quarters and missed once, with the average surprise being 13.1%. The Hartford Insurance Group, Inc. price-eps-surprise | The Hartford Insurance Group, Inc. Quote Our proven model predicts an earnings beat for Hartford this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat, which is the case here. HIG has an Earnings ESP of +1.95% and currently carries a Zacks Rank #3. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they're reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for net premiums earned for the third quarter indicates 3.3% growth year over year. The consensus estimate for Business Insurance's net investment income is $555.7 million, indicating 7.1% growth from the year-ago quarter's figure. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for net investment income in the Personal Insurance business is pegged at $67.3 million, which indicates a 0.4% increase from the prior-year quarter's reported figure. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Hartford's Personal Insurance underlying combined ratio for the quarter under review is pegged at 87.9%, indicating improvement from the prior-year reported figure of 90%. The consensus mark for the Employee Benefits business' revenues is pegged at $1.9 billion, indicating a 3.8% rise from the prior-year quarter's figure. However, the bottom line is expected to have been pressured by higher insurance operating costs and other expenses. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Hartford's Business Insurance underlying combined ratio is pegged at 89.5%, up from 89.4% a year ago. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Hartford's homeowners' policies in force for the quarter under review indicates a decline of 2.2% year over year. Also, the consensus estimate indicates a 10% year-over-year decline in automobile policies in force. Here are some other companies worth considering from the broader Finance space, as our model shows that these, too, have the right combination of elements to beat on earnings this time around: Skyward Specialty Insurance Group, Inc. SKWD has an Earnings ESP of +7.55% and carries a Zacks Rank #2 at present. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Skyward Specialty Insurance Group's earnings for the to-be-reported quarter is pegged at $1.22 per share, indicating 16.2% year-over-year growth. The consensus estimate for revenues is pegged at $507.3 million. SKWD beat earnings estimates in each of the past four quarters, with the average surprise being 19.4%. Cboe Global Markets, Inc. CBOE currently has an Earnings ESP of +0.95% and a Zacks Rank #3. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Cboe Global Markets' bottom line for the to-be-reported quarter is pegged at $3.41 per share, indicating 27.7% year-over-year growth. It beat earnings estimates in each of the past four quarters, with the average surprise being 5.7%. The consensus estimate for CBOE's revenues is pegged at $702.8 million. Palomar Holdings, Inc. PLMR has an Earnings ESP of +1.89% and carries a Zacks Rank #3 at present. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Palomar Holdings' bottom line for the to-be-reported quarter is pegged at $2.64 per share, indicating 31.3% year-over-year growth. It beat earnings estimates in each of the past four quarters, with the average surprise being 13%. The consensus estimate for PLMR's revenues is pegged at $376.5 million. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report The Hartford Insurance Group, Inc. (HIG) : Free Stock Analysis Report Cboe Global Markets, Inc. (CBOE) : Free Stock Analysis Report Palomar Holdings, Inc. (PLMR) : Free Stock Analysis Report Skyward Specialty Insurance Group, Inc. (SKWD) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com). Zacks Investment Research

The market expects Cincinnati Financial (CINF) to deliver a year-over-year decline in earnings on higher revenues when it reports results for the quarter ended September 2026. This widely-known consensus outlook is important in assessing the company's earnings picture, but a powerful factor that might influence its near-term stock price is how the actual results compare to these estimates. The stock might move higher if these key numbers top expectations in the upcoming earnings report, which is expected to be released on October 26. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower. While management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call will mostly determine the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations, it's worth having a handicapping insight into the odds of a positive EPS surprise. This insurer is expected to post quarterly earnings of $2.01 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -29.5%. Revenues are expected to be $3.03 billion, up 5.5% from the year-ago quarter. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period. Investors should keep in mind that an aggregate change may not always reflect the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise Estimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. This insight is at the core of our proprietary surprise prediction model -- the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction). The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a more recent version of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier. Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's predictive power is significant for positive ESP readings only. A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that stocks with this combination produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and a solid Zacks Rank actually increases the predictive power of Earnings ESP. Please note that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss. Our research shows that it is difficult to predict an earnings beat with any degree of confidence for stocks with negative Earnings ESP readings and/or Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell). For Cincinnati Financial, the Most Accurate Estimate is higher than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that analysts have recently become bullish on the company's earnings prospects. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of +13.87%. On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #2. So, this combination indicates that Cincinnati Financial will most likely beat the consensus EPS estimate. Analysts often consider to what extent a company has been able to match consensus estimates in the past while calculating their estimates for its future earnings. So, it's worth taking a look at the surprise history for gauging its influence on the upcoming number. For the last reported quarter, it was expected that Cincinnati Financial would post earnings of $1.82 per share when it actually produced earnings of $1.43, delivering a surprise of -21.43%. Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates three times. An earnings beat or miss may not be the sole basis for a stock moving higher or lower. Many stocks end up losing ground despite an earnings beat due to other factors that disappoint investors. Similarly, unforeseen catalysts help a number of stocks gain despite an earnings miss. That said, betting on stocks that are expected to beat earnings expectations does increase the odds of success. This is why it's worth checking a company's Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank ahead of its quarterly release. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported. Cincinnati Financial appears a compelling earnings-beat candidate. However, investors should pay attention to other factors too for betting on this stock or staying away from it ahead of its earnings release. Among the stocks in the Zacks Insurance - Property and Casualty industry, The Hartford Insurance Group (HIG), is soon expected to post earnings of $3.15 per share for the quarter ended September 2026. This estimate indicates a year-over-year change of -16.7%. This quarter's revenue is expected to be $5.28 billion, up 3.3% from the year-ago quarter. The consensus EPS estimate for The Hartford Insurance Group has been revised 0.3% lower over the last 30 days to the current level. However, a higher Most Accurate Estimate has resulted in an Earnings ESP of +1.95%. This Earnings ESP, combined with its Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), suggests that The Hartford Insurance Group will most likely beat the consensus EPS estimate. Over the last four quarters, the company surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times. Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Cincinnati Financial Corporation (CINF) : Free Stock Analysis Report The Hartford Insurance Group, Inc. (HIG) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com). Zacks Investment Research

Voya Financial, Inc.'s VOYA Employee Benefits segment is emerging as an increasingly important contributor to earnings growth, with profitability showing a substantial improvement. In the second quarter of 2026, the segment's trailing-12-month net revenues increased 13% year over year, while the aggregate loss ratio improved to 74%. This drove the trailing-12-month adjusted operating margin to 11% from 3.7%, highlighting the benefits of stronger underwriting discipline, pricing actions and expense management. The profitability improvement has a strong underlying foundation, as Voya continues to emphasize disciplined risk selection and pricing adequacy rather than chasing premium growth. Annualized in-force premiums and fees were approximately $3.6 billion, unchanged year over year, allowing management to focus on improving the profitability of its business. Ongoing pricing actions should help counter higher claims costs, while expense discipline provides an additional lever for margin expansion. The improvement in the aggregate loss ratio suggests that better underwriting performance is becoming an important driver of earnings. Although quarterly earnings can fluctuate because of claims experience, the broader TTM trend remains favorable. Employee Benefits generated $22 million of pre-tax adjusted operating earnings in the second quarter of 2026 compared with $69 million in the prior-year quarter, with the year-ago period benefiting from unusually favorable Stop Loss claims development. As claims experience normalizes, continued improvements in Group Life, Voluntary Benefits and Stop Loss, coupled with pricing discipline and expense management, could support further earnings growth. With the TTM adjusted operating margin reaching 11%, the segment's improving underwriting profile provides Voya with a stronger foundation for sustainable profitability. MetLife, Inc.'s MET Group Benefits business is showing strong momentum. In the second quarter of 2026, the improvement in adjusted earnings was driven by favorable underwriting and volume growth, highlighting the benefits of disciplined risk selection and expanding business volumes. MetLife's performance suggests that favorable underwriting trends and demand for workplace benefits can support earnings growth even as insurers remain focused on maintaining pricing adequacy and controlling claims. MetLife's strong Group Benefits performance provides a constructive industry backdrop, although continued improvement in loss ratios, claims experience and underwriting margins will remain important for sustaining profitability gains. The Hartford Insurance Group, Inc.'s HIG Employee Benefits business is supported by higher new business sales, increased exposure on existing accounts and persistency above 90%. Fully insured ongoing sales are driven by stronger group disability and group life sales, highlighting continued demand for workplace benefits. HIG's results underscore the opportunity for premium and sales growth in Employee Benefits while also highlighting the importance of pricing discipline, claims management and expense control in sustaining underwriting profitability. Shares of VOYA have gained 26.8% in the past year, outperforming the industry. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research The stock is undervalued compared with its industry. Its forward price-to-book value of 1.36X is lower than the industry average of 2.27X. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research The Zacks Consensus Estimate for VOYA's third-quarter and fourth-quarter 2026 EPS has moved up 6.4% and 5%, respectively, in the past 60 days. The same for full-year 2026 EPS has moved down 1.2%, while 2027 EPS has moved up 1.15% in the past 60 days. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research The consensus estimate for VOYA's 2026 EPS indicates a year-over-year increase, while that of 2027 EPS and revenues indicates a year-over-year rise. VOYA stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Voya Financial, Inc. (VOYA) : Free Stock Analysis Report The Hartford Insurance Group, Inc. (HIG) : Free Stock Analysis Report MetLife, Inc. (MET) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com). Zacks Investment Research

Wrapping up Q2 earnings, we look at the numbers and key takeaways for the multi-line insurance stocks, including Hartford (NYSE:HIG) and its peers. Multi-line insurance companies operate a diversified business model, offering a broad suite of products that span both Property & Casualty (P&C) and Life & Health (L&H) insurance. This diversification allows them to generate revenue from multiple, often uncorrelated, underwriting pools while also earning investment income on their combined float. Interest rates matter for the sector (and make it cyclical), with higher rates allowing insurers to reinvest their fixed-income portfolios at more attractive yields and vice versa. The market environment also matters for P&C operations specifically, with a 'hard market' characterized by pricing increases that outstrip claim costs, resulting in higher profits while a 'soft market' is the opposite. On the other hand, a key headwind is increasing volatility and severity of catastrophe losses, driven by climate change, which poses a significant threat to P&C underwriting results. The 4 multi-line insurance stocks we track reported a slower Q2. As a group, revenues missed analysts’ consensus estimates by 1%. While some multi-line insurance stocks have fared somewhat better than others, they have collectively declined. On average, share prices are down 3.3% since the latest earnings results. Recognizable by its iconic stag logo that dates back to 1810, The Hartford (NYSE:HIG) provides property and casualty insurance, group benefits, and investment products to individuals and businesses across the United States. Hartford reported revenues of $7.26 billion, up 8.1% year on year. This print was in line with analysts’ expectations, but overall, it was a mixed quarter for the company with a solid beat of analysts’ net premiums earned estimates but a significant miss of analysts’ book value per share estimates. Hartford pulled off the fastest revenue growth in the group. Still, the market seems discontent with the results. The stock is down 2.2% since reporting and currently trades at $139.06. Read our full report on Hartford here, it’s free. Dating back to when a Civil War veteran created a frost-proof water meter, Chubb Limited (NYSE:CB) provides commercial and personal property and casualty insurance, reinsurance, and life insurance products to a diverse client base across 54 countries. Chubb reported revenues of $15.77 billion, up 6.5% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 2.9%. The business performed better than its peers, but it was unfortunately a slower quarter with a significant miss of analysts’ book value per share estimates and a miss of analysts’ net premiums earned estimates. Chubb achieved the biggest analyst estimate beat of the whole group. Although it had a fine quarter compared to its peers, the market seems unhappy with the results as the stock is down 2.3% since reporting. It currently trades at $346.63. Is now the time to buy Chubb? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free. With roots dating back to 1919 when it began as a small insurance agency in Shanghai, China, AIG (NYSE:AIG) is a global insurance organization that provides commercial and personal insurance solutions to businesses and individuals across more than 200 countries. AIG reported revenues of $7.11 billion, up 3.9% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 2.3%. It was a softer quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ book value per share estimates and a slight miss of analysts’ net premiums earned estimates. As expected, the stock is down 3.2% since the results and currently trades at $77.39. Read our full analysis of AIG’s results here. Originally known as Unitrin until rebranding in 2011, Kemper (NYSE:KMPR) is an insurance holding company that provides automobile, homeowners, life, and other insurance products to individuals and businesses across the United States. Kemper reported revenues of $1.12 billion, down 9.1% year on year. This result came in 4.9% below analysts’ expectations. It was a slower quarter as it also logged a significant miss of analysts’ net premiums earned estimates and a significant miss of analysts’ book value per share estimates. Kemper had the weakest performance against analyst estimates and slowest revenue growth among its peers. The stock is down 5.5% since reporting and currently trades at $27.67. Read our full, actionable report on Kemper here, it’s free. Over the past year, investors have been forced to repeatedly answer the same question: what is the market’s biggest risk? The answer has changed several times, and each shift has reshaped market leadership. Late in 2025 and early 2026, artificial intelligence became the market’s primary uncertainty. Investors questioned whether AI would erode software pricing power and weaken competitive moats as AI made it easier to replicate once-differentiated products. By the spring, technology took a back seat to geopolitics. The U.S. conflict with Iran briefly became the market’s dominant narrative, raising concerns about oil prices, inflation, and global growth. But as energy markets remained orderly and fears of a prolonged supply disruption faded, investors quickly turned their focus back to fundamentals. Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our Top 5 Quality Compounder Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.

American International Group, Inc. AIG reported second-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $2, which topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.89. The bottom line increased 10.5% year over year. Adjusted operating revenues advanced 3.9% year over year to $7.1 billion. However, the top line missed the consensus mark by 2.2%. The quarterly earnings were driven by improved underwriting results in the North America Commercial and Global Personal segments, supported by lower catastrophe losses. However, the upside was partly offset by lower investment income and elevated benefits, losses and expenses. American International Group, Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | American International Group, Inc. Quote Net premiums written totaled $7.5 billion, reflecting 9% year-over-year growth, driven by organic expansion in selected businesses and contributions from recent strategic transactions. Total net investment income declined 23.1% year over year to $1.1 billion, but beat the consensus mark by 14.9%. The decrease was primarily due to changes in the fair value of its investments in Corebridge and equity securities. AIG also sold its remaining Corebridge stake for aggregate proceeds of about $710 million. Total benefits, losses and expenses amounted to $5.8 billion, up 4.9% year over year, mainly due to higher losses and loss adjustment expenses incurred. Adjusted return on equity improved 50 basis points year over year to 10.2%, reflecting enhanced profitability and capital efficiency. Underwriting income for the General Insurance segment rose 10% year over year to $686 million. This result significantly outperformed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 9.1%. The segment’s combined ratio improved 30 basis points to 89%, reflecting significantly stronger underwriting performance compared with the prior-year quarter. The segment’s net premiums written increased 9% year over year to $3.1 billion in the second quarter. The uptick was driven by Retail Casualty and Financial Lines. Underwriting income grew 24% year over year to $372 million. This increase was mainly driven by lower catastrophe-related losses, lower operating expense and higher favorable prior-year development. The combined ratio improved 190 basis points to 84%, reflecting significantly stronger underwriting performance year over year. The segment reported net premiums written of $2.6 billion, up 11% year over year. The growth was mainly driven by Property and Marine. Underwriting income decreased 33% year over year to $200 million in the quarter and missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 35.8%. The combined ratio deteriorated 540 basis points to 91.3%. This was mainly due to higher catastrophe charges, rate pressure and a higher acquisition ratio. Net premiums written totaled $1.8 billion, which improved 7% year over year. The increase was mainly driven by growth in the High Net Worth and Accident and Health businesses. Underwriting income rose to $114 million compared to $25 million a year ago. The combined ratio improved 560 basis points to 92.9%. This was driven by a lower accident-year loss ratio, improved High Net Worth commission terms, reduced operating expenses and reduced catastrophe losses. Net investment income and other fell 58% year over year to $39 million. This was mainly due to lower parent liquidity and reduced dividends from Corebridge. Interest expense declined 2% to $99 million. Adjusted pre-tax loss widened 41% year over year to $142 million. AIG ended the second quarter with a cash balance of $1.5 billion compared with $1.3 billion at the end of 2025. Total assets were $163.5 billion, higher than $161.3 billion at the end of 2025. Long-term debt totaled $9 billion at the second-quarter end, which fell 0.7% from year-end 2025. Total shareholders’ equity fell to $40.6 billion from $41.1 billion at year-end 2025. Adjusted book value per share improved to $79.98 from $76.62 in the prior-year quarter. AIG returned capital to its shareholders through approximately $641 million in share repurchases and $263 million in dividends during the second quarter of 2026. The company announced a cash dividend of 50 cents per common share, to be paid on Sept. 30, 2026, to its shareholders of record as of Sept. 16. AIG currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Here are some stocks from the broader insurance space that have also reported their quarterly results: MetLife, Inc. MET, Aon plc AON and The Hartford Insurance Group, Inc. HIG. Here's how they have performed: MetLife reported second-quarter 2026 adjusted operating earnings per share (EPS) of $2.43, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 5.6%. The bottom line advanced 20% year over year. Adjusted operating revenues improved 6.4% year over year to $19.1 billion. MET’s second-quarter earnings benefited from improved net investment income, favorable underwriting results and solid business volume growth across segments. Growth in adjusted PFOs and strong performances in Group Benefits, Asia and EMEA also supported results. However, higher expenses and a wider-than-expected loss in the Corporate & Other unit partially offset the upside. Aon reported second-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings of $3.81 per share, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 1.1%. The bottom line advanced 9% year over year. Total revenues of $4.2 billion grew 2% year over year. AON’s quarterly results were supported by strong organic revenue growth, healthy client retention, operating margin expansion and disciplined execution. Solid performance across the Commercial Risk, Reinsurance and Health Solutions businesses was partly offset by weakness in Wealth Solutions. Hartford delivered second-quarter fiscal 2026 earnings per share of $3.42, up 6% year over year and above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.12 by 9.6%. Revenues came in at $5.23 billion, which improved 6.8% year over year. HIG’s quarterly results benefited from higher investment income, premium growth in Business Insurance and improving Personal Insurance profitability. Strong new business expansion in Small Business and favorable pricing trends supported results. However, the upside was partly offset by an increased expense level, higher catastrophe losses and weaker Employee Benefits profitability. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report American International Group, Inc. (AIG) : Free Stock Analysis Report The Hartford Insurance Group, Inc. (HIG) : Free Stock Analysis Report MetLife, Inc. (MET) : Free Stock Analysis Report Aon plc (AON) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com). Zacks Investment Research

MetLife, Inc. MET reported second-quarter 2026 adjusted operating earnings per share (EPS) of $2.43, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 5.6%. The bottom line advanced 20% year over year. Adjusted operating revenues improved 6.4% year over year to $19.1 billion. The top line missed the consensus mark by 1.4%. MetLife’s second-quarter earnings benefited from improved net investment income, favorable underwriting results and solid business volume growth across segments. Growth in adjusted PFOs and strong performances in Group Benefits, Asia and EMEA also supported results. However, higher expenses and a wider-than-expected loss in the Corporate & Other unit partially offset the upside. MetLife, Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | MetLife, Inc. Quote Adjusted PFOs, excluding pension risk transfer (PRT), were $13 billion. The metric rose 5% year over year. Adjusted net investment income grew 7% year over year to $5.6 billion on the back of growth in assets and investments in a higher-rate environment. Total expenses of $18.1 billion escalated 10.8% year over year due to increased policyholder benefits and claims, and other expenses, net of capitalization of DAC. Adjusted expense ratio, excluding total notable items related to adjusted other expenses and PRT, deteriorated 100 basis points year over year to 20.8%. Net income of $705 million rose 1% year over year in the second quarter. Adjusted return on equity, excluding total notable items, improved 240 bps year over year to 17%. Group Benefits: The segment reported adjusted earnings of $503 million in the second quarter, reflecting a 25% year-over-year increase and beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 16.6%. The strong performance was driven by improved underwriting results and continued business volume growth. Adjusted PFOs rose 1% year over year to $6.5 billion. RIS: Adjusted earnings totaled $377 million, which rose 2% year over year but missed the consensus mark by 7.1%. Improved volumes growth and favorable recurring interest margins benefited the metric. Adjusted PFOs, excluding PRT, advanced 19% year over year to $1.3 billion. Asia: The unit recorded adjusted earnings of $420 million, which rose 21% year over year and beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 5.2%. The metric was supported by improved variable investment income, favorable equity markets and higher volume. Adjusted PFOs remained flat year over year to $1.7 billion in the quarter. Latin America: Adjusted earnings of $268 million increased 15% year over year on a reported basis and 4% year over year on a constant-currency basis. The metric topped the consensus estimate by 11.2%, driven by higher volume and favorable market factors. Adjusted PFOs were $1.9 billion, up 16% year over year on a reported basis and 6% on a constant-currency basis, driven by solid business growth and strong persistency across the region. EMEA: The segment recorded adjusted earnings of $108 million in the second quarter, which advanced 8% year over year and beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 15.3%. Strong volumes aided the metric. Adjusted PFOs rose 12% year over year to $806 million on the back of strong policy renewal across the region and solid sales momentum. MetLife Investment Management: The segment recorded adjusted earnings of $57 million, which advanced 6% year over year on the back of strong business growth and expense management. However, the metric missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 6.1%. Corporate & Other: The unit incurred an adjusted loss of $160 million, wider than the prior-year quarter’s loss of $142 million. It also came higher than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of adjusted loss of $150.5 million. MetLife exited the second quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $19.3 billion, down from $22 billion at the end of 2025. Total assets were $759.4 billion as of June 30, 2026, compared with $745.2 billion as of 2025-end. Long-term debt totaled $14.2 billion, lower than $14.5 billion at the end of 2025, while short-term debt amounted to $460 million. Total equity was $27.7 billion compared with $28.7 billion as of 2025-end. Book value per share increased 7.8% year over year to $38.59 as of June 30, 2026. MetLife bought back shares worth $700 million in the second quarter. It pursued additional repurchases of roughly $225 million in July 2026. Management paid common stock dividends of $400 million in the quarter under review. Management earlier expected a pre-tax variable investment income of around $1.6 billion for 2026. The expense ratio was earlier projected to be 12.1%. Corporate & Other adjusted losses were earlier projected to be between $500 million and $700 million. The effective tax rate was projected to be 24-26%. MetLife earlier expected adjusted PFOs in the Group Benefits business to rise in the range of 4-7% annually. Adjusted PFOs in the Latin America unit were earlier expected to witness high-single-digit growth on a constant-currency basis, while those in the EMEA unit were earlier guided to grow at a high-single-digit rate on a reported basis. MetLife still aims to achieve an adjusted return on equity in the range of 15-17%. The company also continues to expect to deliver double-digit adjusted EPS growth in the near term. MET currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Here are some stocks from the broader insurance space that have also reported their quarterly results: RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. RNR, Aon plc AON and The Hartford Insurance Group, Inc. HIG. Here's how they have performed: RenaissanceRe reported second-quarter 2026 operating income of $12.92 per share, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 12.9%.  The bottom line also improved 5.1% year over year. Total operating revenues declined 6.7% year over year to $2.64 billion. The quarterly earnings benefited from lower expenses, higher net investment income and an improved total combined ratio. However, RNR’s upside was partly offset by lower net premiums earned, weaker underwriting results in the Casualty & Specialty segment and lower fee income. Aon reported second-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings of $3.81 per share, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 1.1%. The bottom line advanced 9% year over year. Total revenues of $4.2 billion grew 2% year over year. AON’s quarterly results were supported by strong organic revenue growth, healthy client retention, operating margin expansion and disciplined execution. Solid performance across the Commercial Risk, Reinsurance and Health Solutions businesses was partly offset by weakness in Wealth Solutions. Hartford delivered second-quarter fiscal 2026 earnings per share of $3.42, up 6% year over year and above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.12 by 9.6%. Revenues came in at $5.23 billion, which improved 6.8% year over year. HIG’s quarterly results benefited from higher investment income, premium growth in Business Insurance and improving Personal Insurance profitability. Strong new business expansion in Small Business and favorable pricing trends supported results. However, the upside was partly offset by an increased expense level, higher catastrophe losses and weaker Employee Benefits profitability. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report MetLife, Inc. (MET) : Free Stock Analysis Report The Hartford Insurance Group, Inc. (HIG) : Free Stock Analysis Report RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. (RNR) : Free Stock Analysis Report Aon plc (AON) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com). Zacks Investment Research

The Allstate Corporation ALL reported a second-quarter 2026 adjusted net income of $8.99 per share, which outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 56.1%. The bottom line surged 51.3% year over year. Operating revenues of $17.5 billion grew 4.5% year over year. However, the top line missed the consensus mark by 1.1%. Allstate's quarterly earnings benefited from improved underwriting performance, premium growth supported by higher pricing and policy growth, robust investment income, and lower catastrophe losses, partly offset by lower adjusted net income in the Protection Services segment. The Allstate Corporation price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | The Allstate Corporation Quote Property and casualty insurance premiums improved 4.2% year over year to $15.7 billion. Net investment income of $1 billion advanced 33.8% year over year on the back of a growing market- and performance-based portfolio. The metric beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $870 million. Market-based investment income rose 14.2% year over year to $837 million and performance-based investment income jumped 202.5% year over year to $239 million. Total costs and expenses were $14.5 billion, which decreased 2.5% year over year and was lower than our estimate of $16.4 billion. The year-over-year decline was due to decreased property and casualty insurance claims and claims expenses, accident, health and other policy benefits and Pension and other postretirement remeasurement (gains) losses. Catastrophe losses of $1.4 billion dropped 12.8% year over year. Allstate’s pretax income increased 53.2% year over year to $4.1 billion. As of June 30, 2026, total policies in force were 216 million, up 3.8% year over year. The Property-Liability segment reported premiums earned of $14.9 billion in the second quarter, up 4.4% year over year, driven by higher average premiums in homeowners insurance and growth in policies in force. However, the metric missed both the Zacks Consensus Estimate and our estimate of $15.2 billion. Underwriting income in the segment surged 56.7% year over year to $2 billion. The underlying combined ratio improved 10 basis points to 79.4%. The Protection Services segment’s revenues advanced 7.8% year over year to $935 million, aided by Allstate Protection Plans and Roadside businesses. The metric lagged our estimate of $957 million. Adjusted net income of $53 million declined 7% year over year. Allstate exited the second quarter with a cash balance of $840 million, up from $678 million as of 2025-end. Total assets increased to $124.8 billion from $119.8 billion at the end of 2025. Debt remained unchanged at $7.5 billion from the 2025-end level. Total equity increased to $33.7 billion from $30.6 billion at the end of 2025. Book value per common share was $123.38 as of June 30, 2026, up 49.7% year over year. Backed by its $4.0 billion share repurchase authorization announced on Feb. 4, 2026, the company returned $1.3 billion to shareholders in the second quarter, comprising $1.0 billion in share repurchases and $280 million in dividends. The repurchase program remains in effect through Feb. 29, 2028. ALL currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Here are some stocks from the broader Finance space that have also reported their quarterly results: RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. RNR, Cincinnati Financial Corporation CINF and The Hartford Insurance Group, Inc. HIG. Here's how they have performed: RenaissanceRe reported second-quarter 2026 operating income of $12.92 per share, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 12.9%.  The bottom line improved 5.1% year over year. Total operating revenues declined 6.7% year over year to $2.64 billion. The quarterly earnings benefited from lower expenses, higher net investment income and an improved total combined ratio. However, RNR’s upside was partly offset by lower net premiums earned, weaker underwriting results in the Casualty & Specialty segment and lower fee income. Cincinnati Financial reported second-quarter 2026 operating income of $1.43 per share, which missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 21.4%. The bottom line declined 27.4% from the year-ago quarter. Total operating revenues for the second quarter were $3 billion, reflecting a 6.8% year-over-year increase. The figure, however, missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 1.4%. CINF's quarterly results benefited from strong premium growth, improved pricing, and higher net investment income. However, weaker underwriting performance, driven by higher catastrophe losses, weighed on results. The Hartford Insurance Group delivered second-quarter 2026 earnings per share of $3.42, up 6% year over year and above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.12 by 9.6%. Revenues amounted to $5.23 billion, which improved 6.8% year over year. HIG’s quarterly results benefited from higher investment income, premium growth in Business Insurance and improving Personal Insurance profitability. Strong new business expansion in Small Business and favorable pricing trends supported results. However, the upside was partly offset by an increased expense level, higher catastrophe losses and weaker Employee Benefits profitability. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report The Allstate Corporation (ALL) : Free Stock Analysis Report The Hartford Insurance Group, Inc. (HIG) : Free Stock Analysis Report Cincinnati Financial Corporation (CINF) : Free Stock Analysis Report RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. (RNR) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com). Zacks Investment Research

CNO Financial Group, Inc. CNO reported second-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $1.26, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 27.3%. The bottom line rose from 87 cents a year ago. Operating revenues of $1.3 billion advanced 13% year over year. The top line surpassed the consensus mark by 32%. The strong quarterly results were supported by strong collected premiums from annuity, life and health products along with a notable rise in net investment income. Nevertheless, the upside was partly offset by a rise in total benefits and expenses as a result of higher insurance policy benefits. CNO Financial Group, Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | CNO Financial Group, Inc. Quote Total insurance policy income rose 4.5% year over year to $680.7 million, higher than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $660 million. The metric was aided by improved collected premiums from annuity, life and health products. Net investment income was $597 million, which improved from the year-ago period of $483.7 million. General account assets grew 8.9% year over year to $411.9 million. Policyholder and other special-purpose portfolios totaled $185.1 million compared with the prior-year quarter’s $105.4 million. Fee revenues and other income declined 36.4% year over year to $22.2 million. Annuity collected premiums of $536 million rose 3% year over year, while health collected premiums increased 5.5% to $432 million. Collected premiums from life products totaled $249.3 million, which rose 1.5% year over year. The total collected premiums advanced 3.6% year over year to $1.2 billion. New annualized premiums for health products rose 18.2% year over year, while the same for life products declined 3.8%. Annuity, Health and Life products accounted for 21.7%, 52.8% and 25.5%, respectively, of CNO's insurance margin. Total benefits and expenses rose 8.9% year over year to $1.1 billion due to higher insurance policy benefits. CNO Financial exited the second quarter with unrestricted cash and cash equivalents of $1.3 billion, which rose 68.4% from the 2025-end level. Total assets of $39.9 billion rose 6.8% from the figure at 2025-end. The debt-to-capital was 34% at the second-quarter end, which deteriorated 40 basis points (bps) from the 2025-end figure. Total shareholders’ equity declined 1.8% from the 2025-end level to $2.6 billion. Book value per common share was $27.96, which increased 0.1% from the figure at 2025-end. Operating return on equity, excluding significant items, improved 190 bps year over year to 13.1% at the second-quarter end. CNO Financial rewarded its shareholders with $60 million in the form of share buybacks and $16.8 million in dividends during the second quarter. As of June 30, 2026, the company had a leftover repurchase capacity of $300.4 million. CNO Financial raised its full-year 2026 guidance, indicating confidence in the current operating trajectory. The company now expects operating EPS to be in the range of $4.60-$4.80, up from the previously guided range of $4.25-$4.45. The mid-point of which now indicates a 6.8% increase from the 2025 reported figure of $4.40. For 2026, management still anticipates excess cash flow of $200-$250 million to the holding company. The company now projects the expense ratio to be in the band of 18.8-19% for 2026. It estimates the effective tax rate to be around 21.5%. Management still aims to achieve leverage within the band of 25-28%. CNO currently has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Here are some stocks from the broader finance space that have also reported their quarterly results: RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. RNR, Aon plc AON and The Hartford Insurance Group, Inc. HIG. Here's how they have performed: RenaissanceRe reported second-quarter 2026 operating income of $12.92 per share, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 12.9%.  The bottom line also improved 5.1% year over year. Total operating revenues declined 6.7% year over year to $2.64 billion. The quarterly earnings benefited from lower expenses, higher net investment income and an improved total combined ratio. However, RNR’s upside was partly offset by lower net premiums earned, weaker underwriting results in the Casualty & Specialty segment and lower fee income. Aon reported second-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings of $3.81 per share, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 1.1%. The bottom line advanced 9% year over year. Total revenues of $4.2 billion grew 2% year over year. AON’s quarterly results were supported by strong organic revenue growth, healthy client retention, operating margin expansion and disciplined execution. Solid performance across the Commercial Risk, Reinsurance and Health Solutions businesses was partly offset by weakness in Wealth Solutions. Hartford delivered second-quarter fiscal 2026 earnings per share of $3.42, up 6% year over year and above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.12 by 9.6%. Revenues came in at $5.23 billion, which improved 6.8% year over year. HIG’s quarterly results benefited from higher investment income, premium growth in Business Insurance and improving Personal Insurance profitability. Strong new business expansion in Small Business and favorable pricing trends supported results. However, the upside was partly offset by an increased expense level, higher catastrophe losses and weaker Employee Benefits profitability. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report CNO Financial Group, Inc. (CNO) : Free Stock Analysis Report The Hartford Insurance Group, Inc. (HIG) : Free Stock Analysis Report RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. (RNR) : Free Stock Analysis Report Aon plc (AON) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com). Zacks Investment Research

MarketAxess Holdings Inc. MKTX reported second-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings per share of $1.95, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3.7%. However, the bottom line decreased 2.5% year over year. Total revenues were $218.4 million, which fell 0.5% year over year. However, the top line beat the consensus mark by 0.5%. The quarterly results were aided by solid growth in emerging markets and Eurobonds trading volumes. Increased information services, technology services and post-trade services revenues also contributed to the upside. The gains were partly offset by higher expenses and lower commission revenues, along with weaker high-grade and high-yield trading volumes. MarketAxess Holdings Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | MarketAxess Holdings Inc. Quote Commission revenues declined 3% year over year to $186.9 million. The metric missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $188.9 million and our estimate of $196.2 million. Information services revenues of $16.1 million grew 23% year over year. The metric beat the consensus mark of $14.1 million and our estimate of $13.2 million. Post-trade services revenues increased 5% year over year to $11.6 million, while technology services revenues rose 8% to $3.8 million. Total expenses were $128.5 million, which rose 1% year over year in the quarter due to higher technology and communications costs, professional and consulting fees, and marketing and advertising. The metric was lower than our estimate of $138.3 million. MarketAxess’ net income fell 4% year over year to $68.3 million but came in higher than our estimate of $67.1 million. The net income margin of 31.3% deteriorated 110 basis points year over year. The high-grade trading volume of MarketAxess was $461.1 billion in the second quarter, which declined 4% year over year and lagged the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $473.4 billion. The ADV of the same product category totaled $7.4 million, which fell 4% year over year and missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $7.6 million. High-yield trading volume of $96.7 billion fell 8% year over year, while ADV declined 8% to $1.6 billion. Other credit trading volume rose 2% year over year to $40.7 billion, whereas ADV for the same product category increased 2% to $657 million. Trading volume and ADV of emerging markets rose 12% each on a year-over-year basis to $279 billion and $4.5 billion, respectively. The Eurobonds’ trading volume rose 2% and ADV improved 1% on a year-over-year basis. The total credit trading volume of $1 trillion rose 1% year over year. Total credit ADV inched up 0.3% to $16.9 billion. Total rates’ trading volume and ADV of this product category each declined 19% on a year-over-year basis. MarketAxess exited the second quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $245.8 million, which fell from the 2025-end level of $519.7 million. Total assets of $2.4 billion rose 25.2% from the figure at 2025-end. The company had $112 million in outstanding borrowings under its credit facility at the end of the second quarter. Total stockholders’ equity of $1.2 billion rose 8.1% from the 2025-end level. Net cash provided by operating activities was $26.8 million in the second quarter of 2026 compared with $103.7 million in the prior-year quarter. The free cash flow declined 21.3% year over year to $88.9 million in the second quarter of 2026. As of July 29, 2026, $205 million remained available under the board-authorized share repurchase program. The board declared a quarterly cash dividend of 78 cents per share, which will be paid out on Sept. 2, 2026, to its shareholders of record as of Aug. 19. MKTX has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. MKTX currently has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Here are some stocks from the broader finance space that have also reported their quarterly results: RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. RNR, Aon plc AON and The Hartford Insurance Group, Inc. HIG. Here's how they have performed: RenaissanceRe reported second-quarter 2026 operating income of $12.92 per share, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 12.9%.  The bottom line also improved 5.1% year over year. Total operating revenues declined 6.7% year over year to $2.64 billion. The quarterly earnings benefited from lower expenses, higher net investment income and an improved total combined ratio. However, RNR’s upside was partly offset by lower net premiums earned, weaker underwriting results in the Casualty & Specialty segment and lower fee income. Aon reported second-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings of $3.81 per share, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 1.1%. The bottom line advanced 9% year over year. Total revenues of $4.2 billion grew 2% year over year. AON’s quarterly results were supported by strong organic revenue growth, healthy client retention, operating margin expansion and disciplined execution. Solid performance across the Commercial Risk, Reinsurance and Health Solutions businesses was partly offset by weakness in Wealth Solutions. Hartford delivered second-quarter fiscal 2026 earnings per share of $3.42, up 6% year over year and above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.12 by 9.6%. Revenues came in at $5.23 billion, which improved 6.8% year over year. HIG’s quarterly results benefited from higher investment income, premium growth in Business Insurance and improving Personal Insurance profitability. Strong new business expansion in Small Business and favorable pricing trends supported results. However, the upside was partly offset by an increased expense level, higher catastrophe losses and weaker Employee Benefits profitability. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report MarketAxess Holdings Inc. (MKTX) : Free Stock Analysis Report The Hartford Insurance Group, Inc. (HIG) : Free Stock Analysis Report RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. (RNR) : Free Stock Analysis Report Aon plc (AON) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com). Zacks Investment Research

Hartford’s second quarter was shaped by robust underwriting results across its core business insurance and employee benefits segments, as well as disciplined execution in personal insurance. Management highlighted that automation and AI-enabled underwriting capabilities supported premium growth and improved combined ratios, especially in small commercial lines. CEO Christopher Swift pointed to the company’s “commitment to a superior customer experience” and differentiated risk selection as key themes for the quarter. The sale of Hartford Funds and a new share repurchase authorization were also central to the company’s capital management strategy this period. Is now the time to buy HIG? Find out in our full research report (it’s free). Revenue: $7.26 billion vs analyst estimates of $7.24 billion (8.1% year-on-year growth, in line) Adjusted EPS: $3.42 vs analyst estimates of $3.14 (8.9% beat) Market Capitalization: $39.46 billion While we enjoy listening to the management’s commentary, our favorite part of earnings calls is the analyst questions. Those are unscripted and can often highlight topics that management teams would rather avoid or topics where the answer is complicated. Here is what has caught our attention. Andrew Kligerman (TD Cowen) questioned whether recent reserve additions in general liability and commercial auto reflect a one-time event or signal a longer-term trend. CFO Beth Costello responded that the reserve increases were modest and not indicative of a chronic issue, citing ongoing stability in the underlying book. Brian Meredith (UBS) asked about the impact of fire losses on commercial lines and whether higher loss ratios were due to changes in business mix. Costello clarified that loss ratio changes were primarily a result of mix shifts toward national accounts and commercial auto, not a change in loss trend assumptions. Michael Zaremski (BMO Capital Markets) pressed for insight on the stability of forward loss trend expectations in casualty lines. Costello indicated that there was a very minor impact from recent developments and no significant change in outlook for loss trends. Gregory Peters (Raymond James) explored competitive pressures in personal insurance and the rollout of new agency products. CEO Swift and Personal Lines Head Melinda Thompson noted agency channel growth and strategic product expansion, but acknowledged ongoing headwinds in direct channels. Taylor Scott (Barclays) inquired about Hartford’s capital management strategy following the funds transaction and the rationale for the increased share repurchase authorization. CFO Costello explained that the buyback was sized to reflect both expected proceeds from the sale and organic business growth. Looking ahead, the StockStory team will be monitoring (1) Hartford’s ability to sustain underwriting margins and premium growth amid competitive pressures, particularly in personal insurance; (2) the integration and impact of AI-enabled underwriting and claims automation on expense ratios and productivity; and (3) tangible benefits from the sale of Hartford Funds and the expanded share repurchase program. Further, developments in employee benefits and investment income trends will be important markers of execution. Hartford currently trades at $145.37, up from $142.18 just before the earnings. At this price, is it a buy or sell? The answer lies in our full research report (it’s free for active Edge members). ALSO WORTH WATCHING: Top 5 Momentum Stocks. The best time to own a great stock is when the market is finally noticing it. These aren’t just high-quality businesses. Something is happening with them right now. Elite fundamentals meet near-term momentum — both boxes checked at the same time. Find out which stocks our AI platform is flagging this week. See this week’s Strong Momentum stocks — FREE. Get Our Strong Momentum Stocks for Free HERE. Stocks that have made our list include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,460% between June 2020 and June 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-small-cap company Comfort Systems (+1,154% between June 2020 and June 2025). Find your next big winner with StockStory today.

Interested in The Hartford Insurance Group, Inc.? Here are five stocks we like better. The Hartford reported second-quarter 2026 core earnings of $945 million, or $3.42 per share, with an 18.7% trailing 12-month core earnings ROE. The company also announced a new $4.2 billion share-repurchase program through December 2028 and plans to sell Hartford Funds to Wellington Management. Business Insurance and Personal Insurance both showed solid underwriting performance. Business Insurance premiums rose 5% and the segment posted an 89.3 underlying combined ratio, while Personal Insurance improved to an 86.3 underlying combined ratio despite a 7% decline in written premiums. Management highlighted reserve strengthening in general liability and commercial auto due to higher-severity claims, but said the impact was modest. Meanwhile, Employee Benefits and net investment income both helped support results, with investment income up 22% year over year to $800 million. 3 Insurance Stocks Hitting 52-Week Highs With More Room to Run The Hartford Insurance Group (NYSE:HIG) reported second-quarter 2026 core earnings of $945 million, or $3.42 per diluted share, as strength in its commercial insurance, employee benefits and investment operations supported results. The insurer’s trailing 12-month core earnings return on equity was 18.7%, while book value per share excluding accumulated other comprehensive income rose 7% from year-end to $78.91. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Chris Swift said the company’s results reflected the strength of its property-and-casualty and Employee Benefits franchises, distribution relationships and customer-service capabilities. The Hartford also announced an agreement to sell Hartford Funds to Wellington Management, characterizing the business as a non-core long-term investment. → Could Truth API Become Trump Media’s First Meaningful Revenue Driver? The board authorized a new $4.2 billion share-repurchase program through December 2028, in addition to approximately $650 million remaining under the prior authorization as of June 30. Chief Financial Officer Beth Costello said the company repurchased 3.4 million shares for $450 million during the quarter and expects to raise quarterly repurchases to $475 million for the rest of 2026. Business Insurance generated core earnings of $695 million, with written premiums increasing 5% and an underlying combined ratio of 89.3. Small Business written premiums rose 7%, supported by double-digit growth in package products and excess-and-surplus binding business. Its underlying combined ratio improved 2.5 points from a year earlier to 86.5, primarily due to lower non-catastrophe property losses and improved operating leverage. → GE Vernova Just Sent a Mixed AI Signal to Investors Middle and Large business premiums increased 4%, while its underlying combined ratio was 95.3. Costello said results included elevated non-catastrophe property losses, including several large fire losses, as well as a business mix shift toward National Accounts and commercial auto. She said the company expects the full-year Middle and Large underlying combined ratio to be roughly a point better than its 93.3 year-to-date level if non-catastrophe property losses normalize in the second half. Global Specialty premiums grew 4%, and the segment reported an 85.8 underlying combined ratio. The ratio increased from the previous year because of a higher international loss ratio and technology-related expenses. Swift said the business continued to see momentum in wholesale excess casualty and auto, bond, and financial lines. → D-Wave Quantum or a Quantum ETF: Which Is the Better Bet? Business Insurance renewal written pricing excluding workers’ compensation was 5.8%, relatively consistent with prior trends. Commercial auto and general liability rates remained above loss trends, while umbrella and excess lines achieved some of the strongest increases across the portfolio. Property pricing moderated, particularly in large property, although Swift said aggregate pricing in Small Business package and middle-market general-industry property remained in the mid-single digits. Morris Tooker, president of Commercial Lines, said increased competition affected Middle and Large retention, rather than any targeted pruning following reserve actions. He added that The Hartford has reduced its shared-and-layered large-property book to less than $25 million as pricing in that market no longer met the company’s benchmarks. The company reported favorable prior-year reserve development in workers’ compensation, catastrophes, bond and Personal Insurance, partly offset by increases in general liability and commercial auto liability reserves. Costello said general liability prior-year reserves increased by $46 million during the quarter, primarily because of a higher frequency of large losses in excess casualty and umbrella lines across several accident years. The affected periods included 2017 through 2019 and 2022 and 2023, with no addition to accident year 2025, she said. Commercial auto liability reserves rose as adverse development in accident years 2023 and 2024 pointed to higher severity than previously estimated. Costello said the company is seeing more attorney representation and time-limit demands in claims that previously may have involved more minor accidents and injuries. Management described the changes as modest relative to the reserve base and said the reserve review process was unchanged. Costello said the effect on expected forward loss trends was minimal, amounting to tenths of basis points. Current accident-year property-and-casualty catastrophe losses totaled $222 million before tax, compared with $212 million a year earlier. The catastrophe ratio remained unchanged at 4.9 combined-ratio points. Personal Insurance produced $128 million in core earnings and an 86.3 underlying combined ratio, an improvement of 1.7 points from the second quarter of 2025. Auto’s underlying combined ratio improved 1.9 points as earned pricing continued to exceed loss trends, while home results were supported by underwriting execution and low-double-digit pricing. Written premiums in Personal Insurance declined 7%, including a 10% decline in auto and flat home premiums, amid elevated competition for new business. Agency business grew 7% from a year earlier. Renewal written pricing increased 5.5% in auto and 10.4% in home, while auto policy retention improved slightly and home retention was relatively stable. The Personal Insurance expense ratio rose to 26.3 from 25.1 a year earlier, driven by lower earned premiums and higher commissions associated with a growing agency-business mix. Swift said the company’s contemporary agency product was available in 23 states following its July rollout and is expected to reach 30 states by early 2027. He said direct-channel growth is likely to face continued pressure amid high customer shopping activity and strong competition. Employee Benefits earned $139 million in core earnings, producing a 7.4% core earnings margin. Fully insured premium growth benefited from sales execution and persistency in the low 90s. Group life performance was described as excellent, while disability performance was solid. The group disability loss ratio increased 6.3 points to 74.8%, reflecting increased claim incidence across short- and long-term disability. Mike Fish, head of Employee Benefits, said behavioral-health claims were rising somewhat more than other diagnoses in short-tail lines. Paid family and medical leave utilization was also higher in newly launched states and in some longer-established states, though Fish said the company continues to apply rate increases to the book. Net investment income climbed 22% year over year to $800 million, driven by income from limited partnerships and other alternative investments, along with a higher level of invested assets. Annualized limited partnership returns were 7.6% before tax, supported by real estate joint-venture sales and infrastructure and energy-transition funds. The Hartford expects full-year net investment income to increase, with overall portfolio yields broadly in line with 2025. The Hartford Financial Services Group, commonly known as The Hartford, is a U.S.-based insurance and investment company that provides a broad range of commercial and personal insurance products and employee benefits. Its core businesses include property and casualty insurance for businesses and individuals, group benefits such as group life, disability and dental plans, and retirement and investment solutions offered through affiliated asset-management operations. The company also delivers risk management, claims-handling and loss-prevention services designed to support policyholders across a variety of industries. Founded in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1810, The Hartford is one of the oldest insurance organizations in the United States and has a long history of underwriting and product development across multiple insurance lines. This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected]. The article "The Hartford Insurance Group Q2 Earnings Call Highlights" was originally published by MarketBeat. View MarketBeat's top stocks for July 2026.