The end of an earnings season can be a great time to discover new stocks and assess how companies are handling the current business environment. Let’s take a look at how Horace Mann Educators (NYSE: HMN) and the rest of the life insurance stocks fared in Q2.
Life insurance companies collect premiums from policyholders in exchange for providing a future death benefit or retirement income stream. 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. Additionally, favorable demographic shifts, such as an aging population, are driving strong demand for retirement products while AI and data analytics offer significant opportunities to improve underwriting accuracy and operational efficiency. Conversely, the industry faces headwinds from persistent competition from agile insurtechs that threaten traditional distribution models.
The 12 life insurance stocks we track reported a mixed Q2. As a group, revenues missed analysts’ consensus estimates by 8.2%.
In light of this news, share prices of the companies have held steady. On average, they are relatively unchanged since the latest earnings results.
Best Q2: Horace Mann Educators (NYSE: HMN)
Founded in 1945 and named after the 19th-century education reformer known as the "father of American public education," Horace Mann Educators (NYSE: HMN) is an insurance company that specializes in providing auto, property, life, and retirement products tailored for educators and other public service employees.
Horace Mann Educators reported revenues of $443.5 million, up 7.7% year on year. This print was in line with analysts’ expectations, and overall, it was a very strong quarter for the company with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.
Investor expectations, however, were likely higher than Wall Street’s published projections, leaving some wishing for even better results (analysts’ consensus estimates are those published by big banks and advisory firms, not the investors who make buy and sell decisions). The stock is down 1.1% since reporting and currently trades at $51.51.
Is now the time to buy Horace Mann Educators? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.
Weakest Q2: Brighthouse Financial (NASDAQ: BHF)
Spun off from MetLife in 2017 to focus specifically on retail financial products, Brighthouse Financial (NASDAQ: BHF) provides annuity contracts and life insurance products designed to help individuals protect wealth, generate income, and transfer assets.
Brighthouse Financial reported revenues of $2.10 billion, down 2.4% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 2%. It was a softer quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ book value per share estimates and a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.
As expected, the stock is down 3.3% since the results and currently trades at $59.81.
Read our full analysis of Brighthouse Financial’s results here.
Equitable Holdings (NYSE: EQH)
Tracing its roots back to 1859 as one of America's oldest financial institutions, Equitable Holdings (NYSE: EQH) provides retirement planning, asset management, and life insurance products through its two main franchises, Equitable and AllianceBernstein.
Equitable Holdings reported revenues of $3.73 billion, down 1.9% year on year. This result missed analysts’ expectations by 1.9%. Overall, it was a slower quarter as it also logged a narrow beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.
The stock is up 7.3% since reporting and currently trades at $51.75.
Read our full, actionable report on Equitable Holdings here, it’s free.
Aflac (NYSE: AFL)
Known for its iconic duck mascot that has quacked "Aflac!" in commercials since 2000, Aflac (NYSE: AFL) provides supplemental health and life insurance policies that pay cash benefits directly to policyholders for expenses not covered by their primary insurance.
Aflac reported revenues of $4.22 billion, down 6.9% year on year. This number met analysts’ expectations. Taking a step back, it was a satisfactory quarter as it also produced a solid beat of analysts’ book value per share estimates but EPS in line with analysts’ estimates.
The stock is down 4.8% since reporting and currently trades at $120.60.
Read our full, actionable report on Aflac here, it’s free.
Market Update
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 Strong Momentum Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.
