The company will pay a quarterly dividend of 99 cents per outstanding common share, compared to 90 cents in the fourth quarter of 2024.IA saw “strong and profitable growth across all business segments in the fourth quarter,” Denis Ricard, president and CEO of the firm, said in a statement. He noted that the recent acquisition of RF Capital Group Inc. is “performing ahead of our initial expectations,” strengthening iA’s position in wealth management.In the Canadian insurance segment, core earnings came in at ...

Core Viewpoint - Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) is anticipated to show an increase in revenues but a decline in earnings for the fourth quarter of 2025, with revenues expected to reach $102.9 billion, reflecting an 8.4% year-over-year growth, while earnings per share are projected at $5.19, indicating a 22.9% decrease from the previous year [1][2][7]. Revenue and Earnings Estimates - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BRK.B's fourth-quarter revenues is $102.9 billion, marking an 8.4% increase from the prior year [1]. - The consensus estimate for earnings is $5.19 per share, unchanged over the past 30 days, suggesting a year-over-year decline of 22.9% [2]. Earnings Surprise History - Berkshire Hathaway has a mixed earnings surprise history, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate in two of the last four quarters, with an average surprise of 19.18% [3]. Earnings Prediction Model - The current model does not predict an earnings beat for BRK.B, as it lacks the necessary combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a favorable Zacks Rank [4][5]. Factors Influencing Q4 Results - The insurance operations are expected to benefit from improved pricing, strong policy retention, and higher average auto premiums, while underwriting profitability may have been supported by a mild catastrophe environment [6][7]. - GEICO is likely to report gains from increased policies, higher premiums, and improved operating efficiencies [8]. - The railroad subsidiary, BNSF, may face challenges from an unfavorable business mix but could see support from higher unit volumes and reduced operating expenses [9]. - The utilities and energy segment is expected to perform strongly due to increased contributions from natural gas pipelines [9]. - The Service and Retail divisions are likely to benefit from a strengthening economic backdrop, contributing to revenue growth and margin expansion [10]. Valuation and Performance - BRK.B's stock has outperformed the industry but underperformed compared to the sector and the S&P 500 in Q4 2025 [11]. - The stock is trading at a price-to-book value of 1.55X, which is lower than the industry's 1.48X, indicating attractive valuation compared to other insurers [12]. Business Model and Financial Stability - The insurance operations are a core component of Berkshire's business model, accounting for approximately one-quarter of total revenues and serving as a key growth engine [12]. - The insurance float has increased from around $114 billion in 2017 to $176 billion by Q3 2025, providing a low-cost capital source for investments [17]. - Berkshire's strong financial position supports steady share repurchases, contributing to long-term shareholder value [18]. Investment Considerations - Berkshire Hathaway's diversified business model offers stability and potential growth, particularly in its insurance segment, which is expected to benefit from solid results at GEICO and higher interest income [19]. - However, factors such as premium valuation, unfavorable return on capital, and expected earnings decline suggest caution for investors considering BRK.B stock at this time [20].

NMI Holdings (NMIH) appears an attractive pick, as it has been recently upgraded to a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). This rating change essentially reflects an upward trend in earnings estimates -- one of the most powerful forces impacting stock prices.A company's changing earnings picture is at the core of the Zacks rating. The system tracks the Zacks Consensus Estimate -- the consensus measure of EPS estimates from the sell-side analysts covering the stock -- for the current and following years.Since a changing ear ...

Core Insights - UnitedHealth Group faced significant challenges in the previous year, including leadership changes and a government investigation into its Medicare billing practices [1] - The company has taken proactive measures to address its issues, including the return of former CEO Stephen Hemsley and the initiation of an independent study to improve its processes [2] - Rising healthcare costs and increased service utilization have negatively impacted UnitedHealth's earnings growth, prompting the company to adjust its pricing and cut certain plans [5] Company Actions - UnitedHealth's independent study found its processes to be "robust," while also providing recommendations for further improvement [7] - The company aims to focus on execution and anticipates increased momentum in its growth trajectory through 2027 [6] Industry Challenges - A new challenge has emerged with the Trump administration's proposal to keep Medicare Advantage payment rates flat in 2027, which could affect the profitability of insurers [8] - The proposed increase in payment rates by only 0.09% for the upcoming year raises concerns about the financial sustainability of insurers like UnitedHealth [8]

There is a wrecking ball bouncing from one stock market industry to the next and folks are calling it the “AI Scare Trade”.Any whiff of how Artificial Intelligence (AI) could potentially disrupt an existing business model or service, and stocks plunge lower. We discussed this in last week’s Ethos, “Mixed signals”, as new functionalities on Anthropic AI services impacted the software space generally. This spread to legal and other services.  This past week, the AI wrecking ball visited wealth services, r ...

The upcoming report from Skyward Specialty Insurance (SKWD) is expected to reveal quarterly earnings of $0.93 per share, indicating an increase of 16.3% compared to the year-ago period. Analysts forecast revenues of $374 million, representing an increase of 22.9% year over year.The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has undergone a downward revision of 2.9% in the past 30 days, bringing it to its present level. This represents how the covering analysts, as a whole, have reassessed their initial estimate ...

U.S. Auto Insurance Policy Shopping and New Business Growth Continue to Break Records in Q4 with "Hot" Readings on the LexisNexis® U.S. Insurance Demand Meter [Accessibility Statement] Skip NavigationATLANTA, Feb. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Shopping for U.S. auto insurance remained in high gear through the fourth quarter of 2025, according to the latest [U.S. Insurance Demand Meter] from [LexisNexis® Risk Solutions.] The quarterly year-over-year shopping growth registered "Hot", rising to 6.9% on the Demand M ...

Sompo Holdings, Inc. has reportedly received the necessary antitrust and insurance regulatory approvals required to complete its acquisition of 100% of the issued Class A ordinary shares of Aspen Insurance through a wholly owned subsidiary of Sompo International Holdings Ltd. (SIH).In August last year, SIH agreed to acquire all outstanding Class A ordinary shares of Aspen Insurance in a $3.5 billion transaction.The announcement prompted AM Best to place the Financial Strength Rating of Sompo Japan Insurance ...

Verisk Analytics (NasdaqGS:VRSK) Q4 2025 Earnings call February 18, 2026 08:30 AM ET Speaker11Good day everyone, and welcome to the Verisk fourth quarter 2025 earnings results conference call. This call is being recorded. Currently, all participants are in a listen-only mode. After today's prepared remarks, we will conduct a question and answer session where we will limit participants to one question so that we can allow everyone to ask a question. We will have further instructions for you at that time. For ...

[CNOinc.com].SOURCE CNO Financial Group## 21%[more press release views with Request a Demo]## Also from this source### CNO Financial Group Declares $0.17 Quarterly Dividend and Announces Virtual Annual Meeting Date[CNO Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE: CNO) announced today that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.17 per share on the...]### CNO Financial Group Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Results[CNO Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE: CNO) today reported its fourth quarter a ...