Brighthouse Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ:BHF) ranks among the best cheap rising stocks to invest in now. In response to rumors of a possible acquisition, Raymond James reaffirmed its Strong Buy rating and $72 price target on Brighthouse Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ:BHF) on September 19. According to Bloomberg, discussions are underway for Aquarian and other investors to acquire Brighthouse Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ:BHF) for $65-70 per share, which could value the company’s equity at close to $4 billion. The report c ...

McKinney, Texas-based Globe Life Inc. (GL) provides various life and supplemental health insurance products and annuities to lower-middle and middle-income families. With a market cap of approximately $11.9 billion, Globe Life operates through Life Insurance, Supplemental Health Insurance, Annuities, and Investments segments. Companies worth $10 billion or more are generally described as "large-cap stocks." GL fits right into that category, with its market cap exceeding this threshold, reflecting its subs ...

Industry Overview - The Zacks Life Insurance industry includes companies providing life insurance coverage and retirement benefits, with products such as annuities, whole and term life insurance, and health insurance [2] - The life insurance market is projected to grow, with gross written premiums expected to reach $1.34 trillion by 2025, driven by increasing demand for protection products and retirement benefits due to a rising number of baby boomers [2] - The industry is experiencing accelerated technology adoption, although rising mortality trends may impact profitability [2] Trends Impacting the Industry - The Federal Reserve has lowered interest rates by 25 basis points to a range of 4%-4.25%, with indications of further cuts, which may challenge life insurers as they invest premiums to meet guaranteed obligations [3][4] - Life insurance sales are expected to grow by 2%-6% in 2025, with new annualized premium growth across various life insurance products [3] - Insurers are redesigning products to focus on bundled covers that provide living benefits, reflecting customer preferences [4] Technological Advancements - The U.S. life insurance market is shifting towards digital platforms, with insurers leveraging AI and machine learning for customized coverages and premium calculations [5] - Increased automation is anticipated to enhance premium growth and operational efficiency, while also helping to manage costs [5] Industry Performance - The Zacks Life Insurance industry currently holds a Zacks Industry Rank of 73, placing it in the top 30% of 255 Zacks industries, indicating strong near-term prospects [7][8] - Year-to-date, the Life Insurance industry has underperformed compared to the Finance sector and the S&P 500, with a collective gain of 0.1% against 14.7% and 13.8% respectively [9] Valuation Metrics - The industry is trading at a trailing 12-month price-to-book (P/B) ratio of 1.91X, compared to the S&P 500's 8.7X and the Finance sector's 4.36X [11] Company Highlights - **Aviva**: Expected earnings growth of 23.6% and 13.2% for 2025 and 2026 respectively, with a strong performance across all business lines [16][17] - **Primerica**: Anticipated earnings growth of 8.1% and 8.5% for 2025 and 2026, benefiting from strong demand for protection products [20][21] - **Lincoln Financial**: Projected earnings growth of 5.8% and 3.2% for 2025 and 2026, supported by a recovering Group Protection business [24][25] - **Voya Financial**: Expected earnings growth of 26.3% for 2025, driven by a focus on high-growth, capital-light businesses [28][29] - **Jackson Financial**: Anticipated earnings growth of 8.8% and 8.6% for 2025 and 2026, with a strong focus on diversified product sales [32][33]

Market Overview - The current market is characterized by a split, with gold prices rising, bonds declining, and stocks fluctuating as new sectors emerge to replace technology [1] - The end of a historic yield-curve inversion and a potential Federal Reserve cutting cycle are significant for investors, particularly in precious metals and bonds [1][2] Gold and Bonds - Traditional bond benchmarks may not provide the safety that investors expect, while gold is experiencing a breakout due to renewed deflation risks [2] - Central bank gold buying and ETF flows are important factors for investors to consider when balancing inflation and deflation in their portfolios [2] Dollar and Inflation - The purchasing power of the dollar has decreased by nearly 50% over the past 25 years, while gold has increased by over 1,052% in the same period [4][5] - The dollar's decline is attributed to expansive monetary policies and rising national debt, which has grown from $5.6 trillion in 2000 to over $36.2 trillion in 2025 [8][9] Primerica Inc. (PRI) Performance - Primerica provides term life insurance and has shown strong historical performance, with earnings per share (EPS) growing at a compound annual rate of 15.6% over the past decade [10] - As of June 30, Primerica insured over 5.5 million lives and had approximately three million client investment accounts, with total adjusted operating revenue increasing by 7.4% year-over-year to $796 million [11] - The company's adjusted EPS of $5.46 grew 10.3% compared to the previous year, exceeding analyst consensus by $0.26 [12] - Primerica is expected to grow EPS at about 10% annually over the next five years, driven by sales force expansion and share repurchases [13]

Core Viewpoint - Prudential Financial, Inc. (PRU) is currently experiencing a short-term bullish trend as it trades above its 50-day simple moving average (SMA), which is a key indicator for identifying support and resistance levels [1] Price Performance - Year-to-date, Prudential Financial shares have declined by 8%, underperforming the Finance sector and the Zacks S&P 500 Composite, which grew by 12.5% and 9.8% respectively [2] - The company's market capitalization stands at $38.4 billion, with an average trading volume of 1.6 million shares over the last three months [2] Valuation Metrics - Prudential Financial shares are trading at a price-to-forward 12-month earnings ratio of 7.58X, which is lower than the industry average of 9.15X, indicating that the shares are affordable compared to peers [4] Earnings Projections - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Prudential Financial's 2025 earnings per share indicates an 8.1% year-over-year increase, with revenue estimates at $55.73 billion [6] - For 2026, earnings per share and revenues are projected to rise by 8.5% and 4.2% respectively from the 2025 estimates [9] Analyst Sentiment - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 earnings has increased by 1.4% in the past 30 days, while the estimate for 2026 has risen by 0.5% during the same period [10] Growth Drivers - Key growth drivers for Prudential include strong asset-based operations, gains in Group Insurance, and an expanding international presence, particularly in Japan, Brazil, and Malaysia [8][14] - The company ranks among the top five U.S. individual life insurers, supported by recurring premium growth and an expanded product mix [17] Financial Strategy - Prudential Financial is focused on enhancing shareholder value through consistent capital returns, having raised its dividend five times in the past five years, reflecting a 4.27% growth in payouts [19] - A $1 billion share buyback program was approved in December 2024, with $500 million remaining under authorization [19] Financial Challenges - The company faces challenges from prolonged low interest rates, rising expenses, and weaknesses in its group disability business, which pressure margin expansion [20] - As of June 30, 2025, total debt reached $20.9 billion, a 4% increase from the end of 2024, leading to a debt-to-equity ratio of 39.32%, higher than the industry average [22]

Group 1: Market Trends and Insights - Technology stocks experienced significant selling pressure as investors shifted focus from high-performing stocks to previously underperforming ones [1] - Nicholas Bohnsack discussed the implications of monetary policy, inflation trends, and labor market pressures, highlighting key investing themes for 2025 [2][3] - The current market environment is influenced by factors such as AI's growing impact and the realities of deglobalization, prompting a reevaluation of traditional investment strategies [3] Group 2: Stock Buybacks and Foreign Investment - US companies have announced a record $983.6 billion in stock buybacks this year, with the largest 20 companies accounting for nearly half of these repurchases [3] - Since 2006, foreign investments in US assets have exceeded US investments abroad by approximately $26 trillion, with nearly $2 trillion in foreign capital inflows recorded in 2023 [4] Group 3: Primerica Inc. Financial Performance - Primerica Inc. reported a 7.4% year-over-year increase in total adjusted operating revenue, reaching $796 million for the second quarter ended June 30 [9] - The company's adjusted EPS grew by 10.3% year-over-year to $5.46, surpassing analyst expectations by $0.26 [10] - Primerica is projected to achieve an annual EPS growth rate of about 10% over the next five years, driven by sales force expansion and share repurchases [11] Group 4: Investment Characteristics - The Tweedy, Browne Insider and Value ETF targets value, international, and small-cap stocks, focusing on low price-to-book and price-to-earnings multiples, share repurchases, and above-average dividend yields [12]

Group 1 - CNO Financial Group, Inc. will host an investor briefing focused on its Consumer Division on September 10, 2025 [1][2] - The event will feature presentations from the Consumer Division management team and will include a Q&A session with CEO Gary C. Bhojwani and Consumer Division President Scott Goldberg [2] - Participants can register for the event via the company's website and a replay will be available afterward [3][4] Group 2 - CNO Financial Group provides life and health insurance, annuities, financial services, and workforce benefits solutions, serving middle-income America [5] - The company manages 3.2 million policies and has total assets amounting to $37.3 billion [5] - CNO employs 3,400 associates and works with 4,900 exclusive agents and over 6,000 independent partner agents [5]

Financial Performance - Kansas City Life Insurance Company reported a net loss of $28.1 million or $2.90 per share in Q2 2025, a significant decline from a net income of $4.7 million or $0.49 per share in Q2 2024 [1] - For the first six months of 2025, the company recorded a net loss of $26.2 million or $2.71 per share, compared to a net income of $6.3 million or $0.65 per share in the same period of 2024 [3] Legal Settlement Impact - The primary reason for the decrease in net income in both Q2 and the first half of 2025 was the establishment of a legal settlement accrual of $35.5 million, net of tax, related to potential class action lawsuits [1][3] - Excluding the legal settlement accrual, net income for Q2 2025 would have been $7.5 million or $0.77 per share, and for the first six months, it would have been $9.3 million or $0.96 per share [2][4] Revenue Analysis - Total revenues for Q2 2025 were $122.3 million, slightly down from $122.5 million in Q2 2024, while revenues for the first six months of 2025 were $241.3 million, down from $249.8 million in the same period of 2024 [6] - The improvement in net income, when excluding the legal settlement accrual, was attributed to higher investment revenues and lower policyholder benefits, although this was partially offset by a decline in insurance revenues [2][4] Company Overview - Kansas City Life Insurance Company, established in 1895, is based in Kansas City, Missouri, and primarily provides financial protection through life insurance and annuities [5]

Core Viewpoint - CNO Financial Group reported strong second quarter results for 2025, with revenue and non-GAAP earnings per share exceeding analyst expectations, despite declines in net income compared to the previous year [1][5][7] Financial Performance - GAAP revenue reached $1,151.5 million, significantly higher than the estimated $747.81 million, marking an 8.0% increase year-over-year from $1,066.2 million in Q2 2024 [2][5] - Non-GAAP earnings per share were $0.87, slightly above the expected $0.86, but down 17.1% from $1.05 in Q2 2024 [2][7] - GAAP net income decreased by 21.1% compared to Q2 2024, while non-GAAP net operating income also fell [7][8] Business Overview - CNO Financial Group focuses on providing life and health insurance products primarily to middle-income Americans, operating through its Consumer and Worksite Divisions [3] - The company utilizes a mix of exclusive and independent agents along with direct marketing to distribute its products [3] Key Success Factors - The effectiveness of the agent and distribution strategy, prudent investment management, and product innovation are critical for the company's success [4] - The company is focusing on agent recruitment, sales growth, and the implementation of digital processes [4] Premium Growth - New annualized premiums increased by 17%, driven by a 22% rise in new life insurance premiums and an 11% increase in new health insurance premiums compared to Q2 2024 [6] - Both Consumer and Worksite divisions reported double-digit gains in new annualized premiums, with a notable increase in digital sales channels [6] Investment and Capital Management - Book value per share rose to $25.92, up 13.7% from $22.80 a year earlier, supported by a share buyback of 2.6 million shares totaling $100.0 million [9] - The company's statutory risk-based capital (RBC) ratio was 378%, indicating strong financial stability [9] Product Innovation - The company continues to innovate with new products, including indexed annuities with lifetime income guarantees and enhanced worksite offerings [10] - Technological advancements, such as accelerated underwriting for simplified life insurance, have contributed to operational improvements [10] Outlook - Management reaffirmed its fiscal 2025 outlook, aiming to improve operating return on equity by 150 basis points through 2027 [12] - The company anticipates further profitability growth through balanced business expansion and disciplined expense management [12]

Core Viewpoint - CNO Financial Group, Inc. will report its second quarter 2025 results on July 28, 2025, and will host a conference call to discuss these results on July 29, 2025 [1] Group 1: Conference Call Details - The conference call will take place at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time on July 29, 2025 [1] - Participants can register for the call to receive call details and a registrant ID for attendance tracking [2] - The call will also be available via a live webcast, accessible through the Investors section of the company's website [3] - A replay of the conference call will be available on the company's website after the event [4] Group 2: Company Overview - CNO Financial Group focuses on securing the future of middle-income America by providing life and health insurance, annuities, financial services, and workforce benefits solutions [5] - The company operates under several brands, including Bankers Life, Colonial Penn, Optavise, and Washington National, managing 3.2 million policies and holding total assets of $37.4 billion [5] - CNO employs 3,400 associates, 4,800 exclusive agents, and over 5,500 independent partner agents to assist customers with financial decisions [5]