Jackson Financial’s fourth quarter results surpassed Wall Street expectations for both revenue and non-GAAP earnings, yet the market responded with a significant negative move. Management attributed strong quarterly performance to continued growth in retail annuity sales, particularly through its RILA (Registered Index-Linked Annuity) and fixed index annuity products. CEO Laura Prieskorn highlighted that the company achieved the highest quarterly and annual retail annuity sales since becoming a public company, noting that “continued growth in RILA, combined with accelerated growth in our recently introduced fixed index annuity, have deepened our distribution relationships and diversified our business.” Management also pointed to the benefit of disciplined capital management and ongoing product innovation, but acknowledged that equity market dynamics and elevated surrender rates in variable annuities were headwinds.
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Revenue: $1.99 billion vs analyst estimates of $1.92 billion (711% year-on-year growth, 3.5% beat)
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Adjusted EPS: $6.61 vs analyst estimates of $5.86 (12.8% beat)
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Market Capitalization: $7.83 billion
While we enjoy listening to the management’s commentary, our favorite part of earnings calls are 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.
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Suneet Kamath (Jefferies) asked for more specific targets on minimum capital levels at the captive reinsurer Brooke Re. CFO Don Cummings explained the company’s diversified liability profile and noted that additional assets from the TPG partnership provide flexibility, but did not offer a quantitative target.
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Suneet Kamath (Jefferies) questioned the relatively low capital generation at Brooke Re given the favorable equity markets. Cummings cited elevated surrenders and market volatility as headwinds, emphasizing that Brooke Re is expected to be self-sustaining over time.
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Alex Scott (Barclays) inquired about the expected impact of the TPG partnership on retail annuity growth and net flows. CEO Laura Prieskorn and Cummings responded that while the partnership supports spread product sales, net flows may take several years to offset variable annuity outflows entirely.
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Alex Scott (Barclays) sought clarification on whether cash flows from the new Hickory Re structure could be distributed to the holding company. Cummings confirmed the intent to flow dividends up through Brooke Re, supporting overall capital flexibility.
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Thomas Gallagher (Evercore) pressed on the relationship between MRB assets and Brooke Re equity, and the ongoing impact of actuarial review charges. Cummings and Chief Actuary Lin Sun explained that updated lapse assumptions should reduce the risk of future negative surprises, but acknowledged the capital buffer must be monitored if high lapses persist.