As the Q4 earnings season wraps, let’s dig into this quarter’s best and worst performers in the life insurance industry, including Equitable Holdings (NYSE: EQH) and its peers.

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 slower Q4. As a group, revenues were in line with analysts’ consensus estimates.

Amidst this news, share prices of the companies have had a rough stretch. On average, they are down 8.2% since the latest earnings results.

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 $3.74 billion, down 5.2% year on year. This print fell short of analysts’ expectations by 4.4%. Overall, it was a softer quarter for the company with a significant miss of analysts’ revenue and EPS estimates.

Equitable Holdings delivered the slowest revenue growth of the whole group. The stock is down 15.4% since reporting and currently trades at $37.91.

Read our full report on Equitable Holdings here, it’s free.

Best Q4: Jackson Financial (NYSE: JXN)

Spun off from British insurer Prudential plc in 2021 after more than 60 years as its U.S. subsidiary, Jackson Financial (NYSE: JXN) offers annuity products and retirement solutions that help Americans grow and protect their retirement savings and income.

Jackson Financial reported revenues of $2.01 billion, up 719% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 4.4%. The business had an exceptional quarter with a solid beat of analysts’ revenue and EPS estimates.

Jackson Financial achieved the fastest revenue growth among its peers. Although it had a fine quarter compared its peers, the market seems unhappy with the results as the stock is down 10.6% since reporting. It currently trades at $104.54.

Is now the time to buy Jackson Financial? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Weakest Q4: Unum Group (NYSE: UNM)

Tracing its roots back to 1848 when financial security for workers was virtually non-existent, Unum Group (NYSE: UNM) provides workplace financial protection benefits including disability, life, accident, critical illness, dental and vision insurance primarily through employers.

Unum Group reported revenues of $3.25 billion, flat year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 1.1%. It was a disappointing 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 3.2% since the results and currently trades at $73.25.

Read our full analysis of Unum Group’s results here.

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 $4.28 billion, flat year on year. This print came in 2.9% below analysts' expectations. Overall, it was a slower quarter as it also recorded a miss of analysts’ revenue estimates and a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.

The stock is down 6% since reporting and currently trades at $106.85.

Read our full, actionable report on Aflac here, it’s free.

CNO Financial Group (NYSE: CNO)

Rebranded from Conseco in 2010 to signal a fresh start after navigating financial challenges, CNO Financial Group (NYSE: CNO) develops and markets health insurance, annuities, and life insurance products primarily targeting middle-income pre-retirees and retirees.

CNO Financial Group reported revenues of $1.01 billion, up 2.4% year on year. This result surpassed analysts’ expectations by 1.5%. Overall, it was a strong quarter as it also logged a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ revenue estimates.

The stock is down 4.2% since reporting and currently trades at $40.53.

Read our full, actionable report on CNO Financial Group here, it’s free.

Market Update

Late in 2025 into early 2026, there was hand wringing around artificial intelligence. For software companies, the fear was that AI would erode pricing power and compress margins as new tools made it easier to replicate what once required expensive enterprise platforms. Crypto investors had their own version of the same anxiety: if AI agents could trade, allocate capital, and manage wallets autonomously, what exactly was the long-term value of today’s crypto infrastructure?

These concerns triggered a noticeable rotation away from these sectors and into safer havens. But markets rarely dwell on one narrative for long. Spring 2026 came, and the focus shifted abruptly from technological disruption to geopolitical risk. The US’ conflict with Iran became the dominant driver of market psychology, and when geopolitics takes center stage, the script changes quickly. Investors stop debating growth rates and start worrying about oil supply, inflation, and global stability.

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.