American International Group, Inc. offers insurance products for commercial, institutional, and individual customers in North America and internationally. It operates through three segments: General Insurance, Life and Retirement, and Other Operations. The General Insurance segment provides commercial and industrial property insurance, including business interruption and package insurance that cover exposure to made and natural disasters; general liability, environmental, commercial automobile liability, workers' compensation, excess casualty, and crisis management insurance products; and professional liability insurance. This segment offers marine, energy-related property insurance, aviation, political risk, trade credit, trade finance, and portfolio solutions, as well as operates reinsurance business; voluntary and sponsor-paid personal accident, and supplemental health products; and personal auto and personal property insurance. Its Life and Retirement segment offers individual retirement products, including variable, fixed index, and fixed annuities, as well as retail mutual funds; group retirement products comprising record-keeping, plan administrative and compliance services, financial planning, and advisory solutions; life insurance, including term and universal life insurance; and institutional markets products, which includes wrap products, structured settlement, pension risk transfer annuities, corporate and bank-owned life insurance, high net worth, and guaranteed investment contract products. It distributes its products through a network of brokers, agents, advisors, banks, and other distributors. The company was founded in 1919 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

AIG выглядит как крупный страховой бизнес с устойчивой прибылью, но без явного ускорения качества, которое обычно оправдывает более агрессивную переоценку. По P/E компания торгуется примерно на уровне медианы отрасли, что не даёт сильного аргумента ни за премию, ни за глубокий дисконт. При этом P/S и P/B ниже отраслевых ориентиров, что поддерживает идею умеренной недооценённости, особенно на фоне стабильной динамики этих мультипликаторов в последние кварталы. С другой стороны, P/FCF заметно выше медианы, а это сигнал, что свободный денежный поток оценивается рынком не дёшево и ограничивает потенциал апсайда. Рентабельность выглядит смешанно: ROA выше отрасли, но ROE и ROTЕ ниже, а маржи по чистой прибыли, операционной и валовой прибыли уступают медиане, что говорит о неидеальной эффективности капитала и бизнеса. Динамика маржинальности за год в целом стабильная, но не показывает убедительного улучшения, которое могло бы стать драйвером для более высокой оценки. Долговая нагрузка выглядит комфортно: debt/equity существенно ниже отраслевого уровня и почти не ухудшается, что снижает финансовые риски. Однако ликвидность слабая: current ratio ниже нормы, quick ratio фактически нулевой, и это типично для страховой модели, но всё же требует осторожности при оценке запаса прочности. Выручка, EBITDA, операционная прибыль и чистая прибыль остаются положительными и в целом держатся на устойчивом уровне, что подтверждает базовую операционную стабильность. При этом активы, обязательства и собственный капитал выглядят скорее стабильными, чем растущими, то есть баланс не даёт сильного сигнала к переоценке. Отсутствие дивидендной доходности сейчас убирает один из важных факторов поддержки акций для инвестора, ориентированного на доход. В совокупности фундаментал скорее поддерживает умеренно осторожный взгляд: бизнес качественный и прибыльный, но не настолько сильный по эффективности и денежной генерации, чтобы оправдать заметное повышение целевого ориентира. Поэтому корректировка должна быть небольшой и консервативной, с уклоном в сторону снижения оценки из-за дорогого P/FCF, слабых марж и отсутствия дивиденда.

American International Group, Inc. New

Сильный индекс, значительно упал. Быки в растерянности.

Strong index, significantly down. The bulls are confused.

Сильный индекс, без изменений. Рынок на стороне быков.

Strong index, flat. The market is on the bulls' side.

Средний индекс, значительно вырос. Увеличился приток средств в лонги.

Medium index, significantly up. The inflow of funds into longs has increased.

AIG выглядит устойчиво по прибыли и балансу, но слабые маржи, высокий P/FCF и отсутствие дивиденда ограничивают потенциал переоценки.

American International Group, Inc. AIG is a leading global property and casualty insurer that provides insurance and risk-management solutions to businesses and individuals in more than 200 countries and jurisdictions.
The company is well positioned for growth, supported by strategic portfolio optimization, expense-reduction initiatives, technology investments and a strong capital position. Despite these strengths, AIG shares have lost 12.7% over the past six months, underperforming the industry's 5.9% decline.
From a valuation standpoint, AIG is trading below its own historical levels. The stock currently carries a forward 12-month P/E of 9.02X, which is below its five-year median of 10.16X. However, it remains above the industry average of 8.8X, indicating that investors still have confidence in the company's long-term growth prospects despite the recent share price decline.
Courtesy of solid prospects, AIG currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
Where Do Estimates for AIG Stand?
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for American International’s 2026 earnings is pegged at $7.99 per share, indicating a 12.7% year-over-year rise. In the past 60 days, it has witnessed eight upward estimate revisions against none in the opposite direction.
The consensus mark for 2026 revenues is pegged at $29.16 billion, indicating a 6.2% year-over-year increase. It beat earnings estimates in each of the past four quarters, with an average surprise of 15.1%. AIG carries a Value Score of A.
American International Group, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
AIG’s Growth Drivers
Despite the recent decline in its share price, AIG has continued to deliver improvements across its core business. Below are the key factors supporting its ongoing turnaround.
The turnaround is being fueled by stronger underwriting results. In the first quarter of 2026, General Insurance underwriting income more than tripled year over year to $774 million, while the combined ratio improved 850 basis points to 87.3%. Net premiums written increased 24%, driven by growth across commercial and personal insurance businesses. Lower catastrophe losses and disciplined underwriting continue to support profitability.
Over the past few years, management has simplified the business and sharpened its focus on property and casualty insurance. The insurer exited several non-core operations, including Crop Risk Services. Validus Re and its travel insurance business. It also completed its exit from the life and retirement business through the sale of its remaining stake in Corebridge. These moves are reducing complexity, improving liquidity and freeing up capital for higher-return opportunities.
Ongoing cost-control efforts are helping improve operating efficiency. The General Insurance expense ratio improved 120 basis points year over year to 29.3% in the first quarter of 2026, keeping the insurer on track to achieve its target of reducing the ratio below 30% by 2027. The AIG Next program has generated annual run-rate savings of $500 million, supporting margin expansion.
Solid cash generation continues to support both growth initiatives and shareholder returns. During the first quarter of 2026, approximately $760 million was returned to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases. In April 2026, the quarterly dividend was raised by 11%, marking the fourth consecutive year of double-digit dividend growth and reinforcing management's commitment to disciplined capital allocation.
Risks for AIG Stock
While the company's fundamentals are improving, investors should keep an eye on a few risks.
AIG remains exposed to large catastrophe events that could pressure future earnings. Significant weather-related claims may increase earnings volatility and weigh on underwriting profitability. The company also ended the first quarter of 2026 with $9 billion in long-term debt, significantly higher than its cash balance of $1.5 billion. Adjusted ROE of 10.9% remained below the industry average of 16.2%, suggesting there is still room for improvement in capital efficiency.
Other Key Picks
Some other top-ranked stocks in the broader Finance space are First American Financial Corporation FAF, The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. THG and United Fire Group, Inc. UFCS, each sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for First American’s 2026 earnings is pegged at $6.81 per share, indicating 12.6% year-over-year growth. FAF beat earnings estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, with the average surprise being 22%. The consensus estimate for 2026 revenues is pinned at $8.03 billion, implying 7.8% year-over-year growth.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for The Hanover Insurance’s 2026 earnings is pegged at $18.36 per share, which has witnessed one upward revision in the past 30 days, with no movement in the opposite direction. THG beat earnings estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, with the average surprise being 28.5%. The consensus estimate for 2026 revenues is pinned at $6.95 billion, implying 4.7% year-over-year growth.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for United Fire’s 2026 earnings is pegged at $4.69 per share, indicating 2% year-over-year growth. UFCS beat earnings estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, with the average surprise being 68.8%. The consensus estimate for 2026 revenues is pinned at $1.53 billion, implying 10.5% year-over-year growth.
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AIG's Turnaround Continues Despite Stock Weakness: Time to Buy?

Shares of Everest Group, Ltd. EG closed at $336.25 on Thursday, near its 52-week high of $368.29. This proximity underscores investor confidence. It has the ingredients for further price appreciation.
The stock is trading above the 200-day simple moving average (SMA) of $330.11, indicating solid upward momentum. SMA is a widely used technical analysis tool to predict future price trends based on historical price data.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The insurer has a market capitalization of $13.3 billion. The average volume of shares traded in the last three months was 0.36 million.
EG’s Average Target Price Suggests Upside
Based on short-term price targets offered by 16 analysts, the Zacks average price target is $385.25 per share. The average suggests a potential 14.6% upside from the last closing price.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
EG’s Attractive Valuation
EG’s shares are trading at a discount compared with the industry. Its price-to-book value of 0.87X is lower than the industry average of 2.57X.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Shares of other insurers like American International Group AIG, Aegon NV AEG and Assurant, Inc. AIZ are trading at a discount to the industry average.
EG’s Growth Projection
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Everest Group’s 2026 EPS is pinned at $52.79, indicating a year-over-year increase of 18.5%. The estimate for 2026 revenues is pegged at $16.18 billion, implying a year-over-year decline of 7.5%.
The consensus estimate for 2027 EPS indicates an increase of 13.6%, while revenues indicate a decrease of 2.7% from the corresponding 2026 estimates.
EG’s earnings grew 18% in the last five years, better than the industry average of 10.4%.
The expected long-term earnings growth is pegged at 12.4%.
Mixed Analyst Sentiment on EG
Two of the three analysts have raised estimates for 2026, while one of the two has increased estimates for 2027 over the past 30 days. Thus, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 and 2027 earnings has moved south 0.2% and north 0.3%, respectively, over the same period.
What Drives EG?
Everest's core Reinsurance Treaty business remains a major earnings driver. The segment generated $315 million of underwriting income, versus a $122 million loss a year earlier, while the combined ratio improved 1,750 basis points to 87.2% in the first quarter of 2026, reflecting disciplined underwriting and favorable reserve development. The Global Wholesale & Specialty segment turnaround is gaining momentum. Gross written premiums increased 2.9% to $793 million, while the attritional loss ratio improved 380 bps to 58.9% in the first quarter, driven by stronger underwriting and a shift toward higher-margin Specialty and Accident & Health businesses.
Everest continues to improve portfolio quality by reducing casualty exposures and maintaining conservative reserve practices. Management reported no material adverse U.S. casualty reserve developments and favorable property reserve releases, reflecting disciplined risk management.
Net investment income increased 15.5% to $567 million in the first quarter of 2026, supported by strong alternative investment returns and growth in the fixed-income portfolio. Higher limited partnership income and expanding assets under management are expected to support investment returns.
Everest Group is actively scaling operations in markets such as Mexico, Colombia, Australia, and Italy, targeting regions with strong insurance demand and underpenetrated segments. Mexico and Colombia offer growth opportunities driven by rising insurance adoption and demand for customized solutions, while Australia and Italy provide exposure to developed markets with increasing need for specialty and non-life coverage.
Everest expects meaningful capital release from the sale of its Commercial Retail Insurance business to AIG and the runoff of legacy operations, which should boost capital efficiency and shareholder returns. Additionally, the growing Mt. Logan platform, with more than $2.6 billion in assets under management, is helping expand underwriting capacity while enhancing capital efficiency and returns. As of March 31, 2026, cash and cash equivalents rose 7.4% year over year to $ 1.4 billion. In the quarter, EG repurchased $331 million of shares and paid $80 million in dividends. Management expects a minimum quarterly buyback pace of $300 million throughout 2026.
Risks for EG Stock
Property catastrophe reinsurance pricing continues to soften, which may weigh on premium growth and margins despite favorable policy terms.
Everest Group faces foreign exchange risk as it operates in currencies such as the euro, pound, and Canadian dollar while reporting in U.S. dollars.
Everest remains vulnerable to large catastrophe losses and geopolitical events. Management noted that events such as the Iran conflict can create earnings volatility, while natural disasters continue to pose risks to underwriting profitability.
Conclusion
Everest Group is poised for growth in underwriting discipline, international insurance expansion, a rise in investment income and financial flexibility. However, foreign exchange volatility, geopolitical tensions and catastrophe losses continue to be concerns.
It is, therefore, wise to retain this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock presently. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Beyond Nvidia: AI's Second Wave Is Here
The AI revolution has already minted millionaires. But the stocks everyone knows about aren't likely to keep delivering the biggest profits. AI’s second wave is moving from infrastructure to implementation and these companies are at the forefront of this transition, positioned to become what Amazon and Google were to the internet era.
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Aegon NV (AEG) : Free Stock Analysis Report
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

EG Stock Trades Near 52-Week High: Should Investors Exit or Hold?

All investors love getting big returns from their portfolio, whether it's through stocks, bonds, ETFs, or other types of securities. But for income investors, generating consistent cash flow from each of your liquid investments is your primary focus.
Cash flow can come from bond interest, interest from other types of investments, and of course, dividends. A dividend is that coveted distribution of a company's earnings paid out to shareholders, and investors often view it by its dividend yield, a metric that measures the dividend as a percent of the current stock price. Many academic studies show that dividends make up large portions of long-term returns, and in many cases, dividend contributions surpass one-third of total returns.
Hancock Whitney in Focus
Headquartered in Gulfport, Hancock Whitney (HWC) is a Finance stock that has seen a price change of -6.41% so far this year. The holding company of Whitney Bank and Hancock Bank is paying out a dividend of $0.45 per share at the moment, with a dividend yield of 3.51% compared to the Banks - Southeast industry's yield of 2.33% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.61%.
Taking a look at the company's dividend growth, its current annualized dividend of $1.80 is up 20% from last year. Hancock Whitney has increased its dividend 2 times on a year-over-year basis over the last 5 years for an average annual increase of 7.74%. Future dividend growth will depend on earnings growth as well as payout ratio, which is the proportion of a company's annual earnings per share that it pays out as a dividend. Hancock Whitney's current payout ratio is 30%. This means it paid out 30% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.
Earnings growth looks solid for HWC for this fiscal year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 is $5.48 per share, representing a year-over-year earnings growth rate of 3.01%.
Bottom Line
Investors like dividends for a variety of different reasons, from tax advantages and decreasing overall portfolio risk to considerably improving stock investing profits. It's important to keep in mind that not all companies provide a quarterly payout.
High-growth firms or tech start-ups, for example, rarely provide their shareholders a dividend, while larger, more established companies that have more secure profits are often seen as the best dividend options. Income investors have to be mindful of the fact that high-yielding stocks tend to struggle during periods of rising interest rates. With that in mind, HWC presents a compelling investment opportunity; it's not only an attractive dividend play, but the stock also boasts a strong Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).
Zacks' Research Chief Names "Stock Most Likely to Double"
Our team of experts has just released the 5 stocks with the greatest probability of gaining +100% or more in the coming months. Of those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian highlights the one stock set to climb highest.
This top pick is among the most innovative financial firms. With a fast-growing customer base (already 50+ million) and a diverse set of cutting edge solutions, this stock is poised for big gains. Of course, all our elite picks aren’t winners but this one could far surpass earlier Zacks’ Stocks Set to Double like Nano-X Imaging which shot up +129.6% in little more than 9 months.
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Are You Looking for a High-Growth Dividend Stock?

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Dan Caplinger has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Robert Brokamp, CFP has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Dividend ETFs vs. Bonds in Retirement: How to Balance Long-Term Income Growth and Short-Term Safety

American International Group, Inc. AIG recently agreed to acquire Everest Group, Ltd.’s EG insurance subsidiary in Colombia, a move that is expected to strengthen AIG’s footprint in Latin America and support long-term premium growth.
The transaction includes 100% of Everest Colombia’s equity, including its licensed operations, employees and ongoing insurance business. The acquisition gives AIG greater exposure to one of Latin America’s largest and fastest-growing insurance markets while expanding its commercial insurance capabilities in the region.
Everest Colombia primarily serves corporate and upper-middle-market clients, aligning well with AIG’s broader strategy to grow its commercial insurance operations across Latin America. The deal is also expected to enhance AIG’s local distribution network and deepen relationships with brokers and clients in Colombia. The transaction is expected to be closed in early 2027. Financial terms were not disclosed.
The divestiture marks another step in Everest’s ongoing strategy to streamline operations and sharpen focus on its core Global Reinsurance and Wholesale and Specialty Insurance businesses. The transaction follows Everest’s previously announced sale of its global Commercial Retail Insurance renewal rights to AIG, as well as the sale of its Canada Retail Insurance operations.
The acquisition is expected to support AIG’s efforts to expand its General Insurance business in key international markets. By adding an established local platform, experienced employees and an existing client base, AIG is positioned to accelerate growth in the Latin American market. In the first quarter of 2026, its General Insurance – International Commercial unit’s net premiums written increased 21% year over year to $2.5 billion. Also, its underwriting income increased 16% year over year to $278 million.
AIG’s Stock Price Performance
Shares of AIG have gained 2.1% over the past six months compared with the industry’s of 2.8% growth.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
AIG’s Zacks Rank & Key Picks
AIG currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Some better-ranked stocks in the broader Finance space are Hamilton Insurance Group, Ltd. HG, and First American Financial Corporation FAF, both sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Hamilton Insurance’s 2026 earnings is pegged at $2.87 per share, which moved up 49 cents over the past 30 days. HG beat earnings estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, with the average surprise being 84.8%. The consensus estimate for 2026 revenues is pinned at $2.87 billion.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for First American’s 2026 earnings is pegged at $6.83 per share, indicating 12.9% year-over-year growth. FAF beat earnings estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, with the average surprise being 22%. The consensus estimate for 2026 revenues is pinned at $8.05 billion, implying 8% year-over-year growth.
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AIG to Acquire Everest Colombia Unit, Expand Latin America Footprint

All investors love getting big returns from their portfolio, whether it's through stocks, bonds, ETFs, or other types of securities. However, when you're an income investor, your primary focus is generating consistent cash flow from each of your liquid investments.
Cash flow can come from bond interest, interest from other types of investments, and, of course, dividends. A dividend is the distribution of a company's earnings paid out to shareholders; it's often viewed by its dividend yield, a metric that measures a dividend as a percent of the current stock price. Many academic studies show that dividends make up large portions of long-term returns, and in many cases, dividend contributions surpass one-third of total returns.
Headquartered in New York, American International Group (AIG) is a Finance stock that has seen a price change of -9.37% so far this year. Currently paying a dividend of $0.45 per share, the company has a dividend yield of 2.32%. In comparison, the Insurance - Multi line industry's yield is 1.68%, while the S&P 500's yield is 1.45%.
Looking at dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $1.80 is up 2.9% from last year. Over the last 5 years, American International Group has increased its dividend 3 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 6.78%. Looking ahead, future dividend growth will be dependent on earnings growth and payout ratio, which is the proportion of a company's annual earnings per share that it pays out as a dividend. American International Group's current payout ratio is 22%, meaning it paid out 22% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.
AIG is expecting earnings to expand this fiscal year as well. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 is $7.95 per share, which represents a year-over-year growth rate of 12.13%.
Investors like dividends for many reasons; they greatly improve stock investing profits, decrease overall portfolio risk, and carry tax advantages, among others. But, not every company offers a quarterly payout.
For instance, it's a rare occurrence when a tech start-up or big growth business offers its shareholders a dividend. It's more common to see larger companies with more established profits give out dividends. Income investors have to be mindful of the fact that high-yielding stocks tend to struggle during periods of rising interest rates. With that in mind, AIG is a compelling investment opportunity. Not only is it a strong dividend play, but the stock currently sits at a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).
Radical New Technology Could Hand Investors Huge Gains
Quantum Computing is the next technological revolution, and it could be even more advanced than AI.
While some believed the technology was years away, it is already present and moving fast. Large hyperscalers, such as Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Oracle, and even Meta and Tesla, are scrambling to integrate quantum computing into their infrastructure.
Senior Stock Strategist Kevin Cook reveals 7 carefully selected stocks poised to dominate the quantum computing landscape in his report, Beyond AI: The Quantum Leap in Computing Power.
Kevin was among the early experts who recognized NVIDIA's enormous potential back in 2016. Now, he has keyed in on what could be "the next big thing" in quantum computing supremacy. Today, you have a rare chance to position your portfolio at the forefront of this opportunity.
See Top Quantum Stocks Now >>
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Why American International Group (AIG) is a Great Dividend Stock Right Now

Shares of Assurant, Inc. AIZ are trading at a discount compared with the industry. Its trailing 12-month price-to-book value of 2.19X is lower than the industry average of 2.55X, the finance sector's 4.28X, and the Zacks S&P 500 composite’s 8.08X.
The insurer has a market capitalization of $12.7 billion. The average volume of shares traded in the past three months was 0.4 million.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Shares of other insurers like American International Group AIG, Aegon Ltd AEG and Allianz SE ALIZY are trading at a discount to the industry average.
AIZ’s Price Performance
AIZ shares have gained 26.9% in the past year against the Multi-line Insurance industry’s decline of 0.9%. The Finance sector has declined, while the Zacks S&P 500 composite has gained in the same time frame.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Projections for AIZ
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Assurant’s 2026 earnings per share (EPS) is pinned at $21.01, indicating a year-over-year increase of 6.3%. The consensus estimate for revenues is pegged at $13.82 billion, implying a year-over-year improvement of 7.6%.
The consensus estimate for 2027 EPS and revenues indicates an increase of 8% and 7%, respectively, from the corresponding 2026 estimates.
Assurant’s Favorable Return on Capital
Return on equity in the trailing 12 months was 20.32%, better than the industry average of 16.17%. This highlights the company’s efficiency in utilizing shareholders’ funds.
ROIC in the trailing 12 months was 13.34%, better than the industry average of 2.19%, reflecting AIZ’s efficiency in utilizing funds to generate income.
Key Points to Note for AIZ
Assurant is focusing on growing fee-based, capital-light businesses that presently constitute 52% of segmental revenues. Management estimates this contribution will continue to grow at a double-digit rate over the longer term.
Connected Living remains a key growth engine, supported by expansion in mobile protection programs with Verizon/Total Wireless, T-Mobile, Best Buy Geek Squad, and Chase Card Services, along with international expansion. Strategic partnerships with carriers, retailers, and financial institutions are strengthening distribution. The company is expanding Connected Living through innovation and partnerships, targeting 8% margins over the long term.
Thus, for 2026, Global Lifestyle adjusted EBITDA is projected to increase approximately 10%, with contributions from Connected Living and Global Automotive. AIZ continues to expect growth within Global Lifestyle, where both Connected Living and Global Automotive are expected to expand.
The Housing business remains a key earnings pillar, driven by growth in lender-placed insurance, renters solutions, and favorable industry conditions supporting policy expansion. For 2026, Global Housing adjusted EBITDA, excluding reportable catastrophes, is projected to decline modestly.
Meanwhile, the Auto segment is stabilizing with improved loss experience from pricing actions and better claims management. Expansion across dealer networks, OEMs, and lending partners supports steady earnings growth.
Home Warranty is a new long-term growth vector. Management described Home Warranty as a path to market leadership, with an expected $15-–$20 million incremental investment in 2026 and a long-term profit opportunity. Assurant signed a long-term agreement with Compass International Holdings across six U.S. real estate brands, expanding its total addressable market and distribution reach.
AIZ has a solid capital management policy. It expects to deploy capital to fund investments, mergers and acquisitions. AIZ expects 2026 repurchases to be in the range of $250-$350 million. This represents an increase from last year's range of $200 million to $300 million.
Risks for AIZ
AIZ has been experiencing an increase in policyholder benefits, underwriting, general and administrative expenses and interest expense.
AIZ’s insurance operations remain exposed to claims arising from catastrophes and non-catastrophes, particularly in homeowners insurance, renters insurance and flood offerings.
Net investment income continues to decrease primarily due to reduced partnership income and lower yields on cash and short-term investments. Moreover, rate cuts by the Federal Reserve remain a concern for insurers.
Conclusion
AIZ has witnessed broad-based growth, improving margins, disciplined capital returns, and multiple new growth levers across Lifestyle, Housing, and Home Warranty, which favor its results. However, exposure to catastrophe risk, rising expenses, and decreasing investment income are the main concerns.
Higher return on capital, favorable growth estimates and attractive valuations should continue to benefit the insurer over the long term. It is, therefore, wise to retain this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
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Aegon NV (AEG) : Free Stock Analysis Report
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AIZ Trading at a Discount to Industry at 2.19X: Time to Buy or Hold?

(RTTNews) - American International Group (AIG) has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Everest Compaa de Seguros Generales Colombia S.A. or Everest Colombia, Everest Group Ltd.'s (EG) insurance subsidiary in Colombia. The subsidiaries of AIG will acquire 100 percent of the equity of Everest Colombia, including its licensed operations, employees and ongoing insurance business. The transaction is expected to close in early 2027.
"This agreement reflects our continued progress in executing our strategy and positioning Everest for sustained, long-term performance," said Jim Williamson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Everest.
At last close, Everest Group shares were trading at $355.82, up 1.18%.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

AIG To Acquire Everest Colombia

Markel Group Inc.MKL is strengthening its push toward AI-driven underwriting through a partnership between Markel International and hyperexponential to modernize rating, underwriting workflows and integration architecture across its Canadian business. The initiative reflects Markel Group’s broader strategy of building a more sophisticated AI-native underwriting environment while expanding hyperexponential’s presence in North American commercial property and casualty insurance markets.
As part of the partnership, Markel Canada has launched a purpose-built environmental rating capability on the hx platform, enabling a more streamlined and digital underwriting experience. The move shifts the company away from fragmented spreadsheet-based pricing systems toward a centralized workflow where underwriting data, pricing models and decision-making tools are integrated into a single platform. By reducing manual processes and unnecessary hand-offs, Markel Group aims to improve underwriting speed and support more informed risk-selection decisions.
The partnership is strategically important because underwriting quality remains one of the key profitability drivers in the commercial property and casualty insurance market. The AI-powered setup helps underwriters make faster, more informed decisions while reducing manual work. The platform can automatically pull data, support pricing calculations and simplify workflows, allowing employees to focus more on understanding risks and serving broker partners and clients.
The hx platform aligns with Markel Group’s broader long-term strategy of leveraging technology and AI to strengthen underwriting discipline and operational efficiency. As insurance products become more complex, the company is investing in technology to improve pricing accuracy, speed up policy decisions and support long-term operational efficiency. Continued modernization of underwriting capabilities is likely to enhance Markel Group’s competitive positioning while supporting long-term profitability and underwriting performance.
How Are Competitors Faring?
Peers like American International Group AIG and Allianz SE ALIZY are also accelerating investments in AI-driven underwriting through strategic partnerships.
AIG recently partnered with McGill and Partners to use agentic AI and real-time underwriting capabilities for specialty insurance portfolios, leveraging Palantir’s Foundry platform to improve risk assessment and underwriting efficiency. The initiative reflects the broader industry shift toward AI-powered underwriting workflows and data-driven decision-making in commercial insurance.
Allianz expanded its AI strategy through a global partnership with Anthropic, focused on agentic AI, underwriting automation and operational efficiency. The partnership aims to automate complex insurance workflows, improve claims and underwriting processes and build AI systems capable of supporting regulatory compliance and large-scale decision-making.
MKL’s Price Performance, Valuation & Estimates
Shares of MKL have declined 2.4% over the past year against the industry’s 1% growth .
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, MKL trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 15.37X, up from the industry average of 9.04X. MCY carries a Value Score of B.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 and 2027 earnings moved 3.2% and 0.5% south, respectively, in the last 30 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The consensus estimates for MCY’s 2026 and 2027 revenues & EPS indicate a year-over-year increase.
Markel Group currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
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Allianz SE (ALIZY) : Free Stock Analysis Report
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Markel Group Expands AI-Driven Underwriting With Hyperexponential

MetLife, Inc. MET reported first-quarter 2026 adjusted operating earnings per share (EPS) of $2.42, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 7.6%. The bottom line advanced 23% year over year.
Adjusted operating revenues improved 4.5% year over year to $19.7 billion. The top line surpassed the consensus mark by 2.4%.
MetLife’s first-quarter results benefited from improved net investment income, favorable underwriting results and solid business volume growth across segments. Growth in adjusted PFOs and strong performances in Group Benefits, Asia and EMEA also supported results. However, higher expenses, unfavorable tax-related items in Latin America and a wider-than-expected loss in the Corporate & Other unit partially offset the upside.
MetLife, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Behind the Headlines
Adjusted PFOs, excluding pension risk transfer (PRT), were $13.3 billion. The metric inched up 10% year over year.
Adjusted net investment income grew 5% year over year to $5.5 billion on the back of growth in assets and improved variable investment income.
Total expenses of $17.6 billion escalated 2% year over year due to increased policyholder benefits and claims, and other expenses, net of capitalization of DAC. Adjusted expense ratio, excluding total notable items related to adjusted other expenses and PRT, deteriorated 30 basis points year over year to 20.3%.
Net income of $1.1 billion rose 29.7% year over year in the first quarter. Adjusted return on equity, excluding total notable items, improved 260 bps year over year to 17%.
Inside MetLife’s Segments
Group Benefits: The segment reported adjusted earnings of $439 million in the first quarter, reflecting a 19% year-over-year increase and exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 22.5%. The strong performance was driven by improved underwriting results and continued business volume growth. Adjusted PFOs rose 2% year over year to $6.5 billion.
RIS: Adjusted earnings totaled $451 million, which inched up 11% year over year and beat the consensus mark by 6.4%. Improved variable investment income and favorable underwriting results benefited the metric. Adjusted PFOs, excluding PRT, advanced 58% year over year to $1.5 billion.
Asia: The unit recorded adjusted earnings of $487 million, which rose 31% year over year and beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 9.7%. The metric was supported by improved variable investment income and volume growth. Adjusted PFOs rose 3% year over year to $1.7 billion in the quarter.
Latin America: Adjusted earnings of $229 million increased 5% year over year on a reported basis but declined 9% year over year on a constant-currency basis. The metric exceeded the consensus estimate by 5.9%, driven by volume growth and favorable underwriting results, partially offset by unfavorable tax-related items. Adjusted PFOs were $1.9 billion, up 25% year over year on a reported basis and 11% on a constant-currency basis, driven by solid business growth and strong persistency across the region.
EMEA: The segment recorded adjusted earnings of $110 million in the first quarter, which advanced 33% year over year and beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 23%. Strong volumes aided the metric. Adjusted PFOs rose 19% year over year to $797 million on the back of solid policy renewal across the region.
Metlife Investment Management: The segment recorded adjusted earnings of $47 million, which advanced 68% year over year on the back of strong business growth and expense management. However, the metric missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 9.2%.
Corporate & Other: The unit incurred an adjusted loss of $177 million, wider than the prior-year quarter’s loss of $129 million.
Financial Update (as of March 31, 2026)
MetLife exited the first quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $22.7 billion, up from $22 billion at the end of 2025. Total assets were $743.2 billion as of March 31, 2026, compared with $745.2 billion as of 2025-end.
Long-term debt totaled $14.4 billion, slightly lower than $14.5 billion at the end of 2025, while short-term debt amounted to $404 million.
Total equity was $27.6 billion compared with $28.7 billion as of 2025-end. Book value per share increased 7.8% year over year to $37.92 as of March 31, 2026.
Capital Deployment Update
MetLife bought back shares worth $750 million in the first quarter. It pursued additional repurchases of roughly $200 million in April 2026. Management paid common stock dividends of $350 million in the quarter under review.
MET’s 2026 Outlook
Management still expects a pre-tax variable investment income of around $1.6 billion for 2026. The expense ratio was earlier projected to be 12.1%.
Corporate & Other adjusted losses were earlier projected to be between $500 million and $700 million. The effective tax rate was projected to be 24-26%.
Near-Term Targets
MetLife expects adjusted PFOs in the Group Benefits business to rise in the range of 4-7% annually. Adjusted PFOs in the Latin America unit are expected to witness high-single-digit growth on a constant-currency basis, while those in the EMEA unit are guided to grow at a high-single-digit rate on a reported basis.
MetLife aims to achieve an adjusted return on equity in the range of 15-17%. The company also expects to deliver double-digit adjusted EPS growth in the near term.
MET’s Zacks Rank
MET currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Performance of Other Insurers
Companies belonging to the broader Finance space, such as American International Group, Inc. AIG, AXIS Capital Holdings Limited AXS and Selective Insurance Group SIGI, have also posted their quarterly results. Here’s how they have performed:
American International reported first-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings per share of $2.11, which topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.90. The bottom line surged 80.3% year over year. American International’s adjusted operating revenues advanced 5.4% year over year to $6.97 billion. The top line beat the consensus mark by 1.2%. The strong quarterly performance was fueled by better underwriting, alongside lower catastrophe losses and a decline in total losses and expenses. However, the upside was partly offset by lower investment income.
AXIS Capital reported first-quarter 2026 operating income of $3.42 per share, which outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.23 and rose 7.9% year over year. Total operating revenues of $1.7 billion marginally beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.4%. The top line rose nearly 7.7% year over year on higher premiums earned. AXIS Capital’s quarterly results benefited from higher net premiums earned and stronger underwriting income, partly offset by lower net investment income and higher expenses.
Selective Insurance reported first-quarter 2026 operating income of $1.69 per share, which missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.3%. The bottom line decreased 11% year over year. SIGI’s operating revenues of $1.4 billion increased 6.4% from the year-ago quarter’s level, driven primarily by higher net premiums earned and net investment income. The top line missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.5%. Net premiums written decreased 1% to $1.3 billion, which matched our estimate.
Beyond Nvidia: AI's Second Wave Is Here
The AI revolution has already minted millionaires. But the stocks everyone knows about aren't likely to keep delivering the biggest profits. AI’s second wave is moving from infrastructure to implementation and these companies are at the forefront of this transition, positioned to become what Amazon and Google were to the internet era.
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MetLife, Inc. (MET) : Free Stock Analysis Report
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.