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Brighthouse Financial, Inc.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 23 February 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 1 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Quarterly net income and per-share result: Net income available to shareholders was $112 million, or $1.93 per diluted share, against $646 million, or $10.79, in the fourth quarter of 2024. Source
  • Adjusted earnings before notable items: Adjusted earnings, less notable items, were $227 million, or $3.93 per diluted share, against $352 million, or $5.88, a year earlier. Adjusted earnings were $214 million, or $3.70 per share. Source
  • Run-off swung to an adjusted loss: Run-off recorded an adjusted loss of $58 million, against an adjusted loss of $27 million a year earlier. The quarter included a $7 million unfavorable notable item. Source
  • Full-year annuity sales reached $10.3 billion: Full-year 2025 annuity sales were $10.3 billion, up 3% year over year, with record Shield Level Annuity sales. Source
  • Corporate expenses rose: Corporate expenses were $234 million pre-tax, up from $210 million a year earlier and $205 million in the third quarter. Full-year corporate expenses totaled $880 million, against $820 million in 2024. Source
  • Merger terms set at $70 per share: An affiliate of Aquarian Capital agreed to acquire the company for $70.00 per share in cash, valued at about $4.1 billion. The definitive agreement was announced on November 6, 2025. Source
  • Combined RBC ratio above target: The combined RBC ratio was 456% on preliminary statutory results, above the 400% to 450% target range in normal market conditions. Source

“The company anticipates volatility in net income (loss) given the differences between its hedge target and GAAP reserves, which are impacted by market performance.”

Brighthouse Financial, Inc., press release

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Combined RBC ratio target range Sourcenormal market conditions400% to 450%Kept

What changed from last quarter

  • New: Brighthouse Financial stockholders voted to adopt the merger agreement with an affiliate of Aquarian Capital at a special meeting. Source
  • New: A third-party reinsurance transaction covering certain universal life policies with secondary guarantees and certain term life policies was entered into in the fourth quarter. Source

Fourth quarter and full-year results

  • Quarterly net income and per-share result: Net income available to shareholders was $112 million, or $1.93 per diluted share, against $646 million, or $10.79, in the fourth quarter of 2024. Source
  • Adjusted earnings before notable items: Adjusted earnings, less notable items, were $227 million, or $3.93 per diluted share, against $352 million, or $5.88, a year earlier. Adjusted earnings were $214 million, or $3.70 per share. Source
  • Full-year results against 2024: Full-year net income available to shareholders was $331 million, or $5.71 per diluted share. Full-year adjusted earnings, less notable items, were $931 million, or $16.07, against $1,209 million, or $19.63, in 2024. Source

Segment results

  • Annuities earnings flat sequentially: Annuities adjusted earnings were $304 million, unchanged from the third quarter and up from $279 million in the fourth quarter of 2024. No notable items were recorded in the quarter. Source
  • Life earnings fell on underwriting margin: Life adjusted earnings were $18 million, down from $40 million in the third quarter and $52 million a year earlier. The release cites lower underwriting margin, lower net investment income and higher expenses. Source
  • Run-off swung to an adjusted loss: Run-off recorded an adjusted loss of $58 million, against an adjusted loss of $27 million a year earlier. The quarter included a $7 million unfavorable notable item. Source
  • Corporate and Other adjusted loss: Corporate & Other recorded an adjusted loss of $50 million, against an adjusted loss of $15 million in the third quarter. The release ties the change to pending-acquisition costs and lower net investment income. Source

“Holding company liquid assets were $0.9 billion, which reflects the previously mentioned costs incurred in connection with the pending acquisition of the company and the timing of senior debt interest expense.”

Brighthouse Financial, Inc., press release

Sales and products

  • Annuity sales flat sequentially: Annuity sales of $2,734 million were flat sequentially. The release labels the 22% rise quarter-over-quarter, while the sales table compares with $2,239 million in the fourth quarter of 2024. Source
  • Shield Level Annuities sales grew: Shield Level Annuity sales rose 4% year over year, 10% quarter over quarter and 1% sequentially, as the release describes them. Source
  • Full-year annuity sales reached $10.3 billion: Full-year 2025 annuity sales were $10.3 billion, up 3% year over year, with record Shield Level Annuity sales. Source
  • Fixed index and life sales: Fixed index annuity sales were $142 million, against $126 million in the third quarter. Life sales were $36 million in the quarter, and full-year life sales were a record $143 million. Source

Net investment income

  • Investment income totals for the quarter: Net investment income was $1,328 million and adjusted net investment income was $1,334 million, against $1,376 million for adjusted net investment income a year earlier. Source
  • Alternative income lifted sequential result: Adjusted net investment income rose $7 million from the third quarter on higher alternative investment income. Source
  • Yield at 4.44 percent: The adjusted net investment income yield was 4.44% for the quarter, against 4.40% in the third quarter and 4.51% a year earlier. Source

Corporate costs and merger terms

  • Corporate expenses rose: Corporate expenses were $234 million pre-tax, up from $210 million a year earlier and $205 million in the third quarter. Full-year corporate expenses totaled $880 million, against $820 million in 2024. Source
  • Merger costs within corporate expenses: Costs tied to the pending acquisition were $15 million in the quarter and $32 million for the full year 2025. Source
  • Annuities deferred acquisition cost amortization: On a sequential basis, Annuities adjusted earnings reflected lower fees and higher DAC amortization, partly offset by higher net investment income. Source
  • Merger terms set at $70 per share: An affiliate of Aquarian Capital agreed to acquire the company for $70.00 per share in cash, valued at about $4.1 billion. The definitive agreement was announced on November 6, 2025. Source

Notable items and actuarial review

  • Fourth-quarter notable item from refinements: Adjusted earnings reflected a $13 million unfavorable notable item, or $0.22 per diluted share, from actuarial refinements. Source
  • Annual review raised statutory reserves: The combined RBC ratio reflects a reserve increase from the statutory annual actuarial review completed in the fourth quarter, along with a reduction in required capital from that review. Source
  • Prior-quarter favorable notable items: The release compares fourth-quarter Run-off results with a $705 million favorable notable item recorded in the third quarter from the annual actuarial review. Source

Capital and book value

  • Book value per share at year-end: Book value per share was $88.66 at year-end, against $55.60 a year earlier. Source
  • Book value excluding AOCI: Book value excluding accumulated other comprehensive income was $8.8 billion, or $153.89 per share, at year-end. Source
  • Combined RBC ratio above target: The combined RBC ratio was 456% on preliminary statutory results, above the 400% to 450% target range in normal market conditions. Source
  • Statutory combined capital eased: Statutory combined total adjusted capital was $5.3 billion on preliminary results, against $5.4 billion at September 30, 2025. Source

Coming up, as management said on 23 February 2026

  • Merger expected to close in 2026: Management said the Aquarian Capital transaction is expected to close in 2026. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Book value per share Source$88.66
Investment income Source$1,328 million

Risks management discussed

  • Regulatory: Closing of the merger depends on customary conditions, including insurance regulatory approvals. Source
  • Financial: Adjusted net investment income fell on a smaller institutional spread margin business and lower short-term interest rates. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: The third quarter release expected this. The fourth quarter release reports a combined RBC ratio of 456%, described as above the target range.

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.