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Principal Financial Group Inc.: Q3 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q3 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 27 October 2025: press release. Guidance figures: 1 raised. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Net income swung to a profit: Net income attributable to PFG was $213.8 million, against a loss of $220.0 million a year earlier. Diluted EPS was $0.95, against $(0.95). Trailing twelve-month net income was $1,573.5 million. Source
  • Non-GAAP operating EPS rose 19%: Non-GAAP operating earnings per diluted share were $2.10, against $1.76. Non-GAAP operating earnings were $473.7 million, up 15%, and $1,825.6 million on a trailing twelve-month basis, up 12%. Source
  • Retirement and Income Solutions earnings up 26%: RIS pre-tax operating earnings were $310.3 million, up 26%. Excluding significant variances, they rose 8% on net revenue growth of 4%, with an operating margin of 42%. Source
  • Specialty Benefits posted record earnings: The company reported record pre-tax operating earnings of $155.5 million, up 53%. Excluding significant variances, earnings rose 28% on more favorable underwriting experience and business growth. Source
  • Assets under management reached $784.3 billion: Assets under management were $784.3 billion, up 6%, with $0.4 billion of net cash flow, against $(1.1) billion a year earlier. Assets under administration were $1,792.5 billion. Source
  • Lower variable investment income among variances: Significant variances in the quarter included lower than expected variable investment income in RIS, International Pension, Specialty Benefits and Life Insurance. Source
  • Returned $398 million to shareholders: The company returned $398 million to shareholders in the quarter, including $225 million of share repurchases and $173 million of common stock dividends. Source
  • Fourth quarter dividend raised to $0.79: The fourth quarter 2025 dividend is $0.79 per share, which the release describes as an 8% increase over fourth quarter 2024. Source

“Robust operating performance delivered strong EPS growth in the third quarter”

Deanna Strable, Chair, President and CEO of Principal

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Common stock dividend SourceFourth quarter 2025$0.79 per shareRaised from $0.78

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: The fourth quarter 2025 common dividend was raised to $0.79 per share from $0.78, the amount set for the third quarter. Source
  • New: The 2025 actuarial assumption review appears among this quarter's significant variances. The prior quarter's trailing twelve-month variances cited the 2024 review. Source

Results and earnings growth

  • Net income swung to a profit: Net income attributable to PFG was $213.8 million, against a loss of $220.0 million a year earlier. Diluted EPS was $0.95, against $(0.95). Trailing twelve-month net income was $1,573.5 million. Source
  • Non-GAAP operating EPS rose 19%: Non-GAAP operating earnings per diluted share were $2.10, against $1.76. Non-GAAP operating earnings were $473.7 million, up 15%, and $1,825.6 million on a trailing twelve-month basis, up 12%. Source
  • EPS excluding variances up 13%: Non-GAAP operating earnings per diluted share, excluding significant variances, were $2.32, up 13% from $2.05. Significant variances added $0.22 per share to the reported $2.10. Source
  • ROE reached top of target range: Management said ROE reached the top of its target range, which it linked to business fundamentals, margin performance and positioning in high-growth market segments. Source
  • Nine-month operating EPS higher: Nine-month non-GAAP operating earnings per diluted share were $6.07, against $5.04. Excluding significant variances, the nine-month figure was $6.31, against $5.56. Source

Segment performance

  • Retirement and Income Solutions earnings up 26%: RIS pre-tax operating earnings were $310.3 million, up 26%. Excluding significant variances, they rose 8% on net revenue growth of 4%, with an operating margin of 42%. Source
  • Investment Management earnings rose 9%: Investment Management pre-tax operating earnings were $173.5 million, up 9%. Operating revenues less pass-through expenses rose 4% to $444.0 million, and the operating margin was 39.8%, against 38.0%. Source
  • International Pension earnings fell 8%: Pre-tax operating earnings were $101.2 million, down 8%, and net revenue fell 4%. Operating margin was 53.9%, against 56.1%. Excluding significant variances, pre-tax earnings rose $2.0 million. Source
  • Specialty Benefits posted record earnings: The company reported record pre-tax operating earnings of $155.5 million, up 53%. Excluding significant variances, earnings rose 28% on more favorable underwriting experience and business growth. Source
  • Life Insurance loss widened: Pre-tax operating loss was $69.0 million, against $37.3 million. Excluding significant variances, the loss widened by $2.7 million on less favorable mortality. Operating margin was (27.7)%, against (15.5)%. Source
  • Corporate losses widened: Pre-tax operating losses were $91.6 million, against $79.4 million. Excluding significant variances, losses rose $8.7 million, mainly on lower interest income and higher operating expenses. Source

“Sustained free cash flow enabled investments across value-creating business opportunities and shareholder distributions”

Deanna Strable, Chair, President and CEO of Principal

Assets, premiums and business growth

  • Assets under management reached $784.3 billion: Assets under management were $784.3 billion, up 6%, with $0.4 billion of net cash flow, against $(1.1) billion a year earlier. Assets under administration were $1,792.5 billion. Source
  • Premiums and fees grew in two segments: Specialty Benefits premium and fees rose 3% to $845.2 million on business growth. Life Insurance premium and fees rose 3% to $248.9 million, as business market growth more than offset legacy runoff. Source
  • Segment assets under management grew: Investment Management assets under management were $601.6 billion, up 5%. International Pension assets under management were $150.7 billion, up 9%. Source

Margins and significant variances

  • Specialty Benefits loss ratio improved: The incurred loss ratio was 56.4%, against 62.7%. Excluding significant variances the ratio was 58.1%, improved on group life, group disability and group dental underwriting. Source
  • Segment margins moved in both directions: RIS operating margin was 41.3%, against 36.2%. Investment Management rose to 39.8% from 38.0%. International Pension fell to 53.9% from 56.1%. Source
  • Lower variable investment income among variances: Significant variances in the quarter included lower than expected variable investment income in RIS, International Pension, Specialty Benefits and Life Insurance. Source
  • Encaje and inflation affected International Pension: International Pension significant variances also included higher than expected encaje performance, offset in part by Latin American inflation. Source
  • Actuarial review included in variances: Significant variances included impacts of the 2025 actuarial assumption review. Line-item detail for the variances is in the earnings call presentation rather than this release. Source

“we remain confident in achieving our full-year guidance and advancing our strategic initiatives”

Deanna Strable, Chair, President and CEO of Principal

Exited business and reinsurance

  • Exited business loss narrowed: Loss from exited business was $251.8 million, against $639.1 million a year earlier. The pre-tax change in fair value of the funds withheld embedded derivative was a $265.9 million loss. Source
  • Non-GAAP excluding exited business rose 11%: Non-GAAP net income attributable to PFG, excluding exited business, was $465.6 million, up 11%. The trailing twelve-month figure was $1,550.8 million, up 7%. Source
  • Reinsurance amortization loss narrowed: Amortization of reinsurance gains (losses) was $(18.3) million, against $(46.4) million, among the pre-tax items of exited business. Source

Capital and shareholder returns

  • Returned $398 million to shareholders: The company returned $398 million to shareholders in the quarter, including $225 million of share repurchases and $173 million of common stock dividends. Source
  • Excess and available capital $1.6 billion: The company reported $1.6 billion of excess and available capital and described its financial position in those terms. Source
  • Book value per share rose to $52.90: Book value per common share was $52.90, against $49.01 at 4Q24. Excluding the funds withheld derivative and AOCI other than foreign currency translation, it was $55.93, against $53.69. Source
  • Common shares outstanding declined: Period-end common shares outstanding were 220.5 million, against 226.2 million at 4Q24. Stockholders' equity was $11,717.9 million. Source
  • Fourth quarter dividend raised to $0.79: The fourth quarter 2025 dividend is $0.79 per share, which the release describes as an 8% increase over fourth quarter 2024. Source

Coming up, as management said on 27 October 2025

  • Dividend payment and record dates: The fourth quarter dividend is payable on Dec 19, 2025, to shareholders of record as of Dec 3, 2025. Source
  • Supplement and slides available: The financial supplement and slide presentation are available on the investor website and may be referred to during the call. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Book value per common share Source$52.90 (3Q25) vs $49.01 (4Q24)
Book value per common share excluding funds withheld derivative and AOCI Source$55.93 (3Q25) vs $53.69 (4Q24)

Risks management discussed

  • Financial: Variable investment income was lower than expected in several segments, partly offset by Corporate. Source
  • Demand: Legacy life business is running off, which reduces premiums; management said business market growth more than offset the runoff. Source
  • External: Latin American inflation affected International Pension results over the trailing twelve months, alongside encaje performance. Source
  • Regulatory: A GAAP-only regulatory closed block adjustment in Life Insurance is among the trailing twelve-month significant variances. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: The CEO said management remains confident in achieving full-year guidance, without giving a figure in this release. Source

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.