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Voya Financial, Inc.: Q2 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q2 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 4 August 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 1 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Adjusted earnings per share fell: Adjusted operating earnings were $140 million, or $1.51 per diluted share, against $240 million, or $2.46, a year earlier, mainly on lower alternative investment income and severance. Source
  • GAAP net income also declined: Net income available to common shareholders was $90 million, or $0.97 per diluted share, against $162 million, or $1.66; lower acquisition and integration costs partly offset lower adjusted earnings. Source
  • Retirement earnings down, fee revenue up: Retirement pre-tax adjusted earnings were $190 million, down from $235 million; fee-based revenues rose 10%, more than offset by lower alternative investment income and planned strategic investment spend. Source
  • Employee Benefits earnings fell sharply: Pre-tax adjusted earnings were $22 million against $69 million; the prior-year period had favorable Stop Loss claims development, and voluntary loss ratios rose. Source
  • Corporate loss widened on severance: Corporate pre-tax adjusted loss, excluding noncontrolling interest, was $102 million against $67 million, mainly due to the severance expenses. Source
  • Excess capital generation exceeded earnings: Excess capital generation was about $150 million, above 100% of after-tax adjusted operating earnings; common dividends and buybacks returned about $200 million. Source
  • OneAmerica integration completed: The company reported surpassing 10 million Retirement participant accounts and completing the OneAmerica integration, with enhanced scale in Retirement. Source

“Our businesses performed well during the second quarter, reflecting continued commercial momentum, higher fee-based revenues and disciplined execution across the company,”

Heather Lavallee, chief executive officer, Voya Financial

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Operating expenses SourceWithin the next two quarters after second-quarter 2026Ongoing expense savings to fully offset approximately $40 million pre-tax severanceNew

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: Management expressed confidence for the third and fourth quarters of 2026 and gave no figures. Source
  • New: Corporate severance was tied to targeted actions aimed at lowering ongoing operating expenses. Source
  • Ended: Management reported that the OneAmerica integration was completed in the quarter. Source

Results and earnings

  • Adjusted earnings per share fell: Adjusted operating earnings were $140 million, or $1.51 per diluted share, against $240 million, or $2.46, a year earlier, mainly on lower alternative investment income and severance. Source
  • GAAP net income also declined: Net income available to common shareholders was $90 million, or $0.97 per diluted share, against $162 million, or $1.66; lower acquisition and integration costs partly offset lower adjusted earnings. Source
  • Fee income rose year on year: Fee income rose to $620 million from $577 million; management attributed higher fee income in Retirement and Investment Management to the core businesses. Source

Segment results

  • Retirement earnings down, fee revenue up: Retirement pre-tax adjusted earnings were $190 million, down from $235 million; fee-based revenues rose 10%, more than offset by lower alternative investment income and planned strategic investment spend. Source
  • Retirement client assets up 14%: Total client assets reached $863 billion at June 30, 2026, against $757 billion a year earlier. Source
  • Participant accounts passed 10 million: Management cited the surpassing of 10 million participant accounts during the quarter as a sign of expanding scale in retirement. Source
  • Investment Management earnings rose 12%: Pre-tax adjusted earnings, excluding noncontrolling interest, were $57 million against $51 million, on higher fee-based revenues and positive capital markets. Source
  • Employee Benefits earnings fell sharply: Pre-tax adjusted earnings were $22 million against $69 million; the prior-year period had favorable Stop Loss claims development, and voluntary loss ratios rose. Source
  • Corporate loss widened on severance: Corporate pre-tax adjusted loss, excluding noncontrolling interest, was $102 million against $67 million, mainly due to the severance expenses. Source

“We also completed the integration of OneAmerica in the quarter, an important milestone that strengthens our Retirement platform and expands our ability to serve customers while exceeding our financial goals for the acquisition,”

Heather Lavallee, chief executive officer, Voya Financial

Margins and costs

  • Trailing margins mixed by segment: Trailing twelve-month adjusted operating margin was 37.9% for Retirement against 39.3%, 29.0% for Investment Management against 28.0%, and 11.0% for Employee Benefits against 3.7%. Source
  • Employee Benefits loss ratio improved: The total aggregate loss ratio improved to 74% from 79%, with management citing underwriting discipline, pricing actions and expense management. Source
  • Interest credited costs rose: Interest credited and other benefits to contract owners rose to $825 million from $801 million; operating expenses rose to $898 million from $857 million. Source
  • Severance included in adjusted results: Adjusted results include about $40 million of pre-tax severance recorded in the Corporate segment. Source

Assets and flows

  • Investment Management net inflows $1.2 billion: Net inflows were $1.2 billion excluding divested businesses; advisory assets (AUA) took in $1.0 billion of net inflows over the same three months. Source
  • Assets under management rose: Assets under management stood at $377 billion at June 30, 2026, against $360 billion a year earlier; AUA reached $63 billion from $54 billion. Source
  • Employee Benefits premiums held flat: Annualized in-force premiums and fees were $3.6 billion, relatively consistent with a year earlier, as management put margin improvement ahead of growth. Source

“Strong underlying performance trends across our businesses, together with benefits from actions we took this quarter to reduce ongoing operating expenses, support our confidence in a robust outlook for the third and fourth quarters of 2026.”

Heather Lavallee, chief executive officer, Voya Financial

Capital and shareholder returns

  • Excess capital generation exceeded earnings: Excess capital generation was about $150 million, above 100% of after-tax adjusted operating earnings; common dividends and buybacks returned about $200 million. Source
  • Accelerated repurchase of $150 million completed: The $150 million accelerated share repurchase program was completed at an average share price of $78.97. Source
  • Repurchase authorization left at $263 million: Remaining share repurchase authorization was $263 million at June 30, 2026. Source
  • Excess capital fell as debt matured: Excess capital was about $200 million at June 30, 2026, compared with about $650 million at March 31, 2026, after maturing debt was repaid. Source

Strategy and integration

  • Workplace model and IM complementarity: Management described the workplace-centered Retirement model and the complementary capabilities of Voya Investment Management as meeting a broader range of customer needs. Source
  • Investment in growth and execution: Management linked the quarter's progress to its focus on executing strategy and investing in growth, with the aim of strengthening long-term competitive position. Source
  • OneAmerica integration completed: The company reported surpassing 10 million Retirement participant accounts and completing the OneAmerica integration, with enhanced scale in Retirement. Source

Coming up, as management said on 4 August 2026

  • Form 10-Q due by August 10: The Form 10-Q for the three months ended June 30, 2026 is to be filed with the SEC on or before August 10, 2026. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Investment income SourceNet investment income $537 million in second-quarter 2026, against $584 million a year earlier
Prior-year reserve development SourceFavorable in the prior-year period; amount not quantified

Risks management discussed

  • Financial: Alternative investment results produced a $15 million pre-tax loss, lowering adjusted earnings in the quarter. Source
  • Operational: Management noted that voluntary loss ratios in Employee Benefits rose from lower prior-year levels. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Met: The $150 million repurchase agreement described in the first-quarter release was completed in the second quarter. Source
  • Met: Management said the decline in excess capital followed the planned repayment of maturing debt, prefunded by the first-quarter issuance. Source
  • Ahead: Management said the OneAmerica integration was completed and exceeded its financial goals for the acquisition. 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.