Brighthouse Financial (BHF -2.97%), a major U.S. provider of annuities and life insurance, reported its earnings for the second quarter of fiscal 2025 on August 7, 2025. The most significant headline from the release was a major shortfall in adjusted (non-GAAP) earnings per share (EPS), with Adjusted EPS of $3.43 came in 21.7% below analyst expectations of $4.38. GAAP revenue, however, outpaced forecasts by 18.1%, totaling $2.6 billion against a $2.2 billion estimate. The quarter marks a period of positive sales momentum, especially in annuities, but exposes key areas of weakness in profitability—particularly in the Life and Run-off business segments. Overall, the quarter showcased ongoing capital strength but highlighted pressures in underlying earnings and margin quality.
| Metric | Q2 2025 | Q2 2025 Estimate | Q2 2024 | Y/Y Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EPS (Non-GAAP) | $3.43 | $4.38 | $5.57 | (38.4%) |
| Revenue (GAAP) | $2,600 million | $2,202 million | N/A | N/A |
| Adjusted Net Investment Income | $1,292 million | $1,316 million | (1.8%) | |
| Book Value per Common Share (ex. AOCI) | $144.09 | $128.36 | 12.3% | |
| Adjusted Earnings – Annuities segment | $332 million | $332 million | 0.0% |
Source: Analyst estimates for the quarter provided by FactSet.
About Brighthouse Financial and Its Key Success Drivers
Brighthouse Financial offers a broad portfolio of annuity and life insurance products, targeting retirees and individuals seeking both income stability and financial protection. It focuses on independent distribution partners, rather than a captive sales force, to reach a broad swath of customers at lower acquisition cost. Its stability and reputation in annuities stem from products like Shield Level Annuities, which mix variable upside with some protection from market declines.
Recent business strategy centers on new product development, efficient channel distribution, and disciplined risk management. Keys to success include innovative product design, effective hedging strategies to manage financial risks in annuities, ongoing regulatory compliance, and strong capital adequacy. The ability to manage profit margins while driving product growth—and to balance risk and reward within its large legacy policy books—remains crucial.
Quarter in Review: Financial and Strategic Developments
This quarter showed significant divergence between top-line GAAP revenue and bottom-line non-GAAP profit. The company's GAAP revenue exceeded estimates by $398 million, driven mainly by strong annuity sales, which totaled $2.61 billion. Of this, Shield Level Annuities—the company's signature indexed annuity product that provides both market growth exposure and downside protection—accounted for $1.9 billion in sales. Overall annuity sales grew 8% quarter-over-quarter and 16% sequentially as fixed annuity sales rose, partially offset by lower sales of Shield Level Annuities.
The annuities segment, the main profit engine, saw adjusted earnings hold steady from last year at $332 million, consistent with Q2 2024 and modestly up sequentially. However, beyond annuities, results deteriorated. The Life segment swung to an adjusted loss of $26 million from adjusted earnings of $42 million in Q2 2024. Declines here stemmed from a weaker underwriting margin—meaning that premiums minus claims and expenses produced less profit—and lower net investment income (the return the company earns on its invested assets). The Run-off segment, consisting of older, closed blocks of life and annuity contracts, recorded an even deeper adjusted loss at $83 million, compared with a $30 million adjusted loss in Q2 2024. Corporate and Other posted an adjusted loss of $25 million, moving from adjusted earnings of $2 million in Q2 2024 due mostly to lower investment returns and a reduced tax benefit.
Adjusted net investment income was $1,292 million. The decrease in adjusted net investment income quarter-over-quarter was primarily driven by lower alternative investment income. The adjusted net investment income yield—net income as a percentage of invested assets—declined to 4.28% from 4.39% in Q2 2024. Both the Life and Run-off segments suffered from this weaker investment performance. These segments, less able to offset pressure through new sales, now represent areas needing attention as their losses weighed down overall company results.
The balance sheet remained strong. Book value per share, excluding accumulated other comprehensive income (AOCI), grew to $144.09, up 12.3%. The statutory risk-based capital (RBC) ratio, a key measure of financial strength for insurers, remained healthy at 405–425%. Statutory combined total adjusted capital rose to $5.6 billion as of June 30, 2025. The company also continued to return cash to shareholders, repurchasing $43 million of stock and $102 million year to date. Management remains focused on expense control and simplifying risk exposures—especially through a shift to more transparent, standalone hedging for new and existing Shield annuity books.
Business Focus: Product Innovation and Risk Management
Brighthouse Financial's business centers on insurance and annuity products. Annuities—contracts that provide steady retirement income—are split into product families like Shield Level Annuities (offering a blend of upside and downside limits) and traditional fixed or variable annuities. Life insurance offerings, such as SmartCare, provide long-term protection with embedded benefits for chronic care needs.
This quarter, the company advanced efforts to innovate and distribute its core products, aiming to strengthen institutional partnerships. Overall, Brighthouse's independent distribution model—working through networks of brokers and advisors—remains a key differentiator, allowing broad market access without the heavy cost structure of a dedicated sales force.
Risk management remained a priority. The company aims to manage the complex risks in its annuity guarantees. It continued to simplify hedging approaches, especially for legacy blocks where previously interlocking strategies added complexity and cost. Brighthouse has transitioned to standalone hedging for new Shield annuity business and is revising its hedging strategy for legacy blocks, with a continued focus on protecting its statutory balance sheet under adverse market scenarios. Capital metrics remain robust, with total adjusted capital and holding company liquid assets both at or above targeted ranges.
No new regulatory challenges emerged, and statutory capital requirements were fully met. Management noted no constraints on new sales due to capital or regulatory restrictions. Human capital—the talent responsible for innovation, distribution, and compliance—was not explicitly highlighted in the release but remains a necessary factor for executing the business strategy, especially in a competitive and regulated sector.
Outlook and Guidance
Brighthouse Financial did not issue formal financial guidance for the next quarter or the full fiscal year. In the earnings release, management emphasized ongoing discipline in expense control, capital ratio management, and continued improvements in hedging strategy for legacy and current annuity blocks. It highlighted its confidence in capital and liquidity, noting the holding company’s liquid assets and RBC ratio remain well within targeted bands.
Investors should watch segment trends, especially the Life and Run-off business segments, as well as progress on hedging simplifications and any improvements in alternative investment returns, which have been below long-term targets. Monitor annuity sales, especially indexed products like Shield Level Annuities, and any shifts in investment return assumptions that could further affect net investment income and statutory capital.
Revenue and net income presented using U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) unless otherwise noted.
