Brown & Brown (BRO 0.12%), a leading national insurance intermediary providing brokerage and risk management services, reported its second-quarter earnings on August 22, 2025. The company posted total revenue of $1.285 billion (GAAP), up 9.1% compared to the same quarter last year, and adjusted diluted net income per share of $1.03, growing 10.8%. Revenue (GAAP) exceeded consensus analyst expectations, which hovered near $1.28 billion. However, The quarter showed a slowdown in organic revenue growth, especially in the Retail segment, as market softening in property insurance and lower new business volume weighed on results. Overall, Brown & Brown delivered strong top- and bottom-line numbers, but signs of market pressure began to show through the slower pace of organic gains.
| Metric | Q2 2025(Three months ended June 30, 2025) | Q2 2024(Three months ended June 30, 2024) | Y/Y Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Revenue (GAAP) | $1,285 million | $1,178 million | 9.1 % |
| Revenue – Retail Segment | $694 million | $646 million | 7.9 % |
| Revenue – Specialty Distribution Segment | $555 million | $518 million | 8.7 % |
| Total Income Before Income Taxes | $311 million | $346 million | (10.1 %) |
| Employee Compensation and Benefits Expense | $640 million | $585 million | 9.4 % |
Company Overview and Strategic Focus
Brown & Brown operates as an insurance broker, connecting businesses and individuals with insurance carriers to place policies and manage risks. It earns revenue mainly from commissions, which are a percentage of premiums paid to insurers, as well as from fees for additional services and consulting.
This diversification helps Brown & Brown offset sector-specific risks, as each segment offers different types of insurance services to a range of customer types. Recent years have seen a focus on expanding through acquisitions, enhancing specialization, and balancing fee and commission income sources. Regulatory compliance and maintaining a strong company culture are also seen as key success factors due to the complex and highly controlled nature of the insurance industry.
Second Quarter: Financial and Operational Performance
The company’s revenue (GAAP) rose 9.1% from the previous year’s second quarter, surpassing analyst estimates. The revenue increase reflects both ongoing growth and the benefit of acquired businesses. Though headline growth remained robust, Organic revenue growth slowed to 3.6%. This deceleration was most evident in the Retail segment, where organic growth hit just 3.0%. Management highlighted that over half of the slowdown stemmed from weakening insurance pricing, especially in property-related lines, while the rest was tied to lower new business generation. In company terms, 'organic revenue growth' tracks expansion from existing business before considering acquisitions, currency, or one-time items, and is a key industry benchmark for underlying health.
Programs and Wholesale Brokerage, reported as separate segments, both saw softer but still positive organic growth. Programs grew organically by 4.6%, driven by continued positives in lender-placed products, but faced pressure from commercial catastrophe (CAT) insurance rates that began to decline sharply late in the quarter. Wholesale Brokerage posted 3.9% organic growth. Across both areas, contingent commissions — incentive payments from insurers when claims are lower than expected — gave results a boost, improving overall segment margins despite the softer revenue trajectory.
Margins benefited from both a rise in contingent commissions and careful cost management. The adjusted EBITDAC (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization, and change in estimated earn-out payables) margin improved to 36.7%, up a full 1.0 percentage point year over year. However, Retail’s EBITDAC margin slipped by 50 basis points to 27.5%, reflecting the impact of revenue seasonality for Quintes, which was acquired in the fourth quarter of 2024.
The company also managed a significant capital event in the form of the Accession acquisition, completed just after the quarter’s close. This deal broadened Brown & Brown’s reach and capabilities but also expanded the company’s workforce and increased integration complexity. Management noted that Accession will increase total staff count to over 23,000. To finance the acquisition, Brown & Brown raised $4.4 billion in equity and $4.2 billion in debt, both of which were significantly oversubscribed by investors. This strong response supported the company’s cash position and capital base, though it also raised share count and long-term obligations.
The organization also paid down $400 million of an outstanding revolving credit facility.
Business Model, Segment Dynamics, and Products Explained
Brown & Brown’s business relies on commissions and fees it earns by connecting insurance buyers with insurers. Its Retail segment primarily serves commercial and personal insurance needs for businesses and individuals. Specialized solutions in the Programs area address unique insurance requirements for groups such as lenders or industry associations, often through tailored policy packages. Wholesale Brokerage focuses on more complex or hard-to-place risks, working with insurance carriers that specialize in non-standard policy coverage.
During the quarter, the Retail segment saw new business generation fall short of expectations, alongside quick declines in property and catastrophe (CAT) insurance rates. These property lines experienced a pronounced shift, with certain rates in the excess & surplus (E&S) channel dropping by as much as 15-30% year-over-year. This change reflected a faster-than-anticipated turn in the insurance market from a period of rising prices — known as a “hard market” — to one where competition drives premiums down. Management pointed out that about half of the organic revenue miss in Retail was due to these softening rates, highlighting the sensitivity of Brown & Brown’s growth to broader industry cycles.
The Specialty Distribution area fared somewhat better, supported by high-margin lender-placed products and the cushion of contingent commissions, which increased because program performance and insurer profitability improved. Meanwhile, integration of the new Accession business will demand focus, as Brown & Brown seeks to realize cost efficiencies and capitalize on new market segments. The company expects these synergies to accrue over the next one to three years.
Several one-time items influenced results, including $37 million in acquisition and integration costs tied to the Accession deal. These costs and other adjustments, such as changes in the estimated value of acquisition-related earn-out payables, are reflected in the calculation of adjusted net income (non-GAAP). On the shareholder return front, Brown & Brown increased its dividend per share by 15.4% year over year.
Looking Forward: Guidance and Key Watchpoints
Margin defense remains a theme, as Brown & Brown relies on its segment mix, contingent commissions, and cost discipline to support profitability even as organic growth slows. The quarter’s results show that these factors can provide a buffer, but may not be able to fully offset persistent headwinds if market conditions don’t stabilize.
Investors will want to watch several markers in the quarters ahead: the sustainability of contingent commissions if carrier profitability shifts, the integration progress of Accession and other recent acquisitions, and the ongoing trend in core Retail growth. As margin expansion in the quarter was partly driven by one-time contingent income and cost discipline, any erosion in these levers could pressure future results. No specific forward figures for earnings or revenue were provided. Brown & Brown continues to pay a quarterly dividend, which was increased again in the period.
Revenue and net income presented using U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) unless otherwise noted.
