The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights Primerica, CNA Financial, Assurant and Unum Group

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – November 4, 2025 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Primerica, Inc. PRI, CNA Financial Corp. CNA, Assurant, Inc. AIZ and Unum Group UNM.

Here are highlights from Monday’s Analyst Blog:

4 Insurance Stocks Set to Pull Off a Beat This Earnings Season

Per the latest Earnings Preview, the Finance sector’s third-quarter 2025 total earnings are anticipated to rise 21.1% from the prior-year quarter’s figure. These companies’ revenues are anticipated to improve 7.9%. Third-quarter results of insurance, one of the Finance sector industries, are likely to reflect improved pricing, exposure growth, portfolio streamlining, solid retention, renewals, reinsurance agreements, and accelerated digitalization. However, catastrophe losses are likely to have weighed on the upside.

With the help of the Zacks Stock Screener, we have identified four insurers, namely Primerica, Inc., CNA Financial Corp., Assurant, Inc. and Unum Group, which are poised to outperform the Zacks Consensus Estimate in third-quarter earnings. These stocks have the ideal combination of two ingredients — a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy), 3 (Hold) — to surpass expectations. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they are reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

Factors Likely to Impact Q3 Results

Better pricing, solid retention, and exposure growth across business lines, are likely to have driven premiums. Per the latest Global Insurance Market Index by Marsh, global commercial insurance rates decreased, on average, by 4% in the third quarter of 2025. The third quarter of 2025 marks the fifth consecutive global quarterly decrease after seven years of quarterly increases. According to Marsh’s Global Insurance Market Index, the U.S. composite rate has fallen by 1% in the third quarter of 2025.

Auto premiums are likely to have improved, given increased travel across the world.

According to Aon, global insured losses from natural catastrophes were $114 billion. Per Aon, economic losses from natural catastrophes in the third quarter of 2025 were significantly low, with global economic losses of $34 billion, which is nearly 76% below the 21st-century average, and this marks the lowest third-quarter total in decades. According to Aon, natural catastrophe losses in the third quarter of 2025 reached $12 billion, and this was the lowest figure for the quarter since 2006.

Underwriting profit is likely to have benefited from better pricing, reinsurance arrangements, portfolio repositioning, reinsurance covers and favorable reserve development.

In a recent meeting, the Federal Reserve lowered the target for its key lending rate by 25 basis points to the range of 3.75% to 4.00%. This marks the second consecutive rate cut in 2025.

A larger investment asset base, strong cash flow from operating activities, higher bond yields, and an increase in interest income from fixed-maturity securities are expected to have aided net investment income.

Life insurers’ continuous focus on protection products is likely to have aided solid sales, given a rise in demand for protection products. Life insurers continue to roll out investment products that provide bundled covers of guaranteed retirement income, life, and healthcare to cater to customers preferring policies with “living” benefits more than those with death benefits.

The insurance industry’s increased use of technology like blockchain, artificial intelligence, advanced analytics, telematics, cloud computing and robotic process automation expedites business operations. Insurers continue to invest heavily in technology to improve basis points, scale and efficiencies. These investments are likely to have curbed costs and aided the margins of insurers in the third quarter.

A solid capital position is likely to have aided insurers in strategic mergers and acquisitions to sharpen their competitive edge, expand geographically and diversify their portfolio. Sustained wealth distribution to shareholders via dividend hikes, special dividends and share repurchases instill confidence in the insurers.

4 Potential Outperformers This Earnings Season

Primerica is the second-largest issuer of term-life insurance coverage in North America. Solid sales growth, persistency, and a strong network of life-licensed sales representatives are likely to aid PRI’s third-quarter results. Sales and policy persistency are likely to have benefited from the strong demand for protection products. Adjusted direct premiums are likely to have been driven by premiums from new sales.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for PRI’s third-quarter earnings is pegged at $5.51, suggesting a decrease of 2.9% from the year-ago reported figure. PRI has an Earnings ESP of +2.27% and a Zacks Rank #2 at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Primerica, Inc. price-eps-surprise | Primerica, Inc. Quote

CNA Financial offers commercial P&C insurance products, mainly across the United States. A compelling product portfolio, better retention, improved pricing, positive growth in all three operating segments of CNA and new business growth are likely to have favored premiums in the third quarter.

Equal contributions from the fixed income portfolio from growth in both book yield and our invested asset base, and strong limited partnership and common stock performance, are likely to have benefited net investment income. Fixed income is expected to have benefited from favorable reinvestment yields and strong operating cash flows. The expense ratio is likely to have aided from higher net earned premiums.

Expenses are likely to have increased because of increasing net incurred claims and benefits and amortization of deferred acquisition costs.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CNA’s third-quarter earnings is pegged at $1.25, indicating an increase of 15.7% from the year-ago reported figure. UNM has an Earnings ESP of +6.02% and a Zacks Rank #2 at present.

CNA Financial Corporation price-eps-surprise | CNA Financial Corporation Quote

Assurant is a global provider of risk management solutions in the housing and lifestyle markets, protecting people’s homes and the goods they buy. Solid performance at the Global Housing segment, as well as growth in Global Lifestyle, is likely to have aided the third-quarter performance of Assurant. Revenues are likely to have gained from improved net earned premiums and higher net investment income.

Net earned premiums are expected to have benefited from higher premiums in the Global Housing and Global Lifestyle segments. Net investment income is expected to have been driven by higher yields and assets in fixed maturity securities. The upside is likely to have been partially offset by reduced income in real estate joint ventures and lower yields and balances in cash and cash equivalents. (Read more: Assurant Gears Up to Report Q3 Earnings: Here's What to Expect).

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AIZ’s third-quarter earnings is pegged at $4.23, suggesting an increase of 41% from the year-ago reported figure. AIZ has an Earnings ESP of +4.14% and a Zacks Rank #3 at present.

Assurant, Inc. price-eps-surprise | Assurant, Inc. Quote

Unum Group provides long-term care insurance, life insurance, employer- and employee-paid group benefits and related services. Favorable persistence and better sales in the operating segments are likely to have favored premiums in the third quarter. Higher miscellaneous investment income and an increase in the level of invested assets are likely to have supported higher net investment income.

The performance of Unum U.S. and Colonial Life — two of the largest operating segments — is likely to have been driven by higher premium income, favorable persistency, improved benefit experience across life, accident, sickness and disability product lines, favorable recoveries in the long-term disability product line, and enhanced stop loss experience.

Expenses are likely to have increased because of higher policy benefits, commissions, interest and debt expense, amortization of deferred acquisition costs, and other expenses. (Read more: Unum Group Gears Up to Report Q3 Earnings: Here's What to Expect).

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for UNM’s third-quarter earnings is pegged at $2.15, indicating an increase of 0.9% from the year-ago reported figure. UNM has an Earnings ESP of +0.10% and a Zacks Rank #3 at present.

Zacks Investment Research

800-767-3771 ext. 9339

[email protected]

https://www.zacks.com

Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report

This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

Zacks Investment Research