Brighthouse Financial Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Results

• Preliminary combined risk-based capital (“RBC”) ratio of 456%; holding company liquid assets of $0.9 billion
• Annuity sales for full year 2025 of $10.3 billion, primarily driven by record sales of Shield Level Annuities
• Record life sales for full year 2025 of $143 million, primarily driven by sales of Brighthouse SmartCare
• Fourth quarter 2025 net income available to shareholders of $112 million, or $1.93 per diluted share
• Fourth quarter 2025 adjusted earnings, less notable items*, of $227 million, or $3.93 per diluted share

CHARLOTTE, N.C.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Brighthouse Financial, Inc. (“Brighthouse Financial” or the “company”) (Nasdaq: BHF) announced today its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2025.

Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Results

The company reported net income available to shareholders of $112 million in the fourth quarter of 2025, or $1.93 per diluted share, compared with net income available to shareholders of $646 million in the fourth quarter of 2024, or $10.79 per diluted share. The company anticipates volatility in net income (loss) given the differences between its hedge target and GAAP reserves, which are impacted by market performance.

The company ended the fourth quarter of 2025 with common stockholders’ equity (“book value”) of $5.1 billion, or $88.66 per common share, and book value, excluding accumulated other comprehensive income (“AOCI”) of $8.8 billion, or $153.89 per common share.

For the fourth quarter of 2025, the company reported adjusted earnings* of $214 million, or $3.70 per diluted share, compared with adjusted earnings of $304 million, or $5.07 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter of 2024.

Adjusted earnings for the quarter reflect a $13 million unfavorable notable item, or $0.22 per diluted share, related to actuarial refinements.

On a full year basis, the company reported net income available to shareholders of $331 million in 2025, or $5.71 per diluted share, compared with net income available to shareholders of $286 million in 2024, or $4.64 per diluted share. The company anticipates volatility in net income (loss) given the differences between its hedge target and GAAP reserves, which are impacted by market performance. Full year 2025 adjusted earnings, less notable items*, were $931 million, or $16.07 per diluted share, compared with full year 2024 adjusted earnings, less notable items, of $1,209 million, or $19.63 per diluted share.

Corporate expenses in the fourth quarter of 2025 were $234 million on a pre-tax basis. This represents an increase from $210 million of corporate expenses in the fourth quarter of 2024 and $205 million in the third quarter of 2025. For the full year 2025, corporate expenses totaled $880 million, compared with $820 million for the full year 2024. The corporate expenses include costs incurred in connection with the previously announced pending acquisition of the company of $15 million and $32 million for the fourth quarter and full year 2025, respectively.

The company’s full year 2025 annuity sales were $10.3 billion, an increase of 3% year-over-year. Annuity sales were flat sequentially and increased 22% quarter-over-quarter, driven by record sales of Shield Level Annuities, which increased 4% year-over-year, 10% quarter-over-quarter, and 1% sequentially. Life sales in 2025 were a record $143 million, an increase of 19% year-over-year, 9% quarter-over-quarter and a decrease of 5% sequentially.

Annuities

Adjusted earnings in the Annuities segment were $304 million in the current quarter, compared with adjusted earnings of $279 million in the fourth quarter of 2024 and adjusted earnings of $304 million in the third quarter of 2025.

There were no notable items in the current quarter. The fourth quarter of 2024 included a $48 million unfavorable notable item related to actuarial model updates, and the third quarter of 2025 included a $7 million unfavorable notable item related to the annual actuarial review and related refinements.

On a quarter-over-quarter basis, adjusted earnings, less notable items, reflect lower fees and higher amortization of deferred acquisition costs (“DAC”). On a sequential basis, adjusted earnings, less notable items, reflect lower fees and higher amortization of DAC, partially offset by higher net investment income.

As mentioned above, the company’s full year 2025 annuity sales were $10.3 billion, an increase of 3% year-over-year. Annuity sales were flat sequentially and increased 22% quarter-over-quarter, driven by record sales of Shield Level Annuities, which increased 4% year-over-year, 10% quarter-over-quarter, and 1% sequentially.

Life

The Life segment had adjusted earnings of $18 million in the current quarter, compared with adjusted earnings of $52 million in the fourth quarter of 2024 and adjusted earnings of $40 million in the third quarter of 2025.

The current quarter included a $6 million unfavorable notable item. There were no notable items in the fourth quarter of 2024. The third quarter of 2025 included $11 million of favorable notable items related to the annual actuarial review and related refinements.

On a quarter-over-quarter basis, adjusted earnings, less notable items, reflect a lower underwriting margin, lower net investment income and higher expenses. On a sequential basis, adjusted earnings, less notable items, reflect lower net investment income.

As mentioned above, the company reported record life sales of $143 million in 2025. Life sales increased 19% year-over-year, 9% quarter-over-quarter and decreased 5% sequentially.

Run-off

The Run-off segment had an adjusted loss of $58 million in the current quarter, compared with an adjusted loss of $27 million in the fourth quarter of 2024 and adjusted earnings of $641 million in the third quarter of 2025.

The current quarter included a $7 million unfavorable notable item. There were no notable items in the fourth quarter of 2024. The third quarter of 2025 included $705 million of favorable notable items related to the annual actuarial review and related refinements.

On a quarter-over-quarter basis, the adjusted loss, less notable items, reflects lower net investment income and a lower underwriting margin, partially offset by lower expenses. On a sequential basis, the adjusted loss, less notable items, reflects higher net investment income.

Corporate & Other

The Corporate & Other segment had an adjusted loss of $50 million in the current quarter, compared with break-even adjusted earnings in the fourth quarter of 2024 and an adjusted loss of $15 million in the third quarter of 2025.

There were no notable items in the current quarter or the comparison quarters.

On a quarter-over-quarter basis, the adjusted loss reflects higher expenses related to the previously mentioned costs incurred in connection with the pending acquisition of the company and lower net investment income. On a sequential basis, the adjusted loss reflects higher expenses related to the previously mentioned costs incurred in connection with the pending acquisition of the company.

Net Investment Income

Net investment income was $1,328 million and adjusted net investment income* was $1,334 million in the current quarter.

Adjusted net investment income decreased $42 million on a quarter-over-quarter basis primarily driven by a reduction in the size of the institutional spread margin business and the impact of lower short-term interest rates. Adjusted net investment income increased $7 million sequentially, driven by higher alternative investment income.

The adjusted net investment income yield* was 4.44% during the quarter.

Capitalization

As of December 31, 2025:

• Statutory combined total adjusted capital⁽¹⁾ was $5.3 billion
• Combined RBC ratio⁽¹⁾ of 456%, which is above our target range of 400% to 450% in normal market conditions
• The combined RBC ratio reflects:
  • a reserve increase from the statutory annual actuarial review completed in the fourth quarter,
  • a reduction in required capital from this actuarial review, and
  • a benefit from a reinsurance transaction with a third party to reinsure certain universal life policies with secondary guarantees and certain term life policies, which was entered into in the fourth quarter.
• Holding company liquid assets were $0.9 billion, which reflects the previously mentioned costs incurred in connection with the pending acquisition of the company and the timing of senior debt interest expense.

Pending Merger with Aquarian Capital

On November 6, 2025, Aquarian Capital LLC (“Aquarian Capital”), a diversified global holding company with a strategic portfolio of insurance and asset management businesses, and Brighthouse Financial, announced that they had entered into a definitive merger agreement under which an affiliate of Aquarian Capital will acquire Brighthouse Financial for $70.00 per share in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $4.1 billion.

At a special meeting held on February, 12, 2026, Brighthouse Financial stockholders voted to adopt the merger agreement. The transaction is expected to close in 2026 and is subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of insurance regulatory approvals.

About Brighthouse Financial, Inc.

Brighthouse Financial, Inc. (Brighthouse Financial) (Nasdaq: BHF) is on a mission to help people achieve financial security. As one of the largest providers of annuities and life insurance in the U.S.,⁽¹⁾ we specialize in products designed to help people protect what they’ve earned and ensure it lasts. Learn more at brighthousefinancial.com.

Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release, and any related oral statements, contain various forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which are subject to the “safe harbor” created by those sections. Words such as “estimate,” “expect,” “project,” “may,” “will,” “could,” “intend,” “goal,” “target,” “guidance,” “forecast,” “preliminary,” “objective,” “continue,” “aim,” “plan,” “believe” and similar expressions or the negative of those expressions or verbs, identify forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned that these statements are not guarantees of future performance. Forward-looking statements are not historical facts but instead represent only Brighthouse Financial’s beliefs regarding future events, which may by their nature be inherently uncertain, and some of which may be outside Brighthouse Financial’s control.

Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other important factors that could cause actual results and the timing of certain events to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors include, among others, Brighthouse Financial’s ability to complete the merger on the timeframe or in the manner currently anticipated or at all, including due to a failure to obtain the regulatory approvals required for the closing of the merger or the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the right of one or both of the parties to terminate the merger agreement; the effect of the pendency of the merger on Brighthouse Financial’s ongoing business and operations, including disruption to Brighthouse Financial’s business relationships, the diversion of management’s attention from ongoing business operations and opportunities, or the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Aquarian Capital or Brighthouse Financial following announcement of the merger; restrictions on the conduct of Brighthouse Financial’s business prior to the closing of the merger and on Brighthouse Financial’s ability to pursue alternatives to the merger; the possibility that the merger may be more expensive to complete than anticipated, including as a result of unexpected factors or events; differences between actual experience and actuarial assumptions and the effectiveness of Brighthouse Financial’s actuarial models; higher risk management costs and exposure to increased market risk due to guarantees within certain of Brighthouse Financial’s products; the effectiveness of Brighthouse Financial’s risk management strategy and the impacts of such strategy on volatility in Brighthouse Financial’s profitability measures and the negative effects on Brighthouse Financial’s statutory capital; material differences between actual outcomes and the sensitivities calculated under certain scenarios that Brighthouse Financial may utilize in connection with its risk management strategies; the impact of interest rates on Brighthouse Financial’s future ULSG policyholder obligations and net income volatility; the potential material adverse effect of changes in accounting standards, practices or policies applicable to Brighthouse Financial, including changes in the accounting for long-duration contracts; loss of business and other negative impacts resulting from a downgrade or a potential downgrade in Brighthouse Financial’s financial strength or credit ratings; the availability of reinsurance and the ability of the counterparties to Brighthouse Financial’s reinsurance or indemnification arrangements to perform their obligations thereunder; heightened competition, including with respect to service, product features, product mix, scale, price, actual or perceived financial strength, claims-paying ratings, credit ratings, e-business capabilities and name recognition; Brighthouse Financial’s ability to market and distribute its products through distribution channels and maintain relationships with key distribution partners; any failure of third parties to provide services Brighthouse Financial needs, any failure of the practices and procedures of such third parties and any inability to obtain information or assistance it needs from third parties; the ability of Brighthouse Financial’s subsidiaries to pay dividends to it, and its ability to pay dividends to its shareholders and repurchase its common stock; the risks associated with climate change; the adverse impact of public health crises, extreme mortality events or similar occurrences on Brighthouse Financial’s business and the economy in general; the impact of adverse capital and credit market conditions, including with respect to Brighthouse Financial’s ability to meet liquidity needs and access capital; the impact of economic conditions in the capital markets and the U.S. and global economy, as well as geopolitical events, tariffs imposed or threatened by the U.S. or foreign governments, military actions or catastrophic events, on Brighthouse Financial’s profitability measures as well as its investment portfolio, including on realized and unrealized losses and impairments, net investment spread and net investment income; the financial risks that Brighthouse Financial’s investment portfolio is subject to, including credit risk, interest rate risk, inflation risk, market valuation risk, liquidity risk, real estate risk, derivatives risk, and other factors outside Brighthouse Financial’s control; the impact of changes in regulation and in supervisory and enforcement policies or interpretations thereof on Brighthouse Financial’s insurance business or other operations; the potential material negative tax impact of potential future tax legislation that could make some of Brighthouse Financial’s products less attractive to consumers or increase our tax liability; the effectiveness of Brighthouse Financial’s policies, procedures and processes in managing risk; the loss or disclosure of confidential information, damage to Brighthouse Financial’s reputation and impairment of its ability to conduct business effectively as a result of any failure in cyber- or other information security systems; whether all or any portion of the tax consequences of Brighthouse Financial’s separation from MetLife, Inc. are not as expected, leading to material additional taxes or material adverse consequences to tax attributes that impact Brighthouse Financial; other factors that may affect future results of Brighthouse Financial; and management’s response to any of the aforementioned factors.

Furthermore, such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. Except as required by law, the parties undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements. Risks or uncertainties (i) that are not currently known to the parties, (ii) that the parties currently deem to be immaterial or (iii) that could apply to any company could also materially adversely affect the future results of Brighthouse Financial. Additional information concerning certain factors is contained in Brighthouse Financial’s SEC filings, including but not limited to its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, as well as subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K.

The information contained on or connected to any websites referenced in this press release is not incorporated by reference into this press release.

Non-GAAP and Other Financial Disclosures

Our definitions of non-GAAP and other financial measures may differ from those used by other companies.

Non-GAAP Financial Disclosures

We present certain measures of our performance that are not calculated in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, also known as “GAAP.” We believe that these non-GAAP financial measures enhance the understanding of our performance by the investor community by highlighting the results of operations and the underlying profitability drivers of our business.

The following non-GAAP financial measures should not be viewed as substitutes for the most directly comparable financial measures calculated in accordance with GAAP:

Reconciliations to the most directly comparable historical GAAP measures are included for those measures which are presented herein. Reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures are not accessible on a forward-looking basis because we believe it is not possible without unreasonable efforts to provide other than a range of net investment gains and losses and net derivative gains and losses, which can fluctuate significantly within or outside the range and from period to period and may have a material impact on net income (loss) available to shareholders.

Adjusted Earnings, Adjusted Revenues and Adjusted Expenses

Adjusted earnings is a financial measure used by management to evaluate performance and facilitate comparisons to industry results. This financial measure, which may be positive or negative, focuses on our primary businesses by excluding the impact of market volatility, which could distort trends. Adjusted earnings was updated during the first quarter of 2025 in connection with the establishment of a trading portfolio comprised of certain fixed income securities.

Contacts

FOR INVESTORS
Dana Amante
(980) 949-3073
[email protected]

FOR MEDIA
Meghan Lantier
(980) 949-4142
[email protected]

Read full story here