Hartford Insurance earnings: third quarter 2026

Hartford Insurance's headline profit rose 23% to $1,317 million in the third quarter of 2026. That rise came largely from a one-off $497 million gain on ending an old reinsurance arrangement. The company's own core earnings, which leave out one-offs and investment gains and losses, fell 6% to $956 million. Heavier storm losses and higher claims in group disability and life insurance pulled profit down. Rising investment income and a 6% rise in premiums in its largest business, Business Insurance, partly made up for that. The company paid $638 million back to shareholders and raised its dividend by 12%. It gave no figures for what it expects next. ¹

Against what analysts expected

Analysts' average forecast was $3.15 of earnings per share, according to Nasdaq's earnings calendar. The company's core figure of $3.50 a share and its headline figure of $4.82, which includes the one-off gain, both came in above that forecast, the core figure by about 11%. ¹²

The strong points

• The company handed $638 million back to its owners in the quarter through share buybacks and dividends, and raised its quarterly dividend by 12%. ¹
• Income from the company's $64.7 billion of investments rose to $850 million from $755 million a year ago. ¹
• Business Insurance, the largest part of the company, grew the premiums it wrote by 6% and held its core earnings steady. ¹

The weak points

• Core earnings fell 6% to $956 million, so the underlying result went the other way from the headline profit. ¹
• Storm losses rose to $198 million from $70 million a year ago, which cut Personal Insurance core earnings by 27%. ¹
• Employee Benefits core earnings fell 19% as claims in group disability and group life took a bigger share of premiums. ¹

What the company expects

• The company gave no figures for next quarter or the year, only a general statement that it expects to keep delivering strong returns. ¹
• Management says a more competitive market held back home and car insurance, where premiums written slipped to $950 million from $987 million. ¹

Our verdict on the quarter

A mixed report. Underlying profit came in above what analysts expected and more cash went back to owners, but core earnings fell from a year ago on storms and higher benefit claims, the company gave no figures for the year ahead, and it describes home and car insurance as more competitive.

The results as published

• The results release itself
• The filing it came with (SEC)

Notes

1. Hartford Insurance's results release, 26 October 2026: sec.gov. ↩
2. Nasdaq's earnings calendar, 26 October 2026. ↩