Globe Life’s third quarter results met Wall Street’s revenue expectations, supported by steady premium growth and margin expansion in both life and health insurance operations. Management attributed the performance primarily to improved mortality experience and successful assumption updates, which reduced policy obligations. CEO Frank Svoboda emphasized the company’s ability to serve the lower middle to middle income market, noting, “Our long-term experience and data in this market provide us a distinct competitive advantage.” Direct-to-consumer sales rebounded, aided by new underwriting technology that increased conversion rates, while exclusive agency channels maintained agent count growth, underpinning longer-term sales momentum.
Is now the time to buy GL? Find out in our full research report (it’s free for active Edge members).
Globe Life (GL) Q3 CY2025 Highlights:
- Revenue: $1.52 billion vs analyst estimates of $1.52 billion (4.1% year-on-year growth, in line)
- Adjusted EPS: $4.81 vs analyst estimates of $4.54 (5.9% beat)
- Adjusted Operating Income: $499.8 million vs analyst estimates of $487.6 million (32.9% margin, 2.5% beat)
- Market Capitalization: $10.79 billion
While we enjoy listening to the management's commentary, our favorite part of earnings calls are the analyst questions. Those are unscripted and can often highlight topics that management teams would rather avoid or topics where the answer is complicated. Here is what has caught our attention.
Our Top 5 Analyst Questions From Globe Life’s Q3 Earnings Call
- Francis Matten (BMO Capital Markets) asked if muted sales growth in exclusive agencies stemmed from consumer demand or agent productivity; co-CEO James Darden explained that growth was tied to agent onboarding and training, with new hires up 17% at American Income as a leading indicator for future sales.
- Andrew Kligerman (TD Cowen) questioned the effectiveness of the new worksite enrollment platform and recruiting CRM; Darden detailed early results showing over 20% premium growth per worksite and improved real-time management of recruiting pipelines.
- Jamminder Bhullar (JPMorgan) sought clarity on lower implied Q4 EPS guidance; CFO Tom Kalmbach attributed the outlook to favorable Q3 mortality and health trends not expected to repeat due to seasonality and timing of certain tax credits.
- John Barnidge (Piper Sandler) inquired about secular demand drivers in health insurance, particularly for Medicare supplement products; Darden and Svoboda noted demographic tailwinds from the aging population and ongoing market disruptions from Medicare Advantage pricing.
- Wesley Carmichael (Autonomous Research) probed the status and financial impact of the Bermuda reinsurance affiliate; Kalmbach confirmed regulatory progress and reiterated the anticipated $200 million incremental benefit, with timing dependent on approvals.
Catalysts in Upcoming Quarters
In upcoming quarters, our team will watch for (1) sustained growth in exclusive agent recruitment and the impact of new recruiting technology, (2) the effectiveness of digital underwriting and enrollment platforms in driving direct-to-consumer and worksite sales, and (3) margin trends in health and life insurance as rate changes and assumption updates take effect. The execution of the Bermuda reinsurance affiliate and its contribution to excess cash flow will also be a key milestone.
Globe Life currently trades at $134.37, in line with $135.66 just before the earnings. At this price, is it a buy or sell? The answer lies in our full research report (it’s free for active Edge members).
Our Favorite Stocks Right Now
When Trump unveiled his aggressive tariff plan in April 2025, markets tanked as investors feared a full-blown trade war. But those who panicked and sold missed the subsequent rebound that’s already erased most losses.
Don’t let fear keep you from great opportunities and take a look at Top 9 Market-Beating Stocks. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 183% over the last five years (as of March 31st 2025).
Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,545% between March 2020 and March 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-micro-cap company Tecnoglass (+1,754% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today.
StockStory is growing and hiring equity analyst and marketing roles. Are you a 0 to 1 builder passionate about the markets and AI? See the open roles here.
