Lincoln National Corp., a large U.S. life insurer with operations in Hartford, reported a quarterly profit above Wall Street expectations, helped by the strong performance of its retirement solutions segment, Reuters reports.
Net income for the fourth quarter was $102 million, or 27 cents a share, compared with a net loss of $506 million, or $1.98 a share, for the year-ago period, Reuters said.
On an operating basis, which excludes investment gains and losses, the company earned $297 million, or 90 cents a share, compared with a loss of $127 million, or 50 cents a share, a year ago.
Analysts on average expected the company to earn 83 cents a share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
The individual annuities segment reported income from operations of $120 million in the quarter, compared with a loss of $172 million in the year-ago period.
U.S. life insurers like Lincoln have been weakened by the global financial crisis, hurt by investment losses, as well as higher costs on investment-linked retirement products that guarantee returns.
Lincoln got a helping hand from the U.S. Treasury in 2009 in the form of a $950 million cash injection to help shore up capital, and it raised additional funds through a share offering.
Shares of Philadelphia-based Lincoln closed at $23.50 in regular session on the New York Stock Exchange. The stock has gained nearly five-fold in value since its low of $4.90 in early March last year.
