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• Adjusted Operating Income: $332 million for Q4, $1.2 billion for full year 2024, a 16% increase compared to 2023.

• RBC Ratio: Ended 2024 with an estimated RBC ratio of over 430%.

• Group Protection Earnings: Q4 earnings of $107 million, margin of 8.4%; full year earnings increased by more than 50%.

• Annuity Sales: $3.7 billion in Q4; full year sales increased 7% year-over-year.

• Retirement Plan Services Earnings: Q4 earnings increased by 13% year-over-year; full year deposit growth of 25%.

• Net Income: Q4 net income available to common stockholders of $1.7 billion or $9.63 per diluted share.

• Free Cash Flow Conversion: Increased from 35% in 2023 to 39% in 2024.

• Alternative Investments Return: 11% annualized return in Q4, 8.9% for the full year.

• Life Insurance Operating Loss: Q4 operating loss of $15 million.

• Investment Grade Portfolio: 97% investment grade, with new money invested at a 6.4% yield.

• Warning! GuruFocus has detected 8 Warning Signs with LNC.

Release Date: February 06, 2025

For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.

Positive Points

• Lincoln National Corp (NYSE:LNC) achieved its highest full-year adjusted operating income in three years, indicating strong financial performance.

• The company successfully increased its RBC ratio to over 430%, providing added financial flexibility.

• Group protection business delivered a record fourth quarter with earnings more than doubling year over year.

• Annuities business reported robust earnings growth and its highest full-year sales in five years.

• Retirement Plan Services achieved a 10th consecutive year of positive net flows, with full-year deposit growth of 25%.

Negative Points

• Life insurance segment reported a fourth-quarter operating loss, impacted by elevated severity and the run rate impacts of the fortitude re-transaction.

• Fixed annuity sales were lower than the record prior year quarter, reflecting a broader industry decline.

• The favorable macroeconomic conditions that benefited the group protection business may not persist, potentially impacting future margins.

• Retirement Plan Services faced pressure from stable value outflows and spread compression, affecting earnings growth.

• The company anticipates some moderation of the record low disability incidents experienced in 2024, which could impact future earnings.

Q & A Highlights

Q: Can you provide more color on the decision to raise the top end of the free cash flow outlook for 2026 and how to think about free cash flow in 2025? A: Christopher Neczypor, CFO, explained that the increase in the free cash flow outlook is due to strategic priorities such as building a strong capital foundation and optimizing the operating model. In 2024, Lincoln National made significant progress, including margin expansion and expense management. For 2025, they expect continued investment and momentum, with initiatives like the FABN program and Bermuda reinsurance. By 2026, they anticipate further improvements in free cash flow conversion due to a mix shift towards higher free cash flow segments, capital efficiency in new sales, and actions on legacy blocks.