Corebridge Financial, Inc. provides retirement solutions and insurance products in the United States. It operates through four segments: Individual Retirement, Group Retirement, Life Insurance, and Institutional Markets. The company was formerly known as SAFG Retirement Services, Inc., was incorporated in 1998, and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
Equitable Holdings Exits FTSE All-World Index as Asset Management Head Seth Bernstein Retires
Equitable Holdings, Inc. was removed from the FTSE All-World Index (USD) on September 19, 2026, and announced on September 25, 2026 that Seth Bernstein will step down as Head of Asset Management following his retirement from AllianceBernstein entities. The index exclusion and the leadership change come as Equitable pursues its US$10.6 billion all-stock merger with Corebridge, a deal that underpins expectations for scale, cost savings and a broader retirement platform. The planned integration of AllianceBernstein into that model, including directing additional assets to AB, now sits against the backdrop of the asset-management leadership change. Equitable's narrative projects $18.3 billion in revenue and $2.2 billion in earnings by 2029, requiring 19.9% yearly revenue growth and a $3.2 billion earnings increase from -$982.0 million today, with a fair value estimate of $62.09 implying 15% upside. Community fair value estimates for Equitable range from about US$62 to over US$358,000 per share.
EQH · Capital · Neutral Equitable was removed from the FTSE All-World Index and its asset-management head is retiring as it pursues the Corebridge merger.
AB · Capital · Neutral Seth Bernstein retires as Head of Asset Management from AllianceBernstein entities amid Equitable's planned integration of AB into its post-Corebridge model.
CRBG · Capital · Neutral Corebridge is the counterparty in Equitable's US$10.6 billion all-stock merger, a deal underpinning scale and cost-savings expectations.
Tributary Capital Sold Equitable Holdings Over Corebridge Merger Integration Risk
Tributary Capital Management's Multi Cap Core Equity Strategy disclosed that it sold its position in Equitable Holdings during the second quarter of 2026, citing the insurer's pending merger with Corebridge Financial. In its second-quarter 2026 investor letter, the firm said the Corebridge deal adds meaningful integration risk and delays the return of excess capital to shareholders. Equitable Holdings, a diversified financial services company that writes annuities and insurance policies, administers group retirement plans and operates Alliance Bernstein, closed at $52.61 per share on September 24, 2026, with a market capitalization of $14.35 billion and a 52-week range of $35.20 to $55.06. The stock returned 4.80% over the past month but is up just 0.42% over the past year. The Tributary Multi Cap Core strategy returned 12.5% in the second quarter, trailing the S&P 1500's 15.3% and the Russell 3000's 15.4%, with Information Technology the main driver of its 2.8% relative underperformance.
EQH · Capital · Negative Tributary Capital sold its Equitable Holdings position, citing integration risk from the pending Corebridge merger and delayed return of excess capital to shareholders.
CRBG · Capital · Neutral Corebridge is the merger counterparty; the deal adds integration risk and delays capital returns, but the article reports no Corebridge-specific development.
Equitable Adds First Bitcoin-Linked Option to Registered Index-Linked Annuity
Equitable Holdings added the industry's first bitcoin-linked investment option to a registered index-linked annuity on September 2, tracking the iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF through a new SCS Premier option. The bitcoin option offers one-year segments with buffers of 10%, 15%, 20% and 40%, and allocations are generally capped at 25% of contract value, giving clients defined protection rather than open-ended exposure. The same update added Optimal Mix Segments, which spread money across multiple indices and weight the best performers at maturity, plus Dual Direction Downside Advantage segments that can turn a decline within the buffer into a gain worth twice the size of that drop. The launch sits on top of a business that is already growing: in the second quarter of 2026, Equitable posted net inflows of $1.7 billion in Retirement, $2.0 billion in Wealth Management and $0.8 billion in Asset Management, pushing total assets under management and administration to a record $1.2 trillion, up 10% from a year earlier, while returning $449 million to shareholders and staying on track for a 60% to 70% payout ratio in 2026. The headline growth hides a rockier bottom line, with a GAAP net loss of $453 million, or $1.68 per share, for the second quarter of 2026 even as non-GAAP operating earnings came in positive at $488 million, and book value per common share of negative $6.79 once accumulated other comprehensive income is included. The pending merger with Corebridge Financial, approved by shareholders on July 30, still needs regulatory sign-off before it can close, leaving the promised earnings boost of more than 10% to earnings per share on a run-rate basis by year-end 2028 dependent on approvals still to come.
Digital Finance & Tokenization › Digital Wealth & Robo-Advisory Demand
EQH · Technology · Positive Equitable launched the industry's first bitcoin-linked registered index-linked annuity option, a new product development.
EQH · Capital · Positive Q2 2026 net inflows, record $1.2T AUM, $449M returned to shareholders, and positive non-GAAP operating earnings.
BTC · Demand · Positive Equitable's new annuity option tracks the iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF, adding a new channel of institutional product demand for bitcoin exposure.
CRBG · Capital · Neutral Pending merger with Equitable approved by shareholders but still needs regulatory sign-off before closing.
Corebridge Posts $16 Million Q2 GAAP Loss as Adjusted Operating Income Hits $512 Million
Corebridge Financial reported a second-quarter net loss of $16 million, or $0.04 a share, for the period ended June 30, even as adjusted after-tax operating income came in at $512 million, or $1.12 per share. The loss was driven mostly by unfavorable swings in the fair value of market risk benefits and higher interest credited on policyholder accounts, while core sources of income rose 5% year over year to $1.6 billion. Institutional Markets premiums and deposits jumped 130% to $2.6 billion on higher guaranteed investment contract issuances, and core income excluding variable investment income climbed 36%. Corebridge returned $412 million to shareholders in the quarter, split between $300 million of buybacks and $112 million of dividends, and declared a $0.25 per share dividend payable September 30 to shareholders of record as of September 16. On July 30, Corebridge and Equitable Holdings shareholders approved their combination, clearing the biggest hurdle before the deal can close. Still, adjusted pre-tax operating income fell 21% to $664 million, Individual Retirement premiums and deposits dropped 41%, or $2.7 billion, and total company premiums and deposits fell 13% to $9.1 billion.
CRBG · Capital · Neutral Q2 GAAP net loss of $16M on market-risk-benefit swings and higher policyholder interest, offset by $512M adjusted operating income, $412M returned via buybacks/dividends, and a declared $0.25 dividend.
EQH · Capital · Neutral Equitable Holdings shareholders approved the combination with Corebridge on July 30, clearing the biggest hurdle before the deal can close.
Walker & Dunlop Arranges $293.2 Million Refinancing for 40 Tenth Avenue in Manhattan
Walker & Dunlop arranged $293,200,000 to refinance 40 Tenth Avenue, a 158,957-square-foot mixed-use property in Manhattan's Meatpacking District. The fixed-rate, permanent debt refinancing came from Corebridge Financial, with Walker & Dunlop Capital Markets Institutional Advisory serving as exclusive advisor to Aurora Capital and William Gottlieb Real Estate. Completed in 2019 and designed by Studio Gang, the building holds 112,241 square feet of office space across floors three through 10 and 46,716 square feet of retail space on the ground and second floors. Hyundai Motor occupies the entire retail component, while office tenants include Starwood Capital Group, WestCap Management, RTW Investments, Stripes and Checkout.com. The property also offers more than 18,000 square feet of landscaped private outdoor space, including an approximately 10,000-square-foot rooftop terrace and an approximately 8,000-square-foot planted second-floor terrace.
Corebridge Financial reports Q2 2026 adjusted pre-tax operating income of $664 million, down 21% year-over-year
Corebridge Financial reported second quarter 2026 adjusted pre-tax operating income of $664 million, a 21% decrease from the prior year quarter, driven by underperforming variable investment income. Run-rate operating earnings per share rose 16% to $1.35 after adjusting for long-term alternative investment returns, while core sources of income grew 5% to $1.6 billion. The company returned $412 million to shareholders, including $300 million in share repurchases, and confirmed it is on track to meet full-year 2026 objectives ahead of its planned merger with Equitable Holdings, which shareholders approved on July 30. Management expects the combined entity to achieve $5 billion in earnings and $4 billion in cash generation by 2027, with $500 million in annual cost synergies within two years of closing.
AIG Reports Second Quarter Adjusted EPS of $2.00, Up 10%
American International Group reported second quarter 2026 adjusted after-tax income per diluted share of $2.00, a 10% increase from the prior year quarter. General Insurance net premiums written rose 9% to $7.5 billion, with growth across all three business segments, and underwriting income increased 10% to $686 million. The General Insurance combined ratio improved 30 basis points to 89.0%, and the accident year combined ratio, as adjusted, also improved 30 basis points to 88.1%. AIG returned $904 million to shareholders through $641 million in share repurchases and $263 million in dividends, and sold its remaining interest in Corebridge for approximately $710 million.
Equitable Holdings Posts Record AUMA and 24% EPS Growth in Q2 2026
Equitable Holdings reported second-quarter 2026 non-GAAP operating earnings of $1.75 per share, a 24% year-over-year increase, while assets under management and administration reached a record $1.2 trillion, up 10% from a year ago. The company posted a net loss of $453 million driven by noneconomic hedge portfolio impacts from strong equity markets, and returned $449 million to shareholders including $366 million in share repurchases. Retirement net inflows were $1.7 billion, wealth management advisory inflows hit $2 billion, and AllianceBernstein returned to positive net inflows of $0.8 billion with private markets AUM reaching $91 billion. Equitable also announced the sale of its Employee Benefits business to The Hartford and remains on track to close its merger with Corebridge by year-end 2026, a deal expected to be at least 10% accretive to earnings and cash flow per share by 2028.
Corebridge Financial declared a quarterly dividend of $0.25 per share, in line with the previous payout. The dividend carries a forward yield of 3.16% and is payable on September 30 to shareholders of record as of September 16, with the ex-dividend date also set for September 16.
AllianceBernstein Reports Record Assets and Strongest Sales in Five Years
AllianceBernstein reported record assets under management above $905 billion and its strongest quarterly sales in five years during the second quarter of 2026. Adjusted earnings rose 8% to $0.82 per unit, while the operating margin expanded to 33%. Fixed income, alternatives, and insurance-related mandates drove growth, including a $9 billion Equitable passive fixed-income mandate. Private-market AUM reached $91 billion ahead of schedule and exceeded $100 billion after the subsequent onboarding of $11.8 billion in commercial mortgage loans. The firm raised its 2026 performance-fee outlook to $115 million to $135 million and lowered its non-compensation expense and tax-rate forecasts, and it expects to add at least $100 billion of Corebridge assets over time if the proposed Equitable-Corebridge combination closes.
AB · Capital · Positive Record AUM, strongest sales in five years, earnings beat, raised outlook, and margin expansion.
CRBG · Capital · Positive AllianceBernstein expects to add at least $100B of Corebridge assets if Equitable-Corebridge deal closes, implying potential fee revenue.
EQH · Capital · Positive Equitable's proposed combination with Corebridge could lead to asset transfers benefiting AllianceBernstein, but Equitable itself is not directly impacted by the AUM growth.
38% of retirees underspend due to fear of shrinking their nest egg, survey finds
A new survey finds that 38% of American retirees are spending less than they want in retirement, not because they lack money but because they fear reducing the size of their nest egg. The Corebridge Financial decumulation survey also reveals that 70% of retirees believe it is very important that their savings do not shrink, and only 29% of those aged 55 and older have a plan for how to withdraw money in retirement. Concerns about inflation, market volatility, and healthcare costs drive this spending hesitation, according to the survey, rather than a desire to leave an inheritance. Terri Fiedler, president of retirement services at Corebridge Financial, said that having a thoughtful decumulation strategy can help individuals manage complex financial decisions and feel more secure about the future.
Aging Population › Retirement Income & Annuities ▼Demand
CRBG · Demand · Negative Survey reveals retirees are underspending due to fear of shrinking savings, which may reduce demand for Corebridge's retirement products and services.
Halper Sadeh LLC Investigates Whether NEE, CRBG, RMAX, APGE Are Obtaining Fair Deals for Their Shareholders
Halper Sadeh LLC, an investor rights law firm, is investigating NextEra Energy, Corebridge Financial, RE/MAX Holdings, and Apogee Therapeutics for potential violations of federal securities laws or breaches of fiduciary duties to shareholders in connection with their proposed transactions. The firm is examining NextEra Energy's merger with Dominion Energy, where NextEra shareholders would own approximately 74.5% of the combined company, and Corebridge Financial's merger with Equitable Holdings, in which each Corebridge share would be exchanged for one share of the combined company and Corebridge shareholders would own about 51% of the entity. Also under investigation is RE/MAX Holdings' sale to The Real Brokerage Inc. for either 5.152 shares of the combined company or $13.80 in cash per share, and Apogee Therapeutics' sale to AbbVie for $135.11 per share in cash. Halper Sadeh LLC may seek increased consideration, additional disclosures, or other relief on behalf of shareholders, and encourages them to contact the firm to discuss their rights at no cost.
Oakmark Fund Initiates Position in Equitable Holdings, Citing Undervaluation and Corebridge Merger Potential
Oakmark Fund added Equitable Holdings as a new position in the second quarter of 2026, citing its shift toward capital-light fee businesses and the pending merger with Corebridge Financial. The fund noted that more than half of Equitable's distributable cash flow now comes from nonregulated fee segments, and it views the Corebridge deal as a merger of equals that could create a leading U.S. retirement, wealth, and asset management franchise. Oakmark initiated the stake at less than six times its estimate of 2027 distributable cash flow, a valuation it believes understates the earnings quality of the business. Equitable Holdings closed at $47.80 per share on July 13, 2026, with a market capitalization of $13.05 billion.
EQH · Capital · Positive Oakmark initiated a position citing undervaluation at less than 6x 2027 distributable cash flow and shift to capital-light fee businesses.
CRBG · Capital · Positive Pending merger with Equitable Holdings viewed as creating a leading retirement and asset management franchise, enhancing Corebridge's value.
Corebridge Financial Enhances Max Accumulator+ III with New Index Strategies and Improved Cash Value Potential
Corebridge Financial announced enhancements to its Max Accumulator+ III index universal life insurance product, adding two new index crediting strategies and structural changes to improve cash value outcomes. The new strategies are the Nasdaq-100, providing exposure to technology and growth-oriented companies, and the S&P 500 High Bonus, which offers a bonus feature to support accumulation in varying market conditions. With these additions, Max Accumulator+ III now offers five index crediting strategies, giving customers greater diversification and more choice in how they build policy value over time. The product also includes built-in protections from market loss and optional living benefits such as a guaranteed lifetime income rider and coverage for chronic illness expenses. Corebridge Financial, which had over $380 billion in assets under management and administration as of March 31, 2026, is one of the largest providers of retirement solutions and insurance products in the United States.
CRBG · Technology · Positive Corebridge enhanced its Max Accumulator+ III product with new index strategies (Nasdaq-100, S&P 500 High Bonus) and structural improvements to boost cash value, making the product more competitive.
F&G Annuities & Life favored over Corebridge Financial for 2026
The Motley Fool compared Corebridge Financial and F&G Annuities & Life, concluding that F&G is the better buy for 2026 despite its higher forward price-to-earnings ratio of 7.2 times versus Corebridge's 5.7 times. F&G's advantages include a lower debt-to-equity ratio of roughly 0.5 times, nearly $4.7 billion in free cash flow, and a 3.7% dividend yield, compared to Corebridge's 0.8 times debt-to-equity, nearly $2.0 billion in free cash flow, and 3.5% yield. Corebridge manages nearly $385 billion in assets and reported a net loss of approximately $366 million on nearly $20 billion in revenue in fiscal 2025, while F&G manages approximately $57.6 billion in assets and posted net income of about $265.0 million on nearly $5.7 billion in revenue. F&G also benefits from a roughly 70% ownership stake by Fidelity National Financial, providing managerial stability.
CRBG · Capital · Negative Article concludes F&G is a better buy than Corebridge, citing Corebridge's higher debt-to-equity, lower free cash flow, and net loss.
FG · Capital · Positive Article concludes F&G is the better buy for 2026, citing lower debt-to-equity, higher free cash flow, net income, and dividend yield.
FNF · Capital · Positive Fidelity National Financial owns roughly 70% of F&G, which is highlighted as a positive for F&G's managerial stability.
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