Principal Financial (PFG) Q2 Earnings: Taking a Look at Key Metrics Versus Estimates

While investors scrutinize revenue and earnings changes year-over-year and how they compare with Wall Street expectations to determine their next move, some key metrics always offer a more accurate picture of a company's financial health.

Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance.

Here is how Principal Financial performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:

• Assets under management (AUM) - International Pension: $168.50 billion compared to the $167.53 billion average estimate based on three analysts.
• Assets under management (AUM) - Investment Management: $601.90 billion versus the three-analyst average estimate of $597.10 billion.
• Total revenues- Fees and other revenues: $1.15 billion versus $1.11 billion estimated by four analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +5.9% change.
• Total revenues- Net investment income: $1.3 billion versus the four-analyst average estimate of $1.3 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +12%.
• Total revenues- Premiums and other considerations: $1.46 billion compared to the $1.65 billion average estimate based on four analysts. The reported number represents a change of +4.6% year over year.
• Total operating revenues- Principal Asset Management Segment- Fees and other revenues: $540.7 million compared to the $555.65 million average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of +1.8% year over year.
• Total operating revenues- Principal Asset Management Segment- Net investment income: $250.9 million versus $167.04 million estimated by three analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +49.1% change.
• Total operating revenues- Benefits and Protection Segment-Specialty Benefits- Fees and other revenues: $7.9 million compared to the $8.06 million average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of -2.5% year over year.
• Total operating revenues- Benefits and Protection Segment-Specialty Benefits- Premiums and other considerations: $865.4 million versus $867.95 million estimated by three analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +4% change.
• Total operating revenues- Benefits and Protection Segment-Specialty Benefits- Net Investment Income: $55.6 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $56.63 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +6.9%.
• Total operating revenues- Benefits and Protection Segment-Specialty Benefits: $928.9 million compared to the $932.64 million average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of +4.1% year over year.
• Total operating revenues- Benefits and Protection Segment-Life Insurance- Fees and other revenues: $107 million versus $113.43 million estimated by three analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -6.6% change.

View all Key Company Metrics for Principal Financial here>>>

Shares of Principal Financial have returned +1.5% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.8% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.

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