RGA Stock Trading at Discount to Industry at 1.24X: Time to Hold?

Valuation and Market Position - RGA shares are trading at a discount with a forward price-to-book value of 1.24X, lower than the industry average of 1.96X, the Finance sector's 3.99X, and the Zacks S&P 500 Composite's 8.85X [1] - The stock is attractively valued compared to competitors like Primerica, Manulife Financial, and Sun Life Financial [2] - RGA has a market capitalization of $13.88 billion and an average trading volume of 0.3 million shares over the last three months [6] Growth and Earnings - RGA's expected long-term earnings growth rate is 10.4$22.36 billion, a 17.4% improvement [17] Financial Performance and Capital Management - RGA's return on invested capital (ROIC) in the trailing 12 months was 6.4%, higher than the industry average of 0.6% [9] - The company exited Q3 2024 with excess capital of around $0.7 billion, reflecting a solid capital position [14] - RGA has maintained a free cash flow conversion rate of over 85% in recent quarters [21] Business Expansion and Market Leadership - RGA is a leader in the traditional U S and Latin American markets, with a mature individual mortality business providing stable earnings [5] - The company has expanded its product line with market-leading services, capabilities, expertise, and innovation [5] - In Canada, RGA is a market leader with a sizable block of in-force business and expects steady demand for longevity insurance [19] Technological and Product Innovation - RGA is a global biometric liability reinsurance leader, with favorable biometrics experience over the last five quarters [12] - The company continues to integrate technology into its products, enhancing its market position [12] Market Performance and Analyst Sentiment - RGA shares have gained 31.1% over the past year, outperforming the industry's growth of 25.6%, the Zacks S&P 500 index's 27.4%, and the Finance sector's 18.3% [16] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 moved 0.3% higher in the last 30 days, reflecting analyst optimism [13] Growth Opportunities - Demand for protection products among the emerging global middle class and aging populations creates growth opportunities [11] - RGA expects to deploy capital into attractive growth opportunities in organic flow and in-force block transactions while returning excess capital to shareholders [14][20]