Core Insights - Madison Investments reported a 3.43% appreciation for the Madison Large Cap Fund in Q4 2025, outperforming the S&P 500's 2.65% return, with the S&P 500 achieving a full-year return of 17.9% for 2025 [1] Group 1: Market Performance - The S&P 500 returned 2.65% in Q4 2025, leading to a full-year return of 17.9% [1] - Over the last three years, the S&P 500 has achieved annual growth of over 21% [1] - Market leadership was characterized by High Beta and Momentum factors, with narrow participation [1] Group 2: Sector Performance - There were slight improvements in previously lagging sectors such as Healthcare, Financials, and Consumer Discretionary during Q4 2025 [1] - Mega-cap technology companies remained the primary drivers of the S&P 500's overall return, indicating high stock concentration [1] Group 3: Company-Specific Insights - Texas Instruments Incorporated (NASDAQ:TXN) had a market capitalization of $193.855 billion and closed at $213.35 per share on February 24, 2026 [2] - Texas Instruments' stock experienced a one-month return of -1.30% but gained 7.62% over the past 52 weeks [2] - Despite reporting strong results, Texas Instruments was among the bottom five detractors for the quarter, as investors expected quicker growth recovery [3] Group 4: Hedge Fund Interest - Texas Instruments was held by 78 hedge fund portfolios at the end of Q4 2025, an increase from 72 in the previous quarter [4] - While Texas Instruments is recognized for its potential, certain AI stocks are believed to offer greater upside potential with less downside risk [4]

Madison Investments, an investment advisor, released its fourth-quarter 2025 investor letter for the “Madison Large Cap Fund”. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. In the fourth quarter, the S&P 500 returned 2.65%, resulting in a full-year return of 17.9% for 2025. Over the last three years, the Index has achieved annual growth of over 21%. Following the recent trends, market leadership was defined by High Beta and Momentum factors, with narrow participation. However, in the fourth quarter, the mark ...

Investor Presentation February 2026 Disclaimer This presentation contains forward-looking statements, within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements other than statements of historical fact contained in this presentation, including statements regarding our future results of operations and financial position, business strategy and plans, and objectives of management for future operations, are forw ...

Five people died on I-20 near Terrell, Texas, when a Hope Trans LLC semi hauling U.S. mail slammed into stopped traffic. The driver, Alexis Osmani Gonzalez-Companioni, admitted he fell asleep at the wheel. He was driving solo on a route that, under USPS policy, required team drivers. The truck’s cab card was falsified. A company official was indicted. Former drivers described a culture of falsified logs, backdated shipping documents, and coded language; “coffee” meant they needed more illegal drive time.KG ...

Core Insights - The Progressive Corporation (PGR) reported earnings per share of $1.98 for January 2026, reflecting a 4% year-over-year increase driven by higher revenues and investment income, despite rising expenses [1][7] Financial Performance - Total revenues for Progressive reached $7.5 billion, marking a 5.3% increase year over year, attributed to a 5% rise in premiums and a 16% increase in investment income [3][7] - Net premiums written were $6.7 billion, up 4% from $6.5 billion in the same month last year, while net premiums earned rose 5% to approximately $6.9 billion [2] - The combined ratio deteriorated by 30 basis points year over year to 84.4, indicating a slight increase in claims and expenses relative to premiums [2] Policy Growth - Policies in force (PIF) in the Vehicle business increased significantly, with Personal Auto segment policies rising 10% to 37.6 million and Direct Auto policies improving 14% to 16.1 million [4] - The Property business also saw growth, with 3.6 million policies in force, up 3% year over year [5] Investment Metrics - The book value per share increased by 16.4% to $53.24 as of January 31, 2026, compared to $45.75 a year earlier [5] - The return on equity for the trailing 12 months was 38.9%, up 130 basis points from 37.6% in January 2025 [5] - The debt-to-total-capital ratio improved by 230 basis points year over year to 18.1 as of January 31, 2026 [5] Market Performance - Progressive shares have experienced a decline of 24.6% over the past year, contrasting with the industry's growth of 3.5% [6]

MAYFIELD VILLAGE, OHIO, Feb. 18, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Progressive Corporation (NYSE:PGR) today reported the following results for the month ended January 31, 2026: January(millions, except per share amounts and ratios; unaudited)2026 2025 ChangeNet premiums written$6,735 $6,481 4 <td ...

Summary of The Hartford Insurance Group Conference Call Company Overview - **Company**: The Hartford Insurance Group (NYSE:HIG) - **Date**: February 10, 2026 - **Event**: U.S. Financial Services Conference Key Points Industry Performance - The Hartford has outperformed its peers over the last decade, achieving a 355% increase compared to the S&P 500 equal weight index's 255% and other competitors like Travelers and Chubb [1][2] Investment in Technology - The Hartford has made significant investments in technology, particularly in software and artificial intelligence (AI), to enhance customer experience and operational efficiency [2][6] - A $250 million investment was made in Duck Creek for personal lines business, indicating a focus on modernizing core platforms [7] - The company is transitioning to a cloud-native infrastructure, aiming for 80% completion by the end of 2027 [12] AI Integration - The Hartford has been implementing AI for two years, focusing on personal productivity tools and end-to-end process transformation [9][10] - AI is expected to enhance customer experience and operational productivity, with a focus on data organization to support AI applications [8][10] Market Position and Growth - The Hartford is capturing more market share across small, middle, and large global specialty markets due to its technological capabilities and customer-oriented approach [13] - The company anticipates higher retention rates and increased market share, particularly in the small business segment [13] Financial Performance and R&D Spending - The Hartford's R&D spending has increased from approximately $350 million to over $500 million annually, with no expected decrease in the near term [16][17] - The company maintains a stable acquisition cost for agents, with commission rates remaining steady at around 14%-14.5% [37] Personal Lines Strategy - The Hartford is expanding its personal lines offerings through the Prevail launch, aiming to provide comprehensive coverage while maintaining competitive pricing [42][47] - The company is currently in 10 states with plans to expand to 30 by early 2027 [46] Economic Outlook - The current economic environment is viewed positively, with low unemployment rates and strong GDP growth expected [65][66] - The Hartford's business is closely tied to employment, particularly in workers' compensation and disability insurance, which are seen as strengths [66] Social Inflation Concerns - Social inflation is acknowledged as a real issue affecting claims costs, with trends indicating increasing litigation rates and higher settlement amounts [76][77] Capital Allocation - The Hartford plans to maintain a competitive dividend, having increased it by 15% recently, while also focusing on share repurchases [82][83] - The company emphasizes the importance of investing in business growth while balancing capital returns to shareholders [82] Conclusion - The Hartford is positioned for continued growth through strategic investments in technology and a focus on customer experience, while navigating economic challenges and maintaining a strong financial foundation [66][82]

Core Insights - Progressive reported operating earnings per share of $18.27 for 2025, significantly exceeding the consensus estimate of $15.58, driven by strong personal auto policy growth, despite a 23% decline in stock price since April 2025, indicating a disconnect between market sentiment and operational performance [1] Group 1: Earnings Performance - The outperformance in earnings highlights the company's resilience in a challenging market environment [1] - Progressive's policy growth forecast for the first quarter of 2026 is expected to be 3.5%, surpassing the Street's estimate of 2.5%, aligning with historical seasonality trends [3] Group 2: Market and Regulatory Environment - Florida's tort reform is seen as a positive development, having already reduced claims costs, lowered litigation frequency, and improved underwriting margins [2] - The potential impact of autonomous vehicles is viewed positively, with the argument that they could enhance capital utilization and underwriting efficiency for insurers with scale and data advantages [2] Group 3: Price Forecast and Valuation - The revised price forecast for Progressive is set at $329, based on a 19.2x price-to-earnings multiple applied to normalized 2028 EPS of $17.12 [4] - Despite near-term stock volatility, Progressive is considered well-positioned to continue outperforming expectations due to strong execution, regulatory tailwinds, and technology-driven efficiency gains [4] Group 4: Stock Performance - At the time of publication, Progressive shares were down 0.09% at $202.10, close to its 52-week low of $197.92 [5]

Core Insights - Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, announced that its investigational BTK inhibitor fenebrutinib met the primary endpoint of non-inferiority compared to Ocrevus in reducing disability progression in patients with primary progressive multiple sclerosis [1] Group 1 - The Phase III FENtrepid study demonstrated a 12% reduction in the risk of disability progression with fenebrutinib compared to Ocrevus [1]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Total revenues increased to $17.3 billion for the fourth quarter and $67.7 billion for the year [4] - Net income applicable to common shareholders was $3.8 billion for the quarter and $10.2 billion for the year [4] - Adjusted net income was $3.8 billion, or $14.31 per common share for the fourth quarter, and $9.3 billion for 2025, $34.83 per share [4] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Premiums earned increased 4.4% in auto insurance and 15% in homeowners insurance [17] - Auto policy growth was 2.3% and homeowners policy growth was 2.5% [17] - The auto combined ratio improved by 10 points compared to the prior year, while the homeowners insurance combined ratio was 84.4 [17][21] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Protection Services segment grew policies in force by 3.3% to 172 million, while revenue increased 11.7% to $3.3 billion for the year [15] - Domestic revenue in the Protection Services segment increased 8.1% over the prior year quarter, while international revenue increased 39.7% [15] Company Strategy and Development Direction - Allstate's strategy focuses on increasing personal property-liability market share and expanding protection provided to customers [3] - The Transformative Growth initiative has lowered expenses and improved pricing models, allowing for competitive pricing [11] - New products like Affordable, Simple, Connected auto insurance are being rolled out to enhance customer value [12] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management emphasized the need for regulatory changes to improve affordability for consumers, particularly regarding bodily injury claims [8][28] - The company is optimistic about its competitive position in both auto and homeowners insurance markets, citing growth potential [33] - Management highlighted the importance of maintaining strong underwriting performance and cost control to support future profitability [19][21] Other Important Information - Allstate returned $2.2 billion to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases in 2025, with a new $4 billion share repurchase program announced [24] - The company has increased its quarterly stock dividend by 8% to $1.08 per share [24] Q&A Session Summary Question: Regulatory and legislative changes regarding rate relief - Management acknowledged the complexity of predicting regulatory changes but expressed hope for improvements in affordability through legislative action [27][28] Question: Competitive landscape in auto and home insurance - Management noted that competition remains strong, with key players like Progressive, GEICO, and State Farm, but emphasized Allstate's differentiated products and pricing strategies [31][32] Question: Impact of legacy policies on auto PIF - Management confirmed that the reported figures include inactive brands and are focused on overall growth, not just active brands [44][45] Question: New business penalty trends - Management indicated that increased pricing sophistication has reduced the new business penalty, allowing for better profitability [54][56] Question: Growth in independent agents channel - Management highlighted significant growth in both direct and independent agent channels, driven by the Transformative Growth initiative [58][60] Question: Autonomous driving technology impact - Management views autonomous driving as a long-term trend that could reduce frequency of accidents but may increase severity due to higher repair costs [68][70]