LIC Q3 FY26 Results: Profit up 17.5%, stock jumps

Stock reaction after the December-quarter print

Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) rose 6.45% to ₹894.65 on Friday after reporting a stronger set of consolidated numbers for the December quarter. The move came as investors weighed the growth in profit and income reported for the quarter. The company’s latest disclosures also included sequential quarter-on-quarter comparisons on key operating lines.

Headline numbers: profit and income growth

On a consolidated basis, LIC reported net profit of ₹12,930.44 crore for the quarter ended December 25 (Q3 FY26), up 17.46% year-on-year. Total income for the quarter was reported at ₹2,36,776.30 crore, up 15.74% year-on-year, compared with Q3 FY25.

In the same set of updates, consolidated profit before tax (PBT) was reported at ₹13,188.05 crore for the quarter, up 3.42% year-on-year. The profit growth and income expansion were the key positives highlighted in market reaction to the results.

Quarterly operating snapshot from QoQ data

A quarterly table shared with the results tracked several operating lines on a quarter-on-quarter basis and also provided the year-on-year comparison for the December quarter. For the quarter ended Dec 25, total revenue stood at ₹2,36,098.74 crore, while net income was ₹12,930.44 crore.

Operating income for the quarter was reported at ₹11,202.09 crore, compared with ₹6,211.03 crore in the prior quarter (Sep 24). Total operating expense was largely flat, at ₹2,24,896.65 crore in Dec 25 compared with ₹2,25,069.46 crore in Sep 24.

Premium income: growth YoY, slight dip QoQ

LIC’s net premium income for the quarter increased 17% year-on-year to ₹1,26,000 crore from ₹1,07,000 crore in Q3 FY25. Sequentially, premium income declined marginally from ₹1,27,000 crore.

A separate disclosure in the provided material also referenced net premium income moderating to ₹1,06,891 crore in a third quarter comparison, versus ₹1,17,017 crore in the year-ago period. Since multiple figures are cited across updates, the common thread is that quarterly premium trends were mixed depending on the base and definition used, while headline consolidated profit and income increased.

Expenses and margins: what the table shows

The table indicates selling, general and administrative expenses (SG&A) at ₹11,525.03 crore in Dec 25 versus ₹10,607.99 crore in Sep 24, and ₹12,889.87 crore in Dec 23. Other operating expenses were ₹1,868.49 crore in Dec 25 compared with ₹2,038.27 crore in Sep 24 and ₹1,425.89 crore in Dec 23.

Net income before taxes (as listed in the table) stood at ₹11,251.06 crore in Dec 25 versus ₹6,255.43 crore in Sep 24 and ₹8,153.54 crore in Dec 23. Diluted normalised EPS was reported at 10.09 for Dec 25, compared with 5.67 in Sep 24 and 7.62 in Dec 23.

Nine-month performance: standalone numbers

On a standalone basis, LIC reported performance for the nine months ended December 31, 2025. Profit after tax increased 16.68% year-on-year to ₹33,998 crore, compared with ₹29,138 crore in the corresponding period last year.

Another update in the provided text also stated that profit after tax for the nine months ended December 31 was ₹29,138 crore compared with ₹26,913 crore for the nine months ended December 31, 2023, representing 8.27% growth. These figures indicate that the company’s nine-month profit trend has been presented with different bases across releases.

Market position, solvency and AUM indicators cited

For the nine months concluding on December 31, 2024, the material states LIC recorded total premium income of ₹3,40,563 crore, up 5.51% year-on-year. It also cited a 57.42% market share in the Indian life insurance sector.

Solvency was cited at 2.02 as of December 31, 2024, compared with 1.93 in the previous year. Assets under management (AUM) were reported at ₹7,77,651 crore as of December 31, 2024, up 10.29% year-on-year.

Key figures table (all amounts in ₹ crore)

Market impact: what investors are reacting to

The immediate market response was reflected in the 6.45% rise in LIC shares to ₹894.65. From the numbers cited, investors appear to be factoring in the year-on-year rise in consolidated profit and total income for the December quarter.

At the same time, premium income data in the updates shows a split picture: one disclosure points to a 17% year-on-year increase in net premium income, while another references a decline in net premium income to ₹1,06,891 crore versus ₹1,17,017 crore in the year-ago quarter. This makes the mix of premium growth, product composition and quarter-to-quarter movement an area investors will likely track in subsequent filings.

Why this result matters for LIC and the life insurance sector

LIC’s quarterly print is closely watched because it remains a bellwether for the life insurance industry in India. The combination of profit growth, income growth and expense trends informs how the market reads the insurer’s operating leverage and claims or expense dynamics.

The additional data points on solvency (2.02) and AUM (₹7,77,651 crore) add context on balance-sheet strength and scale, as cited in the updates. Market share at 57.42% underscores LIC’s continued dominance as referenced in the provided material.

What to watch next

Earlier disclosures in the text also mention that LIC’s board approved an interim dividend of ₹4 per equity share (face value ₹10 each) for FY24. Investors will watch for subsequent announcements and filings that reconcile differences across premium and quarterly profit disclosures, and for more detail on drivers behind changes in premium collections.

For now, the key confirmed takeaway from the provided data is a year-on-year rise in consolidated net profit for the December quarter, accompanied by higher reported total income and a positive stock market reaction on the day.