French insurance group Axa published its new plan for 2027-2029 on 15 September, targeting compound annual earnings growth of 7% to 9% over the next three years. This new target is higher than the 6% to 8% goal in the previous plan.
The company also plans to generate €25 billion of cumulative cash over the three-year period, an increase from €21 billion in the 2024-2026 period. A significant portion of this cash is expected to be returned to investors.
Analysts believe Axa will need to expand its presence in Europe, particularly within the small and medium-sized enterprise sector, and seek up to €7 million annually in cost savings. Investment bank Berenberg analysts estimate that cost savings, largely from AI, could add 1% a year in earnings across the group.
Axa's strategy under CEO Thomas Buberl, who took over in 2016, has involved transforming the company into a leading global insurer in property and casualty (P&C) insurance. This included selling its US life-insurance arm, Axa Equitable, and acquiring XL Group for $15.3 billion, which significantly boosted its P&C operations. The group also sold its asset-management business, Axa Investment Managers, to BNP Paribas for €5.4 billion.
In 2025, Axa reported net income of €9.8 billion on total revenue of €75 billion, with €58 billion of that revenue coming from P&C underwriting. The company's combined ratio, an underwriting profit measure, fell to 90.6% in its 2025 financial year from 99.5% in 2020.