Wink: Annuity sales post strong Q2, led by MYGAs and structured products

Annuity sales appear to be settling into a level the industry can sustain, with second-quarter sales reaching $112.7 billion, according to Wink’s Sales & Market Report.

Sales were down slightly from $115.5 billion in the second quarter of 2025 but increased from $99.4 billion in the first quarter of 2026.

Multi-year guaranteed annuities led all product categories with $37.6 billion in sales. MYGA sales rose nearly 17% from the first quarter but fell more than 18% from a year earlier.

Indexed annuity sales totaled $30.1 billion, up more than 16% from the first quarter and down nearly 4% from the second quarter of 2025. Athene Annuity & Life Co. was the leading seller in both the MYGA and indexed annuity categories.

Athene's three-year MYGA with a market value adjustment was the most popular product in the former category, while its Ascent Pro 10 was the most popular indexed annuity during the quarter.

Index-linked sales

Structured annuity sales reached $22.1 billion, an increase of more than 8% from the first quarter and more than 21% from a year earlier.

The quarter was a record for structured annuities, also known as registered index-linked annuities, surpassing the previous record set in the fourth quarter of 2025 by 3.51%.

The results show continued demand for products offering varying combinations of guaranteed income, interest-crediting potential and protection from market losses, even as overall annuity sales have remained relatively stable.

Equitable topped the list of structured annuity sellers for the quarter, with its Structured Capital Strategies Plus 21 the most popular product.

Fixed annuity sales for the second quarter were $570 million, compared to sales of $462 million for the second quarter of 2025. Sales rose more than 12% compared to the previous quarter, and up more than 23% compared with the same period last year.

Nationwide led the way in fixed annuity sales, with its Nationwide CareMatters Annuity being the most popular product.

Traditional variable annuity sales were $17.9 billion, up nearly 5% compared to the previous quarter, and up more than 16% compared to the same period last year.

Longtime VA leader Jackson National led the field in sales for the quarter. Jackson's Perspective II Flexible Premium Variable and Fixed Deferred Annuity was the most popular product.

Income annuity sales

Immediate income annuities accounted for $2.8 billion in Q2 sales, up more than 28% from the previous quarter and more than 8% from the same period last year.

Deferred income annuity sales for the second quarter were $821 million, up nearly 55% from the previous quarter and more than 17% from the same period last year.

New York Life led all carriers in sales in both categories.

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This report compiled by InsuranceNewsNet staff.