Equitable Launches Bitcoin-Linked Retirement Annuity
On September 2, Equitable Holdings (NYSE:EQH) introduced a bitcoin-linked investment option within its registered index-linked annuity. This move marks the first time such an offering includes exposure to cryptocurrency in retirement products typically focused on downside protection rather than speculative assets like Bitcoin. The new SCS Premier option tracks the iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF, allowing investors limited access to Bitcoin's price movements with built-in risk buffers and allocation caps of up to 25% per contract. Equitable has a history of innovation in index-linked annuities since 2010, continuing its strategy as investor preferences evolve. The company reported strong Q2 performance across retirement, wealth management, and asset management segments with total assets under management reaching $1.2 trillion. Despite these gains, Equitable posted a GAAP net loss for the quarter due to balance sheet dependencies on interest rate valuations. The new product reflects growing institutional investor confidence in EQH despite its low forward P/E ratio of 5.82 and pending regulatory approval for its merger with Corebridge Financial.
