Insurance stocks price movement Shares of ICICI Life Insurance, HDFC Life Insurance, Max Financial Services, SBI Life Insurance and Canara HSBC Life Insurance Company rallied in the range of 3-5 per cent on the BSE in Thursday’s intraday deals as analysts expect the positive growth trajectory to continue until the recent consultation paper on distribution regulations is finalized.
In comparison, the BSE Sensex was up 0.35 per cent at 82,168 at 11:03 AM. Earlier this year, most of the insurance stocks hit their respective 52-week lows. These stocks declined up to 38 per cent from their respective 52-week highs. Insurance sector’s performance in October 2026 Life insurers’ new business premium (NBP) grew 26.2 per cent year-on-year (YoY) to ₹42,914 crore in October 2026, supported by strong premium mobilisation by both state-owned Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) and private insurers.

In October last year, the industry’s new business premium had grown 12.5 per cent. According to data released by the Life Insurance Council, private life insurers reported a 19.45 per cent YoY increase in NBP to ₹17,598.82 crore, while LIC posted stronger growth of 31.35 per cent to ₹25,315.52 crore, taking the industry’s overall premium mobilisation to ₹42,914.34 crore, the Business Standard reported.
NBP refers to the premium received by an insurer from policies sold and issued for the first time during a particular reporting period. READ REPORT In October 2026, the life insurance industry recorded 5 per cent YoY growth in individual weighted received premium (WRP), likely reflecting a base effect following the GST exemption introduced in September 2025.

73.4 per cent in September 2026. LIC also witnessed 5 per cent YoY growth. Among the listed private players, HDFC Life continues to be the fastest-growing player, with individual WRP growing 16 per cent YoY. SBI Life and ICICI Life’s performances were broadly flat YoY.
On an individual WRP basis, the combined market share of six private listed players – SBI Life, HDFC Life, ICICI Life, Max Life, Canara HSBC Life Insurance Company, and Bajaj Life – accounted for 69 per cent of the private insurance industry as of October 2026.

Among other prominent private insurers, Tata AIA reported a market share of 10.3 per cent, Motilal Oswal Financial Services said in the insurance sector update. While uncertainty exists in the insurance ecosystem owing to the recent consultation paper on distribution regulations, the brokerage firm expects the positive growth trajectory to continue until the regulations are finalized.
SBI Life and Canara HSBC Life Insurance Company are preferred picks within the sector, it added. Disclaimer: Views and outlook in this report belong to the brokerages and analysts cited. They do not reflect the views of Business Standard. Readers are advised to exercise discretion.