AXA vs Hitachi: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
AXA reported ~$131.1B of revenue in FY2025 and ~$11.1B of net income. Hitachi reported ~$70.9B of revenue in FY2026 and ~$5.4B of net income.
Latest financial snapshot
Financial summary
AXA
AXA's results combine large, slow-moving premium income with investment income on the reserves it holds. In 2025 gross written premiums and other revenues rose 6% to ~$131 billion (EUR 116 billion), underlying earnings rose 6% to ~$9.49 billion (EUR 8.4 billion), underlying earnings per share rose 8% to EUR 3.86 and net income rose to ~$11.1 billion (EUR 9.80 billion), helped by the gain on the sale of AXA Investment Managers. The property and casualty combined ratio improved 0.3 points to 90.6%, so underwriting itself was profitable before investment income. The Solvency II ratio ended 2025 at 224%, and 215% on January 1, 2026 once capital instruments under Solvency II transitional measures stopped qualifying. AXA proposed a dividend of EUR 2.32 per share for 2025, up 8%, alongside an annual buyback of up to $1.41 billion (EUR 1.25 billion).
Hitachi
Hitachi posted a ~$5.27 billion (¥787.3 billion) net loss for fiscal 2008, then the largest ever by a Japanese manufacturer. Under Takashi Kawamura and Hiroaki Nakanishi it cut loss-making consumer businesses, and later leaders sold listed subsidiaries such as Hitachi Chemical (2020), Hitachi Metals (2023), and a controlling stake in Hitachi Construction Machinery (2022). Revenue dipped from ~$72.9 billion (¥10.88 trillion) in FY2022 to ~$65.2 billion (¥9.73 trillion) in FY2023 as those units left, then climbed back to ~$71 billion (¥10.59 trillion) in FY2025 on organic growth. FY2025 adjusted EBITA was a record ~$8.78 billion (¥1.31 trillion) (12.4% margin) and net income was ~$5.38 billion (¥802.3 billion), up about 30%. In Q1 FY2026 (April-June 2026) revenue rose 20% to ~$18.2 billion (¥2,709.6 billion), helped by currency, and management raised full-year guidance.
Revenue and profit by year
AXA
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | ~$131.1B | ~$11.1B | 8.4% | +5.2% | Source |
| FY2024 | ~$124.6B | ~$8.9B | 7.2% | +7.4% | Source |
| FY2023 | ~$116.1B | ~$8.1B | 7.0% | +0.7% | Source |
| FY2022 | ~$115.3B | — | 0.0% | +2.1% | Source |
| FY2021 | ~$112.9B | ~$8.2B | 7.3% | +3.0% | Source |
| FY2020 | ~$109.6B | — | 0.0% | -6.3% | Source |
| FY2019 | ~$117B | — | 0.0% | +0.6% | Source |
| FY2018 | ~$116.3B | — | 0.0% | — | Source |
| FY2016 | ~$113B | — | 0.0% | — | Source |
Where the revenue comes from
AXA
- Property & Casualty Insurance~50%
Gross written premiums and revenues of ~$65.5 billion (EUR 58 billion) in 2025, up 5%, including personal lines of ~$22.3 billion (EUR 19.7 billion) and AXA XL Reinsurance of ~$2.94 billion (EUR 2.6 billion). The 90.6% combined ratio means the book was profitable before investment income.
- Life & Savings Insurance~32%
~$42.4 billion (EUR 37.5 billion) of 2025 premiums and revenues, up 9%, with unit-linked business up 13%. Capital-light savings and protection contracts have replaced much of the traditional guaranteed savings book.
- Health Insurance~16%
~$21.5 billion (EUR 19 billion) of 2025 premiums and revenues, up 5% on pricing, spanning individual cover, group schemes and employee benefits. Health earnings grew 17% in 2025.
- Asset Management (divested July 2025)~1%
AXA Investment Managers contributed revenues only until July 1, 2025, when it was sold to BNP Paribas Cardif for ~$5.76 billion (EUR 5.1 billion) in cash out of a ~$6.1 billion (EUR 5.4 billion) total transaction value.
Hitachi
- Digital Systems & Services
Reported sector
Japanese IT systems for finance and government, GlobalLogic digital engineering, cloud and managed services, and Lumada solutions.
- Energy
Reported sector
Hitachi Energy grid infrastructure, HVDC, transformers, and related service contracts.
- Mobility
Reported sector
Hitachi Rail trains, signalling and train control (including former Thales GTS), and maintenance.
- Connective Industries
Reported sector
Building systems, industrial products and systems, Hitachi High-Tech, and, until its sale, home appliances.
Business model and strategy
AXA
How it makes money
AXA collects premiums across three businesses: property and casualty (motor, home, commercial property, liability and specialty risks written through AXA XL), life and savings (protection, general account savings and unit-linked contracts), and health (individual cover and employee benefits).
Growth strategy
AXA grows mostly organically in insurance lines it can price, supplemented by bolt-on deals: Laya Healthcare in Ireland and GACM España in 2023, and a 51% stake in the Italian direct insurer Prima announced in 2025 for ~$565 million (EUR 500 million). The bigger strategic move has been simplification.
Competitive advantage
AXA's main advantage is a diversified risk pool. Writing motor, home, commercial property, liability, health and life cover in 52 countries lets one bad year in a single market or line be absorbed elsewhere: in 2025 growth in health and European commercial lines offset pressure in other portfolios. Its balance sheet supports that spread, with a Solvency II ratio of 224% at the end of 2025.
Hitachi
How it makes money
Hitachi is a B2B infrastructure and IT company. It sells long-lived physical assets (transformers, HVDC converter stations, trains, signalling, elevators, semiconductor metrology tools) and then earns recurring service, maintenance, and software revenue on that installed base. Lumada is the umbrella for the data, AI, and digital services layered on top, and Hitachi reports Lumada as a growing share of total revenue.
Growth strategy
Hitachi grows by attaching software and services to its installed base and by reshaping its portfolio. It is expanding Hitachi Energy factory capacity for transformers and HVDC, integrating Thales GTS into Hitachi Rail, and scaling Lumada through GlobalLogic and AI partnerships.
Competitive advantage
Hitachi's edge is owning both the operational technology and the IT. Hitachi Energy (built on ABB's former Power Grids business) is one of a handful of suppliers able to deliver HVDC links and large power transformers at scale, Hitachi Rail became a top-tier signalling supplier after buying Thales GTS in 2024, and GlobalLogic plus Hitachi's Japanese IT business supply the software.
Questions about AXA vs Hitachi
Which company has higher revenue — AXA SA or Hitachi, Ltd.?
AXA SA reported ~$131.1B (FY2025), while Hitachi, Ltd. reported ~$70.9B (FY2026). By last reported revenue, AXA SA is the larger business, with Hitachi, Ltd. reporting a smaller revenue base. Note: these are from different fiscal years and are not a direct like-for-like comparison.
What is the market cap of AXA SA vs Hitachi, Ltd.?
AXA SA's market capitalisation stands at $90.3B, while Hitachi, Ltd.'s is $157.8B. Hitachi, Ltd. carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to AXA SA.
Which is more financially efficient — AXA SA or Hitachi, Ltd.?
AXA SA generates $840k / employee in revenue per employee, while Hitachi, Ltd. generates $246k / employee. AXA SA shows higher revenue efficiency per headcount, though this reflects business model differences — capital-light software companies routinely outperform labour-intensive manufacturers on this metric.
How do AXA SA and Hitachi, Ltd. make money?
AXA SA and Hitachi, Ltd. generate revenue in fundamentally different ways. AXA SA: AXA collects premiums across three businesses: property and casualty (motor, home, commercial property, liability and specialty risks written through AXA XL), life and savings (protection, general account savings and unit-linked contracts), and health (individual cover and employee benefits). Hitachi, Ltd.: Hitachi is a B2B infrastructure and IT company.
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — AXA SA or Hitachi, Ltd.?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, AXA SA trades at 0.7x P/S and Hitachi, Ltd. at 2.2x P/S. Hitachi, Ltd. commands a higher revenue multiple, typically indicating that investors expect faster growth or higher future margins compared to AXA SA. A higher multiple is not inherently better — it may also signal that the stock is priced for perfection.
Is AXA SA bigger than Hitachi, Ltd.?
By last reported revenue, AXA SA (~$131.1B (FY2025)) is the larger company compared to Hitachi, Ltd. (~$70.9B (FY2026)). Revenue scale is one dimension of size — market capitalisation, employee count, and geographic reach are also relevant depending on the context.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the AXA vs Hitachi overview