Radian Group Inc. (NYSE:RDN) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Radian Group Inc. (NYSE:RDN) has received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the eight research firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $43.1667.

RDN has been the subject of several analyst reports. Zacks Research downgraded Radian Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada initiated coverage on Radian Group in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $47.00 target price on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised Radian Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, June 27th. Bank of America upgraded Radian Group from an “underperform” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price target for the stock from $35.00 to $43.00 in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price target on Radian Group from $43.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, June 25th.

Radian Group Stock Performance

Radian Group stock traded down $0.03 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $37.91. 960,974 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,309,834. Radian Group has a 12-month low of $31.50 and a 12-month high of $38.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a current ratio of 0.58. The stock has a market cap of $5.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.95 and a beta of 0.72. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $35.91 and its 200 day simple moving average is $34.77.

Radian Group (NYSE:RDN) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The insurance provider reported $1.27 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.17 by $0.10. Radian Group had a net margin of 40.50% and a return on equity of 13.57%. The business had revenue of $466.34 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $377.83 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.99 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 46.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that Radian Group will post 5.17 EPS for the current year.

Radian Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 17th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 2nd were given a dividend of $0.255 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, June 2nd. This represents a $1.02 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.7%. Radian Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 25.12%.

Insider Activity at Radian Group

In other news, CEO Michael S. Weinbach purchased 120,487 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 1st. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $33.89 per share, for a total transaction of $4,083,304.43. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer directly owned 120,487 shares in the company, valued at $4,083,304.43. The trade was a ? increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Edward J. Hoffman sold 15,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $38.00, for a total transaction of $570,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 93,708 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,560,904. This represents a 13.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 75,516 shares of company stock worth $2,747,576 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 2.03% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Radian Group

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Radian Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $77,364,000. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. grew its stake in Radian Group by 151.7% in the 3rd quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 1,873,049 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $67,842,000 after acquiring an additional 1,128,852 shares during the last quarter. Donald Smith & CO. Inc. raised its position in shares of Radian Group by 43.7% during the 4th quarter. Donald Smith & CO. Inc. now owns 3,012,255 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $108,411,000 after purchasing an additional 916,003 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Radian Group by 59.7% during the third quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 1,007,172 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $36,480,000 after buying an additional 376,533 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. boosted its position in Radian Group by 125.3% during the fourth quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 550,634 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $19,817,000 after acquiring an additional 306,282 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.33% of the company’s stock.

Radian Group Company Profile

Radian Group Inc (NYSE:RDN) is a leading provider of private mortgage insurance and related risk management solutions in the United States. Through its primary subsidiary, Radian Guaranty Inc, the company underwrites borrower-paid and lender-paid mortgage insurance that protects lenders and investors from potential losses arising from borrower defaults. Radian’s core business focuses on supporting residential mortgage originations and servicing by offering capital-efficient credit protection and credit risk transfer strategies.

Beyond mortgage insurance, Radian offers an array of real estate transaction services under its Radian Title division.