United Fire Group, Inc (NASDAQ:UFCS) Declares Quarterly Dividend of $0.20

United Fire Group, Inc (NASDAQ:UFCS) announced a quarterly dividend on Tuesday, February 10th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 24th will be given a dividend of 0.20 per share by the insurance provider on Tuesday, March 10th. This represents a c) dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 24th. This is a 25.0% increase from United Fire Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.16.

United Fire Group has decreased its dividend by an average of 0.1%annually over the last three years. United Fire Group has a payout ratio of 23.4% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Research analysts expect United Fire Group to earn $2.65 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $0.64 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 24.2%.

United Fire Group Trading Up 7.5%

Shares of NASDAQ:UFCS traded up $2.70 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $38.83. 167,130 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 109,053. The company has a quick ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 0.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. The business’s 50 day moving average is $36.04 and its two-hundred day moving average is $33.24. The stock has a market capitalization of $990.71 million, a PE ratio of 9.16 and a beta of 0.46. United Fire Group has a one year low of $25.01 and a one year high of $39.25.

United Fire Group (NASDAQ:UFCS) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The insurance provider reported $1.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.90 by $0.60. The company had revenue of $365.81 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $332.34 million. United Fire Group had a return on equity of 13.64% and a net margin of 8.22%. As a group, research analysts forecast that United Fire Group will post 2.42 earnings per share for the current year.

About United Fire Group

United Fire Group, Inc (NASDAQ: UFCS) is an insurance holding company based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, that specializes in property and casualty coverage for commercial and personal lines. The company underwrites business through three primary segments: commercial, personal and specialty insurance. Within the commercial segment, United Fire Group offers tailored policies for small- and medium-sized enterprises, including general liability, commercial property and workers’ compensation. Its personal lines cover homeowners, auto, farm and umbrella policies.

United Fire Group distributes its products primarily through a national network of independent insurance agents and brokers.