Old Republic International (NYSE:ORI) Rating Increased to Hold at Zacks Research

Zacks Research upgraded shares of Old Republic International (NYSE:ORI) from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a report published on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other equities analysts have also commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Old Republic International from a “buy (b+)” rating to a “buy (a-)” rating in a research note on Friday, March 13th. Piper Sandler reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $38.00 target price (down from $51.00) on shares of Old Republic International in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Old Republic International currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $42.50.

Old Republic International Price Performance

ORI stock opened at $39.17 on Monday. Old Republic International has a one year low of $34.43 and a one year high of $46.76. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $41.06 and a two-hundred day moving average of $42.27. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.62 billion, a PE ratio of 11.55 and a beta of 0.73. The company has a current ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27.

Old Republic International (NYSE:ORI) last released its earnings results on Thursday, January 22nd. The insurance provider reported $0.74 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.89 by ($0.15). Old Republic International had a return on equity of 16.21% and a net margin of 10.24%.During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.90 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that Old Republic International will post 3.17 earnings per share for the current year.

Old Republic International Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 19th. Investors of record on Monday, March 9th were given a dividend of $0.315 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 9th. This is a positive change from Old Republic International’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.29. This represents a $1.26 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.2%. Old Republic International’s payout ratio is 37.17%.

Insider Transactions at Old Republic International

In related news, SVP Carolyn Monroe sold 5,526 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $39.28, for a total value of $217,061.28. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 27,875 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,094,930. The trade was a 16.54% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director John Eric Smith acquired 1,135 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was purchased at an average price of $43.10 per share, for a total transaction of $48,918.50. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 4,276 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $184,295.60. The trade was a 36.13% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Old Republic International

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. V Square Quantitative Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Old Republic International during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Torren Management LLC bought a new stake in Old Republic International in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Commonwealth Retirement Investments LLC bought a new stake in Old Republic International in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Old Republic International during the third quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Quest 10 Wealth Builders Inc. acquired a new position in Old Republic International during the fourth quarter worth $31,000. 70.92% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Old Republic International

Old Republic International Corporation, through its subsidiaries, engages in the insurance underwriting and related services business primarily in the United States and Canada. It operates through three segments: General Insurance, Title Insurance, and Republic Financial Indemnity Group Run-off Business. The General Insurance segment offers aviation, commercial auto, commercial multi-peril, commercial property, general liability, home and auto warranty, inland marine, travel accident, and workers' compensation insurance products; and financial indemnity products for specialty coverages, including errors and omissions, fidelity, directors and officers, and surety.