Verisk Analytics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRSK) Stock Has Consensus Target Price of $224.79

Key Points

• Analyst sentiment is moderately positive: Verisk has a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating from 14 analysts, with an average 12-month price target of $224.79.
• Recent analyst views were mixed: Wells Fargo raised its target to $260, while BMO cut its target to $217; UBS raised its target to $235 but maintained a neutral rating.
• Verisk shares were reported down 2.2%, while insiders sold 11,805 shares worth about $2.2 million over 90 days. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90% of the stock.

Verisk Analytics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRSK - Get Free Report) has earned an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the fourteen research firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, six have assigned a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $224.79.

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the company. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Verisk Analytics from $240.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Evercore set a $223.00 price target on Verisk Analytics in a report on Thursday, July 30th. BMO Capital Markets dropped their price objective on shares of Verisk Analytics from $248.00 to $217.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, October 13th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Verisk Analytics in a research note on Thursday, October 15th. Finally, UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of Verisk Analytics from $220.00 to $235.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, July 30th.

Verisk Analytics Stock Down 2.2%

VRSK stock opened at $197.00 on Wednesday. Verisk Analytics has a 52-week low of $155.94 and a 52-week high of $227.16. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $181.99 and its 200-day simple moving average is $186.57. The stock has a market capitalization of $25.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 0.65.

Insider Activity at Verisk Analytics

In other Verisk Analytics news, CFO Elizabeth Mann sold 400 shares of Verisk Analytics stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $184.85, for a total value of $73,940.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 17,584 shares in the company, valued at $3,250,402.40. This trade represents a 2.22% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Lee Shavel sold 3,535 shares of Verisk Analytics stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $193.43, for a total transaction of $683,775.05. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 98,490 shares in the company, valued at approximately $19,050,920.70. This trade represents a 3.46% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 11,805 shares of company stock valued at $2,195,489 in the last ninety days. 0.52% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Verisk Analytics

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. XXEC Inc. acquired a new stake in Verisk Analytics during the second quarter valued at approximately $992,675,000. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Verisk Analytics in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,852,678,000. Bamco Inc. NY acquired a new position in shares of Verisk Analytics in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $844,259,000. Jupiter Topco LLC acquired a new position in shares of Verisk Analytics in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $266,201,000. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc bought a new stake in shares of Verisk Analytics in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $205,092,000. 90.00% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Verisk Analytics Company Profile

Verisk Analytics, Inc NASDAQ: VRSK, doing business as Verisk, is a global data analytics and technology company serving the insurance industry and other risk-focused markets. Its platforms help organizations use data, statistical models and workflow tools to evaluate risk, make decisions and improve operational efficiency.

Verisk's insurance offerings support underwriting, pricing, claims management, fraud detection, catastrophe modeling and regulatory compliance. Its products include industry data, predictive analytics, property and casualty risk solutions, claims-estimating tools and information used by insurers to assess property, vehicles, businesses and other exposures.

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