Donegal Group (DGICA) Projected to Post Earnings on Thursday

Key Points

• Earnings report due: Donegal Group is expected to release Q1 results before the market opens on Thursday, April 30, with analysts forecasting EPS of $0.6030 and revenue of $252.362 million (the company posted $0.50 EPS last quarter, missing estimates).
• Dividend raised: Donegal declared a quarterly dividend of $0.1925 (ex-dividend May 1, payable May 15), equal to a $0.77 annualized payout and roughly a 4.4% yield.
• Valuation and sentiment: Shares trade near $17.40 with a market cap of $643.8M, a P/E of 7.95 and a 52‑week range of $16.43–$21.12; consensus rating is a Moderate Buy with an average price target of $19.00.

Donegal Group (NASDAQ:DGICA - Get Free Report) is anticipated to release its results before the market opens on Thursday, April 30th. Analysts expect Donegal Group to post earnings of $0.6030 per share and revenue of $252.3620 million for the quarter.

Donegal Group (NASDAQ:DGICA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The insurance provider reported $0.50 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.52 by ($0.02). Donegal Group had a net margin of 8.11% and a return on equity of 12.81%. The firm had revenue of $240.14 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $241.10 million. On average, analysts expect Donegal Group to post $2 EPS for the current fiscal year and $2 EPS for the next fiscal year.

Donegal Group Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:DGICA opened at $17.40 on Thursday. The firm's 50 day moving average is $17.42 and its two-hundred day moving average is $18.77. Donegal Group has a 52 week low of $16.43 and a 52 week high of $21.12. The firm has a market capitalization of $643.80 million, a P/E ratio of 7.95 and a beta of 0.05. The company has a current ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05.

Donegal Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st will be paid a $0.1925 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 1st. This is an increase from Donegal Group's previous quarterly dividend of $0.18. This represents a $0.77 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.4%. Donegal Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 33.33%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have commented on DGICA. Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Donegal Group in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their price target on shares of Donegal Group from $19.50 to $19.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $19.00.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, major shareholder Mutual Insurance Co Donegal bought 9,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 3rd. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $17.63 per share, for a total transaction of $158,670.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 13,937,704 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $245,721,721.52. This trade represents a 0.06% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP William Daniel Delamater sold 9,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.63, for a total value of $158,670.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 2,012 shares of the company's stock, valued at $35,471.56. This trade represents a 81.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 2.75% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Donegal Group

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Donegal Group by 4.0% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,008,217 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $19,549,000 after buying an additional 39,181 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Donegal Group by 2.3% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 534,703 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $10,685,000 after buying an additional 11,891 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in Donegal Group by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 391,729 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $7,827,000 after buying an additional 3,290 shares in the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC boosted its holdings in Donegal Group by 1.6% during the fourth quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 371,211 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $7,417,000 after buying an additional 5,800 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Donegal Group by 117.3% during the fourth quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 236,124 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $4,718,000 after buying an additional 127,470 shares in the last quarter. 27.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Donegal Group

Donegal Group, Inc NASDAQ: DGICA is a property and casualty insurance holding company headquartered in Marietta, Pennsylvania. Through a network of independent agencies, the company offers a suite of personal and commercial insurance products. Its underwriting subsidiaries provide homeowners, automobile, farmowner, commercial multi-peril, surety and umbrella coverages designed to meet the needs of individuals, families and businesses.

The company's origins date back to 1925 with the formation of Donegal Mutual Insurance Company to serve rural communities in Pennsylvania.

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