First Trust Advisors LP Trims Stock Holdings in Radian Group Inc. $RDN

First Trust Advisors LP lowered its stake in Radian Group Inc. (NYSE:RDN - Free Report) by 37.3% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 876,078 shares of the insurance provider's stock after selling 521,998 shares during the quarter. First Trust Advisors LP owned about 0.66% of Radian Group worth $28,981,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in RDN. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its stake in shares of Radian Group by 178.9% during the 3rd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 742 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 476 shares during the period. V Square Quantitative Management LLC bought a new stake in Radian Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Radian Group by 191.3% during the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 871 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 572 shares in the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp lifted its holdings in Radian Group by 65.8% during the fourth quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 907 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 360 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Radian Group in the third quarter worth approximately $34,000. 95.33% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Radian Group Trading Up 0.8%

Radian Group stock opened at $39.27 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $5.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.67, a PEG ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 0.72. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a current ratio of 0.58 and a quick ratio of 0.58. Radian Group Inc. has a 1 year low of $31.50 and a 1 year high of $41.05. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $36.48 and its 200-day moving average price is $35.00.

Radian Group (NYSE:RDN - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The insurance provider reported $1.27 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.17 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $466.34 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $377.83 million. Radian Group had a net margin of 40.50% and a return on equity of 13.57%. Radian Group's revenue for the quarter was up 46.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.99 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that Radian Group Inc. will post 5.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Radian Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 17th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 2nd were issued a dividend of $0.255 per share. This represents a $1.02 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, June 2nd. Radian Group's dividend payout ratio is 25.12%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on RDN shares. Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Radian Group in a research note on Tuesday, June 16th. Barclays upped their target price on shares of Radian Group from $37.00 to $39.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday, May 11th. Bank of America upgraded Radian Group from an "underperform" rating to a "buy" rating and increased their price target for the stock from $35.00 to $43.00 in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Wall Street Zen cut Radian Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Sunday, July 12th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada began coverage on Radian Group in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $47.00 price objective on the stock. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $43.17.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Noel Joseph Spiegel sold 4,834 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $36.19, for a total transaction of $174,942.46. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 20,008 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $724,089.52. This represents a 19.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Chairman Howard Bernard Culang sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $36.20, for a total value of $181,000.00. Following the transaction, the chairman directly owned 11,662 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $422,164.40. The trade was a 30.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 30,516 shares of company stock valued at $1,127,576. 2.03% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

About Radian Group

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.

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