GSA Capital Partners LLP Takes $1.88 Million Position in Primerica, Inc. $PRI

Key Points

• GSA Capital Partners LLP initiated a new position in Primerica, buying 7,293 shares worth about $1.88 million in the fourth quarter.
• Primerica reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings, with EPS of $5.96 versus estimates of $5.45 and revenue of $872.3 million, up 8.6% year over year.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $1.20 per share, implying a 1.7% annualized yield, while analysts currently rate the stock a consensus Hold.

GSA Capital Partners LLP bought a new stake in shares of Primerica, Inc. (NYSE:PRI - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 7,293 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $1,884,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Primerica during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Primerica by 186.5% during the 3rd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 106 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 69 shares in the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Primerica during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Torren Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Primerica during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $50,000. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Primerica by 620.0% during the 3rd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 216 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $60,000 after buying an additional 186 shares in the last quarter. 90.88% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Primerica Price Performance

NYSE PRI opened at $278.88 on Wednesday. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $264.01 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $260.86. Primerica, Inc. has a 1 year low of $230.09 and a 1 year high of $288.03. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.70 billion, a PE ratio of 11.69 and a beta of 0.91.

Primerica (NYSE:PRI - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The financial services provider reported $5.96 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $5.45 by $0.51. Primerica had a net margin of 22.99% and a return on equity of 32.32%. The firm had revenue of $872.30 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $855.36 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned $5.02 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was up 8.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts anticipate that Primerica, Inc. will post 24.08 EPS for the current year.

Primerica Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 12th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 21st will be issued a $1.20 dividend. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 21st. Primerica's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 20.13%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently commented on PRI shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price target on shares of Primerica from $290.00 to $305.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 13th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on shares of Primerica from $292.00 to $285.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, March 3rd. Zacks Research cut shares of Primerica from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b-)" rating on shares of Primerica in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, TD Cowen restated a "buy" rating on shares of Primerica in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $296.60.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Primerica news, President Peter W. Schneider sold 1,800 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, May 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $279.64, for a total value of $503,352.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the president directly owned 9,811 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,743,548.04. This trade represents a 15.50% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.63% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

About Primerica

Primerica, Inc is a financial services company that focuses on delivering term life insurance and investment products to middle-income households in the United States and Canada. The firm operates a network of independent, licensed representatives who provide personalized guidance on coverage needs, retirement planning, and wealth accumulation. Primerica's core mission is to help clients obtain affordable life insurance protection while also offering a suite of savings and investment solutions designed for long-term financial security.

In addition to term life insurance, Primerica offers a range of financial products and services that include mutual funds, annuities, auto and home insurance through partner carriers, and personal lending solutions such as secured and unsecured loans.

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