Hilltop Holdings Inc. Has $1.50 Million Stock Position in The Travelers Companies, Inc. $TRV

Key Points

• Hilltop Holdings sharply increased its stake in Travelers Companies by 306.7% in the first quarter, ending with 5,153 shares valued at about $1.5 million.
• Travelers reported strong second-quarter results, with earnings of $10.04 per share easily beating estimates of $5.41 and revenue of $12.15 billion topping forecasts.
• The stock has rallied to near its 52-week high, and analysts remain mixed: the consensus rating is Hold, even as some firms lifted price targets and Travelers priced $750 million in senior notes.

Hilltop Holdings Inc. boosted its position in shares of The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TRV - Free Report) by 306.7% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 5,153 shares of the insurance provider's stock after purchasing an additional 3,886 shares during the quarter. Hilltop Holdings Inc.'s holdings in Travelers Companies were worth $1,503,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Travelers Companies in the 4th quarter valued at about $723,339,000. State Street Corp raised its stake in shares of Travelers Companies by 3.1% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 16,000,457 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $4,641,093,000 after buying an additional 486,861 shares during the last quarter. AustralianSuper Pty Ltd lifted its holdings in Travelers Companies by 102.0% in the fourth quarter. AustralianSuper Pty Ltd now owns 908,559 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $263,537,000 after buying an additional 458,746 shares during the period. Woodline Partners LP acquired a new position in Travelers Companies in the third quarter valued at approximately $99,680,000. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Travelers Companies by 22.8% in the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,785,288 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $496,872,000 after acquiring an additional 331,170 shares during the last quarter. 82.45% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More Travelers Companies News

Here are the key news stories impacting Travelers Companies this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst coverage remained constructive, with Morgan Stanley and other firms highlighting potential upside, while a recent Zacks note said Travelers’ shares hit a 52-week high and questioned whether the run can continue. Morgan Stanley Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Travelers Companies NYSE: TRV Stock The Travelers Companies, Inc. (TRV) Hit a 52 Week High, Can the Run Continue?
• Positive Sentiment: AM Best assigned an “a+” issue credit rating with a stable outlook to Travelers’ new $750 million senior unsecured notes, signaling confidence in the company’s credit quality and access to capital. AM Best Assigns Issue Credit Rating to The Travelers Companies, Inc. New Senior Unsecured Notes
• Positive Sentiment: Travelers priced $750 million of 4.95% senior notes due 2031, which adds funding for general corporate purposes and appears manageable given the company’s strong balance sheet. Travelers Companies Prices $750 Million Senior Notes Offering
• Neutral Sentiment: Mizuho raised its price target to $343 from $324 but kept a neutral rating, suggesting the stock may have already moved ahead of near-term fundamentals. Mizuho price target update
• Negative Sentiment: Reports that several top Travelers executives sold company stock could weigh on sentiment, even if the transactions were routine. Top Travelers Executives Quietly Unload Millions in Company Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Deutsche Bank and UBS both reiterated hold-type views, reinforcing that some analysts see limited upside after the recent rally. Deutsche Bank Sticks to Its Hold Rating for Travelers Companies (TRV) UBS Releases a Hold Rating on Travelers Companies (TRV)

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Avrohom J. Kess sold 6,735 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $308.78, for a total transaction of $2,079,633.30. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 48,737 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $15,049,010.86. This represents a 12.14% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Michael Frederick Klein sold 10,000 shares of Travelers Companies stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $307.65, for a total transaction of $3,076,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 45,125 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,882,706.25. The trade was a 18.14% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders sold 18,292 shares of company stock valued at $5,639,800. 1.39% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have commented on TRV. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reaffirmed a "market perform" rating and set a $356.00 target price (up from $342.00) on shares of Travelers Companies in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Bank of America increased their price target on Travelers Companies from $283.00 to $307.00 and gave the company an "underperform" rating in a research note on Monday, July 20th. Roth Capital raised their price target on Travelers Companies from $345.00 to $425.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday. Raymond James Financial set a $430.00 price objective on Travelers Companies in a research note on Monday, July 20th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a "hold" rating on shares of Travelers Companies in a report on Tuesday. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Hold rating and five have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $354.26.

Travelers Companies Stock Performance

Shares of Travelers Companies stock opened at $387.42 on Friday. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $322.06 and its 200 day simple moving average is $304.48. The company has a current ratio of 0.33, a quick ratio of 0.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. The company has a market capitalization of $80.80 billion, a PE ratio of 10.38, a PEG ratio of 3.87 and a beta of 0.46. The Travelers Companies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $252.26 and a 12 month high of $389.11.

Travelers Companies (NYSE:TRV - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Friday, July 17th. The insurance provider reported $10.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $5.41 by $4.63. The firm had revenue of $12.15 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $11.26 billion. Travelers Companies had a return on equity of 25.41% and a net margin of 16.95%.The company's revenue was up .3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $6.51 earnings per share. On average, research analysts predict that The Travelers Companies, Inc. will post 32.49 EPS for the current year.

Travelers Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Thursday, September 10th will be given a $1.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 10th. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. Travelers Companies's payout ratio is currently 13.39%.

Travelers Companies Profile

The Travelers Companies, Inc NYSE: TRV is a leading provider of property and casualty insurance products and services. The company underwrites a broad range of commercial and personal insurance lines, offering coverage designed to protect individuals, small and midsize businesses, and large corporate clients against property loss, liability, and other operational risks. Travelers is known for combining underwriting, claims management and risk control services to help clients prevent losses and recover when incidents occur.

On the commercial side, Travelers writes primary and specialty coverages including property, general liability, commercial auto, workers' compensation, professional and management liability, surety and inland marine.

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