Kepler Cheuvreux Suisse SA Buys 3,275 Shares of The Travelers Companies, Inc. $TRV

Key Points

• Kepler Cheuvreux Suisse SA increased its stake in Travelers Companies by 65.2% in the first quarter, buying 3,275 additional shares and bringing its total holding to 8,297 shares worth about $2.42 million.
• Travelers reported strong quarterly results, with EPS of $7.71 beating estimates of $6.80 and revenue of $11.92 billion topping expectations. The company also lifted its quarterly dividend to $1.25 per share from $1.10.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed, with a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $309.07, even though several firms recently raised their targets. The stock was trading near its 52-week high at $341.65.

Kepler Cheuvreux Suisse SA grew its position in shares of The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TRV - Free Report) by 65.2% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 8,297 shares of the insurance provider's stock after acquiring an additional 3,275 shares during the quarter. Kepler Cheuvreux Suisse SA's holdings in Travelers Companies were worth $2,420,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Koshinski Asset Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Travelers Companies by 1.4% during the first quarter. Koshinski Asset Management Inc. now owns 29,882 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $8,716,000 after purchasing an additional 417 shares in the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC grew its position in Travelers Companies by 7.3% in the 1st quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 5,662 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $1,651,000 after purchasing an additional 384 shares in the last quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. grew its position in Travelers Companies by 13.9% in the 1st quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 64,497 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $18,813,000 after purchasing an additional 7,858 shares in the last quarter. HB Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Travelers Companies by 9.4% in the 1st quarter. HB Wealth Management LLC now owns 20,937 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $6,107,000 after buying an additional 1,801 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Plimoth Trust Co. LLC lifted its position in shares of Travelers Companies by 3.9% during the 1st quarter. Plimoth Trust Co. LLC now owns 5,125 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $1,495,000 after buying an additional 193 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 82.45% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on TRV shares. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on Travelers Companies from $285.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Seaport Research Partners set a $322.00 price target on Travelers Companies in a research report on Tuesday, May 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Travelers Companies from an "underweight" rating to a "neutral" rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $316.00 to $322.00 in a report on Tuesday, May 26th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on Travelers Companies from $297.00 to $314.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price objective on Travelers Companies from $340.00 to $342.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $309.07.

Travelers Companies Stock Down 0.2%

Travelers Companies stock opened at $341.65 on Friday. The Travelers Companies, Inc. has a twelve month low of $249.19 and a twelve month high of $342.31. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $306.77 and a 200-day moving average price of $298.09. The company has a market capitalization of $72.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.17, a P/E/G ratio of 3.09 and a beta of 0.46. The company has a quick ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 0.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29.

Travelers Companies (NYSE:TRV - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The insurance provider reported $7.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.80 by $0.91. Travelers Companies had a net margin of 15.54% and a return on equity of 24.06%. The company had revenue of $11.92 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $11.11 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.91 EPS. Travelers Companies's quarterly revenue was down 1.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts predict that The Travelers Companies, Inc. will post 28 EPS for the current year.

Travelers Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, June 10th were given a $1.25 dividend. This is an increase from Travelers Companies's previous quarterly dividend of $1.10. This represents a $5.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, June 10th. Travelers Companies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 14.88%.

Insider Transactions at Travelers Companies

In other news, insider Avrohom J. Kess sold 6,735 shares of the company's stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the insider owned 48,737 shares of the company's stock, valued at $15,049,010.86. This represents a 12.14% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Diane Kurtzman sold 2,867 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, April 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $303.45, for a total value of $869,991.15. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 5,298 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,607,678.10. The trade was a 35.11% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 37,573 shares of company stock valued at $11,504,146. 1.39% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

About Travelers Companies

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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