Radian Group Inc. $RDN Shares Acquired by Jefferies Financial Group Inc.

Key Points

• Jefferies Financial Group increased its stake in Radian Group by 331.2% in the fourth quarter, ending with 94,867 shares valued at about $3.4 million.
• Radian Group reported strong quarterly results, with EPS of $1.27 topping estimates and revenue rising 46.6% year over year to $466.34 million.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.255 per share, implying an annualized yield of 2.9%, while several analysts remain positive with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy.

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. boosted its stake in Radian Group Inc. (NYSE:RDN - Free Report) by 331.2% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 94,867 shares of the insurance provider's stock after acquiring an additional 72,867 shares during the period. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. owned 0.07% of Radian Group worth $3,414,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Summit Global Investments acquired a new stake in Radian Group in the third quarter valued at $1,213,000. Compass Rose Asset Management LP acquired a new stake in Radian Group in the third quarter valued at $9,960,000. Alps Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in Radian Group by 57.3% in the third quarter. Alps Advisors Inc. now owns 571,588 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $20,703,000 after acquiring an additional 208,181 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors raised its holdings in Radian Group by 10.7% in the third quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 1,454,087 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $52,667,000 after acquiring an additional 140,003 shares in the last quarter. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. raised its holdings in Radian Group by 4.4% in the third quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 4,019,483 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $145,586,000 after acquiring an additional 171,049 shares in the last quarter. 95.33% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently issued reports on RDN. Bank of America raised shares of Radian Group from an "underperform" rating to a "buy" rating and upped their price target for the company from $35.00 to $43.00 in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Radian Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, May 16th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price target on shares of Radian Group from $42.00 to $43.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, April 10th. Zacks Research cut shares of Radian Group from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, April 20th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada began coverage on shares of Radian Group in a report on Friday. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $47.00 price target on the stock. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Radian Group presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $42.67.

Radian Group Stock Down 1.5%

RDN stock opened at $35.78 on Wednesday. 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 $38.84. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $35.06 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $34.73. The firm has a market cap of $4.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.81, a PEG ratio of 0.90 and a beta of 0.76.

Radian Group (NYSE:RDN - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The insurance provider reported $1.27 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.17 by $0.10. Radian Group had a net margin of 40.50% and a return on equity of 13.57%. The firm had revenue of $466.34 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $377.83 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.99 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 46.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts predict that Radian Group Inc. will post 5.23 EPS for the current year.

Radian Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 17th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 2nd will be paid a dividend of $0.255 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 2nd. This represents a $1.02 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.9%. Radian Group's payout ratio is presently 25.12%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Radian Group

In other news, Director Noel Joseph Spiegel sold 4,834 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $36.19, for a total transaction of $174,942.46. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 20,008 shares in the company, valued at approximately $724,089.52. This represents a 19.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Chairman Howard Bernard Culang sold 5,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $36.20, for a total transaction of $181,000.00. Following the transaction, the chairman owned 11,662 shares of the company's stock, valued at $422,164.40. This represents a 30.01% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 69,834 shares of company stock worth $2,545,942 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 2.03% of the company's stock.

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding RDN? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Radian Group Inc. (NYSE:RDN - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.