The Travelers Companies, Inc. $TRV Shares Purchased by Banque Cantonale Vaudoise

Key Points

• Banque Cantonale Vaudoise increased its stake in Travelers Companies by 37.1% in the fourth quarter, bringing its holdings to 18,387 shares valued at about $5.33 million.
• Travelers reported strong quarterly earnings of $7.71 per share, beating estimates, while revenue also came in above expectations at $11.92 billion.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend to $1.25 per share and has an approved $5 billion share repurchase program, signaling confidence in its stock and cash generation.

Banque Cantonale Vaudoise raised its stake in shares of The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TRV - Free Report) by 37.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 18,387 shares of the insurance provider's stock after buying an additional 4,974 shares during the period. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise's holdings in Travelers Companies were worth $5,334,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of TRV. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Travelers Companies by 1,820.0% in the 2nd quarter. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. now owns 96 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 91 shares during the last quarter. Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of Travelers Companies in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Travelers Companies in the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Navalign LLC acquired a new position in shares of Travelers Companies in the 4th quarter worth approximately $35,000. Finally, eCIO Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Travelers Companies in the 4th quarter worth approximately $37,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.45% of the company's stock.

Travelers Companies Stock Performance

Shares of TRV opened at $305.27 on Wednesday. The Travelers Companies, Inc. has a one year low of $249.19 and a one year high of $313.12. The company has a 50-day moving average of $299.12 and a two-hundred day moving average of $292.25. The stock has a market cap of $64.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.08, a PEG ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 0.35 and a quick ratio of 0.35.

Travelers Companies (NYSE:TRV - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The insurance provider reported $7.71 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 analysts' expectations of $11.11 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.91 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was down 1.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that The Travelers Companies, Inc. will post 28.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Travelers Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Investors of record on Wednesday, June 10th will be issued a dividend of $1.25 per share. This is an increase from Travelers Companies's previous quarterly dividend of $1.10. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, June 10th. Travelers Companies's dividend payout ratio is 13.09%.

Travelers Companies announced that its board has approved a stock repurchase program on Wednesday, January 21st that authorizes the company to buyback $5.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the insurance provider to repurchase up to 8.3% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are usually an indication that the company's board believes its stock is undervalued.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on TRV shares. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Travelers Companies from $312.00 to $331.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Bank of America lowered their price objective on shares of Travelers Companies from $259.00 to $257.00 and set an "underperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 14th. UBS Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of Travelers Companies in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Mizuho lowered their price objective on shares of Travelers Companies from $315.00 to $304.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Travelers Companies from $285.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Travelers Companies has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $309.13.

Insider Buying and Selling at Travelers Companies

In related news, EVP Michael Frederick Klein sold 10,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $303.77, for a total transaction of $3,037,700.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 45,125 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,707,621.25. This trade represents a 18.14% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Avrohom J. Kess sold 6,735 shares of the firm's 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 sale, the insider owned 48,737 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $15,049,010.86. This represents a 12.14% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 27,573 shares of company stock valued at $8,427,646 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 1.39% of the company's stock.

Travelers Companies Company 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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