UBS Group AG Sells 59,357 Shares of Employers Holdings Inc $EIG

Key Points

• UBS Group AG cut its stake in Employers Holdings by 32.7% in the fourth quarter, selling 59,357 shares and ending with 121,984 shares valued at about $5.27 million. Institutional investors still own a large majority of the company at 80.49%.
• Employers Holdings reported mixed quarterly results, missing EPS and revenue estimates for the latest quarter. It posted EPS of $0.53 versus the expected $0.55, while revenue came in at $207.6 million compared with the $213.04 million consensus.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.34 per share from $0.32, implying an annualized payout of $1.36 and a 3.1% yield. However, the dividend payout ratio remains very high at 412.12%.

UBS Group AG lowered its position in Employers Holdings Inc (NYSE:EIG - Free Report) by 32.7% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 121,984 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 59,357 shares during the period. UBS Group AG owned 0.54% of Employers worth $5,266,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Osaic Holdings Inc. boosted its holdings in Employers by 133.5% in the second quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 635 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 363 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Employers by 35.7% in the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,561 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $67,000 after purchasing an additional 411 shares in the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC lifted its holdings in shares of Employers by 179.6% in the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 2,276 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $107,000 after purchasing an additional 1,462 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its holdings in shares of Employers by 26.8% in the second quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 2,718 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $128,000 after purchasing an additional 575 shares in the last quarter. Finally, AXQ Capital LP bought a new position in shares of Employers in the third quarter valued at approximately $233,000. Institutional investors own 80.49% of the company's stock.

Employers Stock Up 0.3%

EIG stock opened at $43.77 on Friday. Employers Holdings Inc has a twelve month low of $35.73 and a twelve month high of $49.39. The company has a quick ratio of 0.40, a current ratio of 0.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14. The stock's 50 day moving average is $41.49 and its 200-day moving average is $41.72. The firm has a market capitalization of $798.36 million, a PE ratio of 132.64 and a beta of 0.48.

Employers (NYSE:EIG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The financial services provider reported $0.53 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.55 by ($0.02). The business had revenue of $207.60 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $213.04 million. Employers had a net margin of 0.95% and a return on equity of 1.10%. The business's revenue was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.87 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts expect that Employers Holdings Inc will post 2.22 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Employers Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 27th. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 13th will be given a dividend of $0.34 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, May 13th. This is a positive change from Employers's previous quarterly dividend of $0.32. This represents a $1.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.1%. Employers's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 412.12%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded Employers from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, May 9th. Zacks Research lowered Employers from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat.com, Employers currently has an average rating of "Hold".

Insider Activity at Employers

In other Employers news, EVP Michael Pedraja purchased 2,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $39.73 per share, with a total value of $79,460.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 19,830 shares of the company's stock, valued at $787,845.90. The trade was a 11.22% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Ann Marie Smith sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $39.29, for a total value of $196,450.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 8,704 shares of the company's stock, valued at $341,980.16. The trade was a 36.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 1.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Employers Profile

Employers Holdings, Inc NYSE: EIG is a publicly traded property and casualty insurance holding company headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa. Through its subsidiaries, Employers Mutual Casualty Company and Employers Preferred Insurance Company, the firm specializes in providing workers' compensation coverage alongside an array of commercial insurance products. Its service offerings include general liability, commercial auto, businessowners policies and umbrella coverages, tailored to meet the risk-management needs of small and mid-sized businesses across multiple industries.

The company markets its insurance solutions primarily through a network of independent agencies and brokers, leveraging local market expertise to underwrite policies that address the unique exposures faced by clients in manufacturing, construction, healthcare, retail and service sectors.

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