Vista Investment Partners LLC Acquires New Position in Primerica, Inc. $PRI

Key Points

• Vista Investment Partners LLC opened a new position in Primerica (NYSE:PRI), buying 10,517 shares in Q4 worth approximately $2.72 million according to its latest 13F filing.
• Insider sales by President Peter W. Schneider (1,800 shares) and CEO Glenn J. Williams (2,500 shares) recently reduced their ownership; insiders now hold about 0.61% of the stock while institutions own ~90.88%.
• Primerica beat expectations with Q4 EPS of $6.13 (vs. $5.69 est.) and revenue of $853.5M (vs. $839.7M), raised its quarterly dividend to $1.20 (annualized $4.80, ~1.9% yield), and trades at a ~11.1 P/E with a market cap near $8.0B.

Vista Investment Partners LLC bought a new position in Primerica, Inc. (NYSE:PRI - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 10,517 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $2,717,000.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC grew its position in shares of Primerica by 20.6% during the 1st quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 2,142 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $609,000 after buying an additional 366 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Primerica by 27.7% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 129,666 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $36,894,000 after purchasing an additional 28,129 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Primerica in the 1st quarter worth approximately $1,763,000. Focus Partners Wealth boosted its stake in shares of Primerica by 17.5% during the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 1,398 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $398,000 after purchasing an additional 208 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its holdings in Primerica by 205.8% during the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 263 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $75,000 after buying an additional 177 shares during the period. 90.88% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Primerica

In other Primerica news, President Peter W. Schneider sold 1,800 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $252.38, for a total transaction of $454,284.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the president directly owned 11,611 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,930,384.18. This represents a 13.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Glenn J. Williams sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $256.41, for a total transaction of $641,025.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 27,392 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,023,582.72. The trade was a 8.36% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.61% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Primerica Trading Up 1.4%

PRI opened at $253.87 on Thursday. Primerica, Inc. has a 12-month low of $230.09 and a 12-month high of $291.64. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $256.30 and a two-hundred day moving average of $260.61. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.04 billion, a PE ratio of 11.07 and a beta of 0.90.

Primerica (NYSE:PRI - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The financial services provider reported $6.13 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $5.69 by $0.44. The firm had revenue of $853.51 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $839.65 million. Primerica had a return on equity of 32.30% and a net margin of 22.82%.The company's revenue was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $5.03 earnings per share. As a group, analysts predict that Primerica, Inc. will post 20.6 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Primerica Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 13th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 23rd were given a dividend of $1.20 per share. This is an increase from Primerica's previous quarterly dividend of $1.04. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 23rd. Primerica's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 20.93%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have issued reports on the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reaffirmed a "hold" rating and set a $290.00 target price on shares of Primerica in a research report on Thursday, March 26th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Primerica from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. TD Cowen reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Primerica in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on shares of Primerica from $292.00 to $285.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Primerica from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Primerica has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $293.60.

Primerica Profile

Primerica, Inc is a financial services company that focuses on delivering term life insurance and investment products to middle-income households in the United States and Canada. The firm operates a network of independent, licensed representatives who provide personalized guidance on coverage needs, retirement planning, and wealth accumulation. Primerica's core mission is to help clients obtain affordable life insurance protection while also offering a suite of savings and investment solutions designed for long-term financial security.

In addition to term life insurance, Primerica offers a range of financial products and services that include mutual funds, annuities, auto and home insurance through partner carriers, and personal lending solutions such as secured and unsecured loans.

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