Verisk Analytics (NASDAQ:VRSK) Stock: Insider Lee Shavel Sells 3,535 Shares

Key Points

• Verisk CEO Lee Shavel sold 3,535 shares on November 2 at an average $194.74, for about $688,406. He retained 98,490 shares after the sale, which reduced his direct ownership by 3.46%.
• Verisk shares traded at $197 on Tuesday, down $4.50. The stock’s analyst consensus was “Moderate Buy,” with an average price target of $224.79.
• Institutional investors and hedge funds own about 90% of Verisk’s shares, and several firms recently reported new or increased positions.

Verisk Analytics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRSK - Get Free Report) CEO Lee Shavel sold 3,535 shares of Verisk Analytics stock in a transaction on Monday, November 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $194.74, for a total value of $688,405.90. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 98,490 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $19,179,942.60. The trade was a 3.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

Lee Shavel also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Thursday, October 1st, Lee Shavel sold 3,535 shares of Verisk Analytics stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $170.70, for a total transaction of $603,424.50.
• On Tuesday, September 1st, Lee Shavel sold 3,535 shares of Verisk Analytics stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $193.43, for a total transaction of $683,775.05.

Verisk Analytics Price Performance

Shares of VRSK traded down $4.50 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $197.00. The stock had a trading volume of 971,362 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,872,278. The stock has a market capitalization of $25.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.26, a P/E/G ratio of 2.14 and a beta of 0.69. The company's fifty day moving average is $181.84 and its two-hundred day moving average is $186.71. Verisk Analytics, Inc. has a 52 week low of $155.94 and a 52 week high of $227.16.

Institutional Trading of Verisk Analytics

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. XXEC Inc. bought a new stake in Verisk Analytics in the second quarter valued at approximately $992,675,000. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in Verisk Analytics in the second quarter worth $1,852,678,000. Bamco Inc. NY bought a new position in shares of Verisk Analytics during the second quarter worth $844,259,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Verisk Analytics by 34.9% during the first quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,567,509 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $297,443,000 after purchasing an additional 405,824 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Jupiter Topco LLC bought a new position in shares of Verisk Analytics during the second quarter worth $266,201,000. 90.00% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have weighed in on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Verisk Analytics in a research note on Thursday, October 15th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on shares of Verisk Analytics from $235.00 to $215.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, October 13th. Evercore set a $223.00 target price on shares of Verisk Analytics in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. BMO Capital Markets reduced their target price on Verisk Analytics from $248.00 to $217.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, October 13th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Verisk Analytics from $240.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $224.79.

About Verisk Analytics

Verisk Analytics, Inc NASDAQ: VRSK, doing business as Verisk, is a global data analytics and technology company serving the insurance industry and other risk-focused markets. Its platforms help organizations use data, statistical models and workflow tools to evaluate risk, make decisions and improve operational efficiency.

Verisk's insurance offerings support underwriting, pricing, claims management, fraud detection, catastrophe modeling and regulatory compliance. Its products include industry data, predictive analytics, property and casualty risk solutions, claims-estimating tools and information used by insurers to assess property, vehicles, businesses and other exposures.

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