Marshall Wace LLP Sells 40,849 Shares of Universal Insurance Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:UVE)

Marshall Wace LLP lowered its position in Universal Insurance Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:UVE - Free Report) by 15.1% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 229,877 shares of the insurance provider's stock after selling 40,849 shares during the period. Marshall Wace LLP owned about 0.81% of Universal Insurance worth $4,841,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. CWA Asset Management Group LLC grew its position in shares of Universal Insurance by 100.0% during the fourth quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC now owns 570,615 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $12,017,000 after purchasing an additional 285,338 shares in the last quarter. Donald Smith & CO. Inc. grew its holdings in Universal Insurance by 11.3% during the 4th quarter. Donald Smith & CO. Inc. now owns 1,720,519 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $36,234,000 after buying an additional 174,843 shares in the last quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Universal Insurance by 128,888.9% during the fourth quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 58,045 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $1,222,000 after buying an additional 58,000 shares during the last quarter. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Universal Insurance in the fourth quarter worth $1,212,000. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Universal Insurance by 10.4% in the fourth quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 608,889 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $12,823,000 after buying an additional 57,424 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 66.61% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Chairman Sean P. Downes sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $22.08, for a total transaction of $441,600.00. Following the transaction, the chairman now owns 990,200 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $21,863,616. This represents a 1.98 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 17.50% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Universal Insurance from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Monday.

Universal Insurance Trading Down 1.9 %

NYSE:UVE traded down $0.46 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $24.22. 226,950 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 178,723. The company has a current ratio of 0.51, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25. The firm's fifty day moving average is $22.34 and its 200-day moving average is $21.23. The firm has a market capitalization of $680.49 million, a P/E ratio of 9.85 and a beta of 0.76. Universal Insurance Holdings, Inc. has a 12-month low of $16.50 and a 12-month high of $25.64.

Universal Insurance (NYSE:UVE - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 24th. The insurance provider reported $1.44 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.12 by $0.32. Universal Insurance had a net margin of 4.82% and a return on equity of 15.43%. The company had revenue of $394.87 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $354.97 million. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Universal Insurance Holdings, Inc. will post 1.66 EPS for the current year.

Universal Insurance Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 9th will be issued a $0.16 dividend. This represents a $0.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.64%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 9th. Universal Insurance's payout ratio is presently 27.95%.

About Universal Insurance

Universal Insurance Holdings, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an integrated insurance holding company in the United States. It develops, markets, and underwrites insurance products for personal residential insurance, such as homeowners, renters/tenants, condo unit owners, and dwelling/fire; and offers allied lines, coverage for other structures, and personal property, liability, and personal articles coverages.