Universal Insurance (NYSE:UVE) Stock Rating Upgraded by StockNews.com

Universal Insurance (NYSE:UVE - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities research analysts at StockNews.com from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report issued on Thursday.

Several other research firms have also recently issued reports on UVE. TheStreet upgraded Universal Insurance from a "c+" rating to a "b" rating in a research report on Monday, February 26th. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $25.00 target price on shares of Universal Insurance in a research note on Monday.

Universal Insurance Stock Down 1.8 %

NYSE UVE traded down $0.36 during trading on Thursday, reaching $19.30. 147,355 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 191,619. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $18.66 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $16.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 0.53. Universal Insurance has a 1 year low of $11.15 and a 1 year high of $21.75. The stock has a market cap of $559.12 million, a P/E ratio of 8.77 and a beta of 0.83.

Universal Insurance (NYSE:UVE - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 22nd. The insurance provider reported $0.43 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.23 by $0.20. The business had revenue of $375.46 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $328.12 million. Universal Insurance had a return on equity of 18.14% and a net margin of 4.80%. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Universal Insurance will post 2.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Universal Insurance

In other Universal Insurance news, Chairman Sean P. Downes sold 20,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $19.53, for a total value of $390,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 1,191,390 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $23,267,846.70. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 17.70% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Universal Insurance

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. AJOVista LLC bought a new position in Universal Insurance in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new stake in shares of Universal Insurance in the first quarter valued at approximately $58,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC increased its stake in shares of Universal Insurance by 208.6% in the third quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 7,929 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $78,000 after purchasing an additional 5,360 shares during the period. Belpointe Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Universal Insurance in the first quarter valued at approximately $102,000. Finally, Fortis Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Universal Insurance in the first quarter valued at approximately $102,000. Institutional investors own 66.61% of the company's stock.

Universal Insurance Company Profile

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.

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