Skyward Specialty Insurance Group (NASDAQ:SKWD) Stock Rating Lowered by Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen downgraded Skyward Specialty Insurance Group from “buy” to “hold,” even as the broader analyst view remains a “Moderate Buy” with an average target price of $65.00.
• The company’s latest quarter showed earnings beat expectations with EPS of $1.25 versus the $1.13 consensus, though revenue came in below estimates at $475.87 million.
• Insider activity was mixed: one director sold shares, while another bought 2,000 shares, and institutional investors continue to hold the vast majority of the stock at 94.83% ownership.

Skyward Specialty Insurance Group (NASDAQ:SKWD - Get Free Report) was downgraded by equities researchers at Wall Street Zen from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report issued on Saturday.

A number of other brokerages also recently commented on SKWD. Capital One Financial set a $59.00 target price on Skyward Specialty Insurance Group in a research note on Tuesday. Weiss Ratings downgraded Skyward Specialty Insurance Group from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 19th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upgraded Skyward Specialty Insurance Group from a "moderate buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Friday, March 13th. Piper Sandler lowered their target price on Skyward Specialty Insurance Group from $65.00 to $55.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. Finally, Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Skyward Specialty Insurance Group from $57.00 to $60.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $65.00.

Skyward Specialty Insurance Group Price Performance

NASDAQ:SKWD opened at $50.05 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.06 and a beta of 0.49. Skyward Specialty Insurance Group has a 1-year low of $40.60 and a 1-year high of $60.00. The company's fifty day moving average price is $45.88 and its 200-day moving average price is $46.39.

Skyward Specialty Insurance Group (NASDAQ:SKWD - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported $1.25 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.13 by $0.12. The firm had revenue of $475.87 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $665.12 million. Skyward Specialty Insurance Group had a net margin of 11.36% and a return on equity of 18.24%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.90 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 9.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts anticipate that Skyward Specialty Insurance Group will post 4.93 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Gena L. Ashe sold 740 shares of Skyward Specialty Insurance Group stock in a transaction on Monday, May 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.35, for a total value of $34,299.00. Following the sale, the director owned 4,570 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $211,819.50. This trade represents a 13.94% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, Director Anthony J. Kuczinski purchased 2,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 21st. The stock was bought at an average cost of $47.10 per share, for a total transaction of $94,200.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 15,977 shares in the company, valued at $752,516.70. This trade represents a 14.31% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. 8.52% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Skyward Specialty Insurance Group

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in SKWD. Reinhart Partners LLC. lifted its holdings in Skyward Specialty Insurance Group by 49.8% in the 4th quarter. Reinhart Partners LLC. now owns 2,416,753 shares of the company's stock valued at $123,521,000 after purchasing an additional 803,217 shares in the last quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. boosted its stake in Skyward Specialty Insurance Group by 411.7% during the 3rd quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 947,170 shares of the company's stock worth $45,047,000 after purchasing an additional 762,079 shares during the last quarter. Freestone Grove Partners LP acquired a new stake in Skyward Specialty Insurance Group during the 3rd quarter worth $24,234,000. Sei Investments Co. boosted its stake in Skyward Specialty Insurance Group by 397.5% during the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 433,298 shares of the company's stock worth $18,926,000 after purchasing an additional 346,202 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Langdon Equity Partners acquired a new stake in Skyward Specialty Insurance Group during the 4th quarter worth $16,965,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.83% of the company's stock.

Skyward Specialty Insurance Group Company Profile

Skyward Specialty Insurance Group, Inc NASDAQ: SKWD is a publicly traded specialty property and casualty insurance underwriter. The company focuses on niche market segments, offering tailored insurance solutions designed to address the specific risk profiles of its target industries.

Through its underwriting platform, Skyward Specialty provides coverage in areas including general liability, professional liability, commercial package, inland marine and other selected specialty lines. Its products are distributed primarily through a network of wholesale brokers, program administrators and managing general agents, enabling the company to reach a diverse client base and adapt quickly to evolving market needs.

Headquartered in the United States, Skyward Specialty Insurance Group operates across multiple states and applies data-driven underwriting and risk management practices to maintain disciplined reserving and consistent performance.

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