Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. Buys 24,518 Shares of The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TRV)

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. boosted its stake in shares of The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TRV - Free Report) by 100.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 48,922 shares of the insurance provider's stock after buying an additional 24,518 shares during the quarter. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A.'s holdings in Travelers Companies were worth $11,823,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. YANKCOM Partnership acquired a new position in shares of Travelers Companies during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Generali Investments Management Co LLC acquired a new position in Travelers Companies in the fourth quarter worth about $37,000. Asset Planning Inc bought a new position in shares of Travelers Companies in the 4th quarter worth about $44,000. Providence First Trust Co acquired a new stake in shares of Travelers Companies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $48,000. Finally, IMG Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Travelers Companies during the fourth quarter valued at $55,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.45% of the company's stock.

Travelers Companies Price Performance

Shares of TRV stock traded down $2.17 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $261.88. 304,377 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,283,417. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 0.33 and a quick ratio of 0.33. The company has a market cap of $59.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.20, a P/E/G ratio of 4.65 and a beta of 0.48. The stock's fifty day moving average is $255.12 and its two-hundred day moving average is $250.78. The Travelers Companies, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $200.21 and a fifty-two week high of $269.56.

Travelers Companies (NYSE:TRV - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 16th. The insurance provider reported $1.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.53 by $1.38. The business had revenue of $10.52 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.97 billion. Travelers Companies had a return on equity of 19.06% and a net margin of 10.77%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $4.69 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts forecast that The Travelers Companies, Inc. will post 17.02 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Travelers Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 10th will be issued a dividend of $1.10 per share. This represents a $4.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.68%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 10th. This is a boost from Travelers Companies's previous quarterly dividend of $1.05. Travelers Companies's dividend payout ratio is 23.95%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently commented on TRV. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on Travelers Companies from $275.00 to $297.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, January 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Travelers Companies from $260.00 to $271.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 8th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on Travelers Companies from $265.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, April 11th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Travelers Companies from $247.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 17th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Travelers Companies from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 17th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have issued a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $267.32.

Travelers Companies Company Profile

The Travelers Companies, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides a range of commercial and personal property, and casualty insurance products and services to businesses, government units, associations, and individuals in the United States and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Business Insurance, Bond & Specialty Insurance, and Personal Insurance.