Travelers Companies (NYSE:TRV) EVP Diane Kurtzman Sells 2,867 Shares

Key Points

• Diane Kurtzman sold 2,867 shares of Travelers on April 20 at an average of $303.45 for about $869,991, cutting her stake by 35.11% to 5,298 shares; the sale was disclosed in an SEC Form 4 filing.
• Strong quarterly results: Travelers reported $7.71 EPS (vs. $6.80 estimate) and $11.92 billion in revenue (vs. $11.11 billion), with a 15.54% net margin and 24.06% ROE.
• Capital returns and valuation: the board raised the quarterly dividend to $1.25 (annualized $5.00, yield ~1.7%) and authorized a $5.0 billion buyback (~8.3% of shares); market cap is about $64.1 billion with a P/E of ~8.97 and a consensus price target near $309.

The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TRV - Get Free Report) EVP Diane Kurtzman sold 2,867 shares of Travelers Companies stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $303.45, for a total transaction of $869,991.15. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 5,298 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,607,678.10. The trade was a 35.11% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Travelers Companies Stock Up 0.2%

Shares of NYSE:TRV traded up $0.61 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $301.39. The company's stock had a trading volume of 2,183,711 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,605,191. The Travelers Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $249.19 and a 52 week high of $313.12. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 0.35 and a quick ratio of 0.35. The company has a market capitalization of $64.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.97, a P/E/G ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 0.51. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $299.66 and its 200 day moving average price is $288.26.

Travelers Companies (NYSE:TRV - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The insurance provider reported $7.71 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.80 by $0.91. The company had revenue of $11.92 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $11.11 billion. Travelers Companies had a net margin of 15.54% and a return on equity of 24.06%. Travelers Companies's revenue was down 1.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.91 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that The Travelers Companies, Inc. will post 27.37 EPS for the current year.

Travelers Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, June 10th will be given a dividend of $1.25 per share. This is a boost from Travelers Companies's previous quarterly dividend of $1.10. This represents a $5.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, June 10th. Travelers Companies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 13.09%.

Travelers Companies declared that its board has authorized a share buyback program on Wednesday, January 21st that authorizes the company to buyback $5.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the insurance provider to purchase up to 8.3% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are typically a sign that the company's board believes its stock is undervalued.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price objective on shares of Travelers Companies from $340.00 to $342.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday. UBS Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of Travelers Companies in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Argus upgraded shares of Travelers Companies to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Travelers Companies from $285.00 to $305.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lowered shares of Travelers Companies from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $304.00 target price on the stock. in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $309.13.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. HHM Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Travelers Companies by 145.7% during the 1st quarter. HHM Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 86 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 51 shares during the period. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Travelers Companies during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. increased its position in Travelers Companies by 1,820.0% during the 2nd quarter. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. now owns 96 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 91 shares in the last quarter. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC increased its position in Travelers Companies by 134.1% during the 3rd quarter. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 96 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Clayton Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in Travelers Companies during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.45% of the company's stock.

Travelers Companies Company Profile

The Travelers Companies, Inc NYSE: TRV is a leading provider of property and casualty insurance products and services. The company underwrites a broad range of commercial and personal insurance lines, offering coverage designed to protect individuals, small and midsize businesses, and large corporate clients against property loss, liability, and other operational risks. Travelers is known for combining underwriting, claims management and risk control services to help clients prevent losses and recover when incidents occur.

On the commercial side, Travelers writes primary and specialty coverages including property, general liability, commercial auto, workers' compensation, professional and management liability, surety and inland marine.

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