Universal Insurance (NYSE:UVE - Get Free Report) was upgraded by StockNews.com from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report issued on Monday.
Universal Insurance Trading Down 0.0 %
Shares of NYSE UVE traded down $0.01 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $23.62. 539,596 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 177,960. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a current ratio of 0.51. Universal Insurance has a 12-month low of $16.50 and a 12-month high of $25.64. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $22.16 and a 200 day moving average price of $21.18. The firm has a market cap of $663.63 million, a P/E ratio of 9.60 and a beta of 0.76.
Universal Insurance (NYSE:UVE - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The insurance provider reported $1.44 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.12 by $0.32. Universal Insurance had a return on equity of 15.43% and a net margin of 4.82%. The firm had revenue of $394.87 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $354.97 million. As a group, analysts expect that Universal Insurance will post 1.66 earnings per share for the current year.
Insider Transactions at Universal Insurance
In related news, Chairman Sean P. Downes sold 20,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $22.08, for a total value of $441,600.00. Following the sale, the chairman now owns 990,200 shares in the company, valued at $21,863,616. This represents a 1.98 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 17.50% of the company's stock.
Institutional Trading of Universal Insurance
Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its stake in Universal Insurance by 2.7% during the 1st quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 25,064 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $594,000 after purchasing an additional 649 shares during the last quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN boosted its stake in Universal Insurance by 5.6% during the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 13,804 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $291,000 after purchasing an additional 732 shares during the last quarter. EP Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Universal Insurance by 12.0% during the 4th quarter. EP Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 12,189 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $257,000 after purchasing an additional 1,306 shares during the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its stake in Universal Insurance by 8.9% during the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 21,799 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $459,000 after purchasing an additional 1,775 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Lazard Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in Universal Insurance by 56.7% during the 4th quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 5,758 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $121,000 after purchasing an additional 2,083 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 66.61% of the company's stock.
Universal Insurance Company Profile
(
Get Free Report)
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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