Zacks Research Has Bearish Estimate for Palomar Q1 Earnings

Key Points

• Zacks trimmed Q1‑2026 EPS to $2.00 (from $2.07) and set FY‑2026 at $8.99 while also raising its FY‑2027 view to $10.26, indicating near‑term downward revisions but stronger longer‑term expectations.
• Sell‑side sentiment is mixed: independent raters like Wall Street Zen and Weiss moved to Hold, yet Keefe, JPMorgan and Evercore raised targets or kept bullish stances, leaving a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” with a $165 price target.
• Palomar recently beat quarterly expectations with $2.24 EPS and revenue up 62.7% YoY, but high institutional ownership (~90%) and significant insider selling (~63,808 shares, ~$7.8M in the last 90 days) could limit volatility and retail‑led rallies.

Palomar Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLMR - Free Report) - Investment analysts at Zacks Research decreased their Q1 2026 earnings per share estimates for shares of Palomar in a research report issued on Thursday, April 9th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the company will post earnings of $2.00 per share for the quarter, down from their prior estimate of $2.07. The consensus estimate for Palomar's current full-year earnings is $5.99 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Palomar's Q2 2026 earnings at $2.01 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $2.58 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $2.40 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $8.99 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $2.50 EPS and Q3 2027 earnings at $3.24 EPS.

Palomar (NASDAQ:PLMR - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The company reported $2.24 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.06 by $0.18. The company had revenue of $253.36 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $204.58 million. Palomar had a return on equity of 22.77% and a net margin of 22.50%.Palomar's quarterly revenue was up 62.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.52 EPS.

Several other brokerages also recently weighed in on PLMR. Wall Street Zen downgraded Palomar from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Sunday, March 1st. Weiss Ratings downgraded Palomar from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price target on Palomar from $183.00 to $186.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on Palomar from $155.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. Finally, Evercore initiated coverage on Palomar in a research note on Monday, February 9th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $150.00 price objective for the company. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Palomar currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $165.00.

Palomar Stock Performance

PLMR opened at $127.80 on Monday. Palomar has a 12-month low of $107.75 and a 12-month high of $175.85. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $123.53 and its 200-day simple moving average is $123.49. The company has a market capitalization of $3.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.80 and a beta of 0.54.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in PLMR. Summit Global Investments grew its stake in Palomar by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. Summit Global Investments now owns 4,646 shares of the company's stock worth $626,000 after buying an additional 79 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Palomar by 3.3% in the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 2,546 shares of the company's stock valued at $333,000 after buying an additional 82 shares during the period. Quadrant Capital Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Palomar by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 4,464 shares of the company's stock valued at $602,000 after buying an additional 88 shares during the period. Clearstead Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Palomar by 31.0% in the 3rd quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 397 shares of the company's stock valued at $46,000 after buying an additional 94 shares during the period. Finally, California State Teachers Retirement System raised its holdings in Palomar by 0.4% during the second quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 24,207 shares of the company's stock worth $3,734,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.25% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Palomar

In related news, President Jon Christianson sold 3,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $125.00, for a total value of $375,000.00. Following the sale, the president owned 62,919 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,864,875. The trade was a 4.55% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Mac Armstrong sold 11,484 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.88, for a total value of $1,376,701.92. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 91,737 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,997,431.56. This trade represents a 11.13% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 63,808 shares of company stock worth $7,814,365. Corporate insiders own 3.70% of the company's stock.

Key Palomar News

Here are the key news stories impacting Palomar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised its FY‑2027 EPS view to $10.26 (from $9.66) and nudged several quarterly estimates higher, implying a stronger near‑term earnings trajectory that could support multiple expansion.
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks also bumped Q2‑2027 to $2.41 and Q4‑2027 to $2.12, which may raise the bar for consensus and help near‑term beats.
• Positive Sentiment: Sell‑side support remains from some large firms — Keefe, Bruyette & Woods and JPMorgan raised target prices and maintained bullish stances, and Evercore initiated coverage with an outperform view, providing upside to sentiment and price targets. Palomar NASDAQ: PLMR Stock Price Expected to Rise, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Analyst Says
• Positive Sentiment: Positive coverage pieces (Zacks/MSN) highlight Palomar as a long‑term growth story tied to its medical stop‑loss franchise and program management expansion, which supports buy‑and‑hold investors. Why Palomar (PLMR) is a Top Growth Stock for the Long-Term
• Neutral Sentiment: Insider activity: President Jon Christianson sold 3,000 shares (~$375k) under a pre‑arranged Rule 10b5‑1 plan — a material sale but disclosed and planned, so market reaction may be limited. Palomar NASDAQ: PLMR President Sells $375,000.00 in Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: High institutional ownership (~90%) and recent small rebalances by funds suggest the stock is largely held by institutions, which can dampen volatility but also slow retail‑led rallies.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks trimmed Q1‑2028 EPS to $2.94 (from $3.17) and cut FY‑2028 to $11.46 (from $11.83); downward revisions to forward estimates are a near‑term negative for upside expectations.
• Negative Sentiment: Some independent raters (Wall Street Zen, Weiss) moved the stock from Buy to Hold — mixed-to‑softer sentiment that could limit fresh buyer interest until clearer beats/guidance emerge.

Palomar Company Profile

Palomar Holdings, Inc NASDAQ: PLMR is a specialty insurance holding company focused on providing medical stop-loss coverage and related administrative services to self-funded employer health plans in the United States. The firm operates through two primary business segments—Medical Stop-Loss and Specialty Program Management—to deliver tailored risk protection and comprehensive program administration.

In its Medical Stop-Loss segment, Palomar underwrites excess and aggregate stop-loss policies designed to shield self-insured employers from catastrophic medical claims that exceed pre-determined retention levels.

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