JMP Securities Upgrades Employers (NYSE:EIG) to “Hold”

Employers (NYSE:EIG) was upgraded by analysts at JMP Securities to a “hold” rating in a report issued on Thursday, Zacks.com reports.

Employers Stock Performance

Shares of Employers stock opened at $46.49 on Thursday. Employers has a 52 week low of $36.65 and a 52 week high of $49.00. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $43.25 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $43.29. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.18 billion, a PE ratio of 9.85 and a beta of 0.24.

Employers (NYSE:EIG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 31st. The financial services provider reported $1.10 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.08 by $0.02. Employers had a return on equity of 9.95% and a net margin of 13.76%. The firm had revenue of $217.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $223.82 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.17 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up .8% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts forecast that Employers will post 3.65 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Ann Marie Smith sold 1,764 shares of Employers stock in a transaction on Friday, May 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $41.26, for a total transaction of $72,782.64. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 6,741 shares in the company, valued at $278,133.66. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 1.50% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Employers

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Lazard Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Employers during the 1st quarter valued at $36,000. Bessemer Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Employers by 983.8% during the 1st quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 1,138 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $51,000 after purchasing an additional 1,033 shares during the period. Innealta Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Employers during the 2nd quarter valued at $81,000. Mutual of America Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Employers during the 1st quarter valued at $201,000. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC raised its stake in shares of Employers by 14.8% during the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 5,702 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $225,000 after purchasing an additional 737 shares during the period. 80.49% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Employers Company Profile

Employers Holdings, Inc, through its subsidiaries, operates in the commercial property and casualty insurance industry primarily in the United States. The company operates in two segments, Employers and Cerity. It offers workers' compensation insurance to small businesses in low to medium hazard industries under the Employers and Cerity brands.