Intact Financial (TSE:IFC) Hits New 52-Week High – Should You Buy?

Intact Financial Co. (TSE:IFC) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as C$271.86 and last traded at C$267.18, with a volume of 92071 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$270.87.

Analyst Ratings Changes

IFC has been the subject of several research analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on shares of Intact Financial from C$250.00 to C$275.00 in a report on Thursday, August 1st. CIBC increased their price objective on Intact Financial from C$250.00 to C$270.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 1st. Scotiabank lowered their price target on shares of Intact Financial from C$272.00 to C$263.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, August 22nd. TD Securities raised their price objective on shares of Intact Financial from C$270.00 to C$282.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price target on Intact Financial from C$264.00 to C$262.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, August 22nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of C$263.90.

Intact Financial Stock Down 1.2 %

The firm has a market cap of C$47.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.01 and a beta of 0.57. The firm has a fifty day moving average of C$255.77 and a 200-day moving average of C$238.95. The company has a quick ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 0.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 31.26.

Intact Financial (TSE:IFC) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 30th. The company reported C$4.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of C$3.61 by C$1.25. The business had revenue of C$7.07 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of C$7.64 billion. Intact Financial had a return on equity of 12.93% and a net margin of 7.14%. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Intact Financial Co. will post 16.1721014 earnings per share for the current year.

Intact Financial Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 13th were issued a $1.21 dividend. This represents a $4.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.81%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, September 13th. Intact Financial’s dividend payout ratio is presently 42.61%.

Insider Activity at Intact Financial

In other Intact Financial news, Senior Officer Darren Christopher Godfrey sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$255.00, for a total transaction of C$510,000.00. 0.24% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

About Intact Financial

Intact Financial Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides property and casualty insurance products to individuals and businesses in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and internationally. The company offers insurance, such as personal auto which provides coverage from accidents, third party liability, and physical damage; personal property which provides protection for homes and contents from risks, including fire, theft, vandalism, water damages, other damages, and personal liability; and commercial line and specialty line insurance which provides commercial auto, property, and liability coverages.