Old Republic International (NYSE:ORI) Cut to “Hold” at StockNews.com

StockNews.com lowered shares of Old Republic International (NYSE:ORI) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report published on Tuesday morning.

Old Republic International Price Performance

Old Republic International stock opened at $37.85 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.60 billion, a PE ratio of 14.39 and a beta of 0.88. Old Republic International has a 52 week low of $28.59 and a 52 week high of $39.27. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $36.01 and its 200 day simple moving average is $36.00. The company has a quick ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28.

Old Republic International (NYSE:ORI) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 23rd. The insurance provider reported $0.90 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.71 by $0.19. Old Republic International had a net margin of 10.36% and a return on equity of 20.32%. On average, equities research analysts predict that Old Republic International will post 3.17 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Old Republic International Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a special dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 3rd were given a dividend of $2.00 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 3rd. Old Republic International’s payout ratio is 40.30%.

Insider Transactions at Old Republic International

In related news, SVP Carolyn Monroe sold 9,188 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $36.35, for a total value of $333,983.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 33,556 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,219,760.60. The trade was a 21.50 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Jeffrey Lange sold 1,098 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $36.56, for a total transaction of $40,142.88. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 34,679 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,267,864.24. This trade represents a 3.07 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Old Republic International

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of ORI. Janus Henderson Group PLC boosted its holdings in shares of Old Republic International by 5.9% during the third quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 120,303 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $4,262,000 after purchasing an additional 6,664 shares during the last quarter. Atomi Financial Group Inc. lifted its position in Old Republic International by 4.1% during the fourth quarter. Atomi Financial Group Inc. now owns 7,714 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $279,000 after buying an additional 302 shares during the period. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Old Republic International by 37.1% in the 4th quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 71,716 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $2,595,000 after buying an additional 19,400 shares during the last quarter. Orca Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Old Republic International in the 4th quarter valued at about $5,209,000. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its stake in shares of Old Republic International by 5.3% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 851,492 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $30,160,000 after acquiring an additional 42,934 shares during the last quarter. 70.92% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Old Republic International

Old Republic International Corporation, through its subsidiaries, engages in the insurance underwriting and related services business primarily in the United States and Canada. It operates through three segments: General Insurance, Title Insurance, and Republic Financial Indemnity Group Run-off Business.