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

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

Old Republic International Stock Up 1.9 %

Shares of NYSE:ORI opened at $37.85 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $9.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.39 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a 50 day moving average of $36.01 and a two-hundred day moving average of $36.00. Old Republic International has a 52-week low of $28.59 and a 52-week high of $39.27. 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 issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 23rd. The insurance provider reported $0.90 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.71 by $0.19. Old Republic International had a net margin of 10.36% and a return on equity of 20.32%. As a group, analysts forecast that Old Republic International will post 3.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Old Republic International Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Old Republic International

In other news, SVP Jeffrey Lange sold 1,098 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $36.56, for a total value of $40,142.88. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 34,679 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,267,864.24. The trade was a 3.07 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, SVP Carolyn Monroe sold 9,188 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $36.35, for a total transaction of $333,983.80. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 33,556 shares in the company, valued at $1,219,760.60. The trade was a 21.50 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.00% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Old Republic International

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Allworth Financial LP increased its holdings in shares of Old Republic International by 161.9% in the 3rd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 728 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 450 shares during the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new stake in Old Republic International during the third quarter valued at $28,000. Fairway Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Old Republic International during the fourth quarter worth $29,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. bought a new position in shares of Old Republic International in the 4th quarter worth about $34,000. Finally, Core Alternative Capital acquired a new position in shares of Old Republic International in the 4th quarter valued at about $36,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.92% of the company’s stock.

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.