Zacks Research Has Optimistic Outlook of RLI Q1 Earnings

RLI Corp. (NYSE:RLI) – Analysts at Zacks Research boosted their Q1 2027 EPS estimates for shares of RLI in a research report issued on Tuesday, August 11th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the insurance provider will post earnings of $0.77 per share for the quarter, up from their prior forecast of $0.74. The consensus estimate for RLI’s current full-year earnings is $2.88 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for RLI’s FY2027 earnings at $2.72 EPS.

Other research analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Weiss Ratings raised RLI from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. UBS Group set a $74.00 target price on shares of RLI in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. Wells Fargo & Company cut shares of RLI from an “equal weight” rating to an “underweight” rating and set a $57.00 price target for the company. in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $74.00 target price (up from $70.00) on shares of RLI in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded RLI from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 1st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $63.00.

RLI Stock Down 1.8%

NYSE RLI opened at $62.76 on Thursday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $58.92 and its 200 day moving average price is $57.70. The firm has a market cap of $5.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.18 and a beta of 0.38. RLI has a 52-week low of $47.26 and a 52-week high of $69.19.

RLI (NYSE:RLI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The insurance provider reported $0.83 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.72 by $0.11. RLI had a net margin of 22.22% and a return on equity of 17.61%. The firm had revenue of $575.57 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $568.70 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.82 EPS. RLI’s quarterly revenue was up 15.2% compared to the same quarter last year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On RLI

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of RLI. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its position in shares of RLI by 115.1% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 56,386 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $4,529,000 after acquiring an additional 30,170 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its stake in RLI by 110.8% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 185,504 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $14,902,000 after purchasing an additional 97,501 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its holdings in RLI by 472.3% in the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 29,177 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $2,344,000 after purchasing an additional 24,079 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in RLI by 46.2% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,559 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $113,000 after purchasing an additional 493 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Amundi boosted its stake in shares of RLI by 16,550.0% during the 2nd quarter. Amundi now owns 23,976 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $1,689,000 after purchasing an additional 23,832 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.89% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at RLI

In other RLI news, Director Clark C. Kellogg acquired 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 1st. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $50.90 per share, with a total value of $152,700.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 4,502 shares in the company, valued at approximately $229,151.80. The trade was a 199.73% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director David B. Duclos bought 2,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 28th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $51.99 per share, with a total value of $129,975.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 9,780 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $508,462.20. The trade was a 34.34% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have acquired 16,500 shares of company stock valued at $858,955 over the last 90 days. 2.39% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Key RLI News

Here are the key news stories impacting RLI this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks raised its FY2026 EPS forecast to $2.84 from $2.70, close to the current consensus estimate of $2.85. It also increased its FY2027 forecast to $2.72 from $2.64 and FY2028 to $2.73 from $2.51, signaling improved expectations for RLI’s longer-term profitability. RLI earnings estimate revisions
• Positive Sentiment: Several quarterly estimates were raised, including Q4 2026 EPS to $0.67 from $0.64, Q4 2027 to $0.70 from $0.62, Q1 2027 to $0.77 from $0.74, and Q2 2028 to $0.79 from $0.71. These upgrades support the view that underwriting and investment performance could remain resilient. RLI quarterly earnings estimate revisions
• Neutral Sentiment: The most recent revisions do not represent a new company announcement or change in guidance; they are analyst-model updates. RLI’s latest reported quarter had already exceeded expectations, with EPS of $0.83 versus a $0.72 consensus and revenue up 15.2% year over year.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks lowered its Q3 2026 EPS forecast to $0.51 from $0.53 and Q2 2027 to $0.67 from $0.69. Those reductions point to some expected earnings pressure in upcoming periods and may be contributing to the weaker share performance.

About RLI

RLI Corporation (NYSE:RLI) is a specialty property and casualty insurance company focused on underwriting niche risks for businesses and individuals. Headquartered in Peoria, Illinois, the company operates through a network of independent agents and brokers, offering customized coverage solutions. RLI’s approach emphasizes disciplined underwriting, targeted product development and strong customer service to maintain profitability and long-term growth.

Founded in 1965 as Replacement Lens, Inc, RLI initially provided insurance for contact lens manufacturers before shifting its focus to specialty insurance in the 1980s.