RLI (NYSE:RLI) CEO Craig Kliethermes Purchases 5,000 Shares of Stock

RLI Corp. (NYSE:RLI) CEO Craig Kliethermes bought 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 23rd. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $57.45 per share, for a total transaction of $287,250.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer owned 143,990 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,272,225.50. This trade represents a 3.60% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link.

RLI Price Performance

Shares of RLI stock opened at $56.97 on Friday. RLI Corp. has a 52 week low of $55.80 and a 52 week high of $81.79. The company has a current ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 0.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05. The stock has a market cap of $5.23 billion, a PE ratio of 13.07 and a beta of 0.54. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $62.61 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $64.44.

RLI (NYSE:RLI) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 21st. The insurance provider reported $0.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.76 by $0.18. RLI had a net margin of 21.43% and a return on equity of 18.67%. The company had revenue of $465.69 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $447.53 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.41 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that RLI Corp. will post 3.08 EPS for the current fiscal year.

RLI Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 19th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 28th were given a $0.16 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 28th. This represents a $0.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. RLI’s payout ratio is 14.68%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On RLI

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Wasatch Advisors LP purchased a new position in RLI during the 2nd quarter valued at about $84,608,000. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of RLI during the second quarter worth approximately $74,533,000. Two Sigma Investments LP grew its position in RLI by 353.1% during the third quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 446,378 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $29,113,000 after purchasing an additional 347,858 shares in the last quarter. UBS Group AG increased its stake in RLI by 102.7% in the 3rd quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 558,613 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $36,433,000 after buying an additional 283,083 shares during the period. Finally, State Street Corp lifted its position in RLI by 3.3% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 8,750,315 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $570,696,000 after buying an additional 279,983 shares in the last quarter. 77.89% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

RLI News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting RLI this week:

• Positive Sentiment: RLI reported Q4 results that beat estimates (EPS $0.94 vs. ~$0.76 consensus) and topped revenue expectations; management cited solid investment income and expense control, supporting near-term earnings. Earnings Press Release / Transcript
• Positive Sentiment: Underwriting results were strong: underwriting income rose to about $71M for Q4 and the combined ratio was in the low-80s (~82.6–83%), indicating profitable core insurance operations that can support underwriting margins. Underwriting Income Article
• Positive Sentiment: RLI trimmed its catastrophe reinsurance purchases by $150M at the January renewal — management is taking advantage of cheaper reinsurance pricing to lower reinsurance expense and retain more premium, which could boost margins if managed carefully. Reinsurance Renewal Article
• Positive Sentiment: Management highlights disciplined underwriting and substantial book-value growth (~33%), signaling capital strength and a focus on profitable growth rather than top-line share grabbing in a competitive market. Business Strategy / Book Value Article
• Positive Sentiment: Jefferies moved RLI from Underperform to Hold on valuation grounds — a modestly supportive analyst action that reduces near-term downside from that firm’s prior view. Jefferies Upgrade
• Neutral Sentiment: Citizens JMP reaffirmed a market?perform / MP rating — neutral wording from another shop keeps analyst consensus cautious. Analyst Reaffirmation
• Neutral Sentiment: Full earnings-call transcript is available for detail on reserves, reinsurance strategy and segment performance for investors who want to dig into management commentary. Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts (William Blair noted via TipRanks) keep a Hold stance, pointing to slowing premium growth and rising loss costs — key headwinds that could dent future underwriting leverage and justify a cautious view. Analyst Note on Growth & Loss Trends

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their target price on RLI from $85.00 to $81.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded RLI from an “underperform” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $52.00 price target for the company in a research report on Friday. Truist Financial set a $58.00 price objective on RLI in a report on Friday. Citizens Jmp reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of RLI in a research note on Friday. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of RLI in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $65.20.

RLI Company Profile

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.