The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TRV) Stock Position Decreased by HM Payson & Co.

HM Payson & Co. lessened its holdings in shares of The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TRV) by 0.7% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 21,418 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 152 shares during the period. HM Payson & Co.’s holdings in Travelers Companies were worth $5,664,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of TRV. Putney Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Travelers Companies during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Ameriflex Group Inc. bought a new position in Travelers Companies in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Kapitalo Investimentos Ltda bought a new position in Travelers Companies in the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. Wood Tarver Financial Group LLC bought a new position in Travelers Companies in the 4th quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, Generali Investments Management Co LLC bought a new position in Travelers Companies in the 4th quarter worth about $37,000. Institutional investors own 82.45% of the company’s stock.

Travelers Companies Trading Up 2.6%

Shares of NYSE:TRV opened at $264.13 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $59.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.38, a PEG ratio of 3.87 and a beta of 0.51. The Travelers Companies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $200.40 and a 1-year high of $277.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a quick ratio of 0.33 and a current ratio of 0.33. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $267.88 and a 200 day moving average price of $255.15.

Travelers Companies (NYSE:TRV) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, April 16th. The insurance provider reported $1.91 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.53 by $1.38. The firm had revenue of $10.52 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $10.97 billion. Travelers Companies had a net margin of 9.09% and a return on equity of 16.10%. During the same period last year, the firm posted $4.69 earnings per share. On average, research analysts anticipate that The Travelers Companies, Inc. will post 17.02 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Travelers Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 30th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 10th were given a $1.10 dividend. This represents a $4.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.67%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, June 10th. This is an increase from Travelers Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.05. Travelers Companies’s dividend payout ratio is 23.95%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have commented on TRV shares. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Travelers Companies from $247.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 17th. Hsbc Global Res cut shares of Travelers Companies from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, March 24th. Morgan Stanley set a $269.00 target price on shares of Travelers Companies and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, May 19th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Travelers Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 13th. Finally, Barclays decreased their target price on shares of Travelers Companies from $287.00 to $280.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 11th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Travelers Companies has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $271.11.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Maria Olivo sold 36,199 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $274.20, for a total value of $9,925,765.80. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 118,116 shares in the company, valued at approximately $32,387,407.20. This represents a 23.46% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Avrohom J. Kess sold 23,434 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $273.93, for a total transaction of $6,419,275.62. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 48,387 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $13,254,650.91. This trade represents a 32.63% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 163,869 shares of company stock worth $44,868,201 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 1.46% of the company’s stock.

About Travelers Companies

The Travelers Companies, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides a range of commercial and personal property, and casualty insurance products and services to businesses, government units, associations, and individuals in the United States and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Business Insurance, Bond & Specialty Insurance, and Personal Insurance.