StockNews.com Upgrades Travelers Companies (NYSE:TRV) to Buy

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Travelers Companies (NYSE:TRV) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday morning.

A number of other analysts have also issued reports on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on Travelers Companies from $186.00 to $212.00 and gave the company a sell rating in a report on Friday, April 12th. HSBC boosted their price target on Travelers Companies from $218.00 to $240.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a report on Thursday, April 4th. JMP Securities reiterated a market perform rating on shares of Travelers Companies in a report on Friday, April 19th. TD Cowen downgraded shares of Travelers Companies from a buy rating to a hold rating and reduced their price objective for the stock from $252.00 to $230.00 in a research note on Monday, July 15th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of Travelers Companies from $220.00 to $242.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a research note on Thursday, July 11th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have issued a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $220.94.

Travelers Companies Stock Up 0.7 %

Shares of NYSE:TRV opened at $209.20 on Monday. Travelers Companies has a 1 year low of $157.33 and a 1 year high of $232.75. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $209.80 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $214.09. The firm has a market capitalization of $47.68 billion, a PE ratio of 15.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 0.33 and a quick ratio of 0.34.

Travelers Companies (NYSE:TRV) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 19th. The insurance provider reported $2.51 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.23 by ($0.72). The firm had revenue of $11.28 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $11.35 billion. Travelers Companies had a net margin of 8.37% and a return on equity of 15.90%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.06 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Travelers Companies will post 17.12 EPS for the current year.

Travelers Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 10th will be given a dividend of $1.05 per share. This represents a $4.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.01%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 10th. Travelers Companies’s payout ratio is presently 31.20%.

Insider Transactions at Travelers Companies

In other news, EVP Jeffrey P. Klenk sold 3,635 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $213.68, for a total transaction of $776,726.80. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 6,075 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,298,106. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 1.33% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Travelers Companies

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. SlateStone Wealth LLC grew its holdings in shares of Travelers Companies by 15.2% during the second quarter. SlateStone Wealth LLC now owns 5,088 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $1,035,000 after buying an additional 671 shares during the last quarter. Catalyst Financial Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Travelers Companies by 8.7% during the second quarter. Catalyst Financial Partners LLC now owns 1,147 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $233,000 after buying an additional 92 shares during the last quarter. Wedgewood Investors Inc. PA purchased a new stake in shares of Travelers Companies during the second quarter valued at $207,000. Northcape Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Travelers Companies by 14.3% in the second quarter. Northcape Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,400 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $488,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AMG National Trust Bank boosted its holdings in Travelers Companies by 27.7% in the second quarter. AMG National Trust Bank now owns 4,753 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $966,000 after purchasing an additional 1,032 shares during the last quarter. 82.45% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.