United Fire Group (NASDAQ:UFCS) Director George Milligan Acquires 4,500 Shares

Key Points

  • Director George Milligan bought 4,500 shares of United Fire Group at an average price of $45.23, a transaction worth about $203,535. After the purchase, he owned 90,034 shares, increasing his stake by 5.26%.
  • United Fire Group recently reported strong first-quarter earnings of $1.16 per share, beating estimates by $0.29, on revenue of $369.44 million. The company also posted a net margin of 9.16% and return on equity of 14.65%.
  • The insurer announced a quarterly dividend of $0.20 per share and a new 2 million-share buyback program. Analyst sentiment is positive, with a consensus rating of “Buy” and a target price of $51.00.

United Fire Group, Inc (NASDAQ:UFCS - Get Free Report) Director George Milligan bought 4,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 5th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $45.23 per share, with a total value of $203,535.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 90,034 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,072,237.82. This represents a 5.26% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link.

United Fire Group Price Performance

NASDAQ:UFCS opened at $46.32 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a current ratio of 0.34 and a quick ratio of 0.34. The firm has a market cap of $1.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.34 and a beta of 0.52. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $42.79 and a 200-day moving average price of $38.89. United Fire Group, Inc has a 1-year low of $25.79 and a 1-year high of $49.94.

United Fire Group (NASDAQ:UFCS - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The insurance provider reported $1.16 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.87 by $0.29. The firm had revenue of $369.44 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $340.16 million. United Fire Group had a net margin of 9.16% and a return on equity of 14.65%. Equities research analysts forecast that United Fire Group, Inc will post 4.69 EPS for the current year.

United Fire Group Announces Dividend




The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 19th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 5th will be issued a dividend of $0.20 per share. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 5th. United Fire Group's payout ratio is 16.13%.

United Fire Group declared that its board has authorized a stock repurchase plan on Wednesday, May 20th that permits the company to buyback 2,000,000 shares. This buyback authorization permits the insurance provider to repurchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are often an indication that the company's board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On United Fire Group

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in UFCS. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its stake in United Fire Group by 9.7% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 117,441 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $3,459,000 after purchasing an additional 10,346 shares during the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its stake in United Fire Group by 4.6% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 12,482 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $368,000 after purchasing an additional 546 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC boosted its stake in United Fire Group by 5.5% during the 1st quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 138,540 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $4,081,000 after purchasing an additional 7,234 shares during the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its stake in United Fire Group by 17.7% during the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 2,499 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $74,000 after purchasing an additional 375 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC boosted its stake in United Fire Group by 29.5% during the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 96,663 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $2,848,000 after purchasing an additional 21,999 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.68% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the stock. JonesTrading boosted their price target on shares of United Fire Group from $40.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Piper Sandler boosted their price target on shares of United Fire Group from $45.00 to $57.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of United Fire Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, May 9th. Zacks Research raised shares of United Fire Group from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 8th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b)" rating on shares of United Fire Group in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and three have given a Buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $51.00.

View Our Latest Report on United Fire Group

United Fire Group Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

United Fire Group, Inc (NASDAQ: UFCS) is an insurance holding company based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, that specializes in property and casualty coverage for commercial and personal lines. The company underwrites business through three primary segments: commercial, personal and specialty insurance. Within the commercial segment, United Fire Group offers tailored policies for small- and medium-sized enterprises, including general liability, commercial property and workers' compensation. Its personal lines cover homeowners, auto, farm and umbrella policies.

United Fire Group distributes its products primarily through a national network of independent insurance agents and brokers.

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