Key Points
- Insider Seth Alan Hoxworth bought 5,376 Citizens shares at an average $3.83 per share, investing $20,590 and increasing his holdings by 92.4% to 11,194 shares.
- Citizens’ latest quarterly results missed expectations, with EPS of $0.01 versus $0.07 forecast and revenue of $61.9 million versus $63.85 million expected. Analysts subsequently lowered earnings estimates, while the stock carries a consensus “Hold” rating.
- Despite recent insider and institutional buying, increased put-option activity and weaker profitability forecasts suggest continued investor caution. CIA opened at $3.92, well below its 50-day and 200-day moving averages of $5.28 and $5.32.
Citizens, Inc. (NYSE:CIA - Get Free Report) insider Seth Alan Hoxworth bought 5,376 shares of Citizens stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 11th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $3.83 per share, for a total transaction of $20,590.08. Following the purchase, the insider owned 11,194 shares of the company's stock, valued at $42,873.02. The trade was a 92.40% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website.
Citizens Stock Up 0.1%
NYSE CIA opened at $3.92 on Friday. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $5.28 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $5.32. Citizens, Inc. has a twelve month low of $3.56 and a twelve month high of $6.54. The company has a market capitalization of $197.43 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.69 and a beta of 0.48.
Citizens (NYSE:CIA - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 6th. The insurance provider reported $0.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.07 by ($0.06). The firm had revenue of $61.90 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $63.85 million. Citizens had a return on equity of 4.73% and a net margin of 4.55%. On average, equities analysts expect that Citizens, Inc. will post 0.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Key Stories Impacting Citizens
Here are the key news stories impacting Citizens this week:
- Positive Sentiment: CEO Jon Stenberg purchased 12,000 shares at an average price of $3.65, investing $43,800 and increasing his direct ownership by 3.18%. The purchase may signal that management believes Citizens is undervalued. CEO Jon Stenberg share purchase
- Positive Sentiment: Insider Seth Alan Hoxworth acquired 5,376 shares at an average price of $3.83, a total investment of approximately $20,590. The transaction increased his position by 92.4%, providing another indication of insider confidence. Seth Alan Hoxworth SEC filing
- Neutral Sentiment: Institutional ownership is approximately 13.73%. Several investment firms increased their positions recently, including Goldman Sachs, Jane Street and Geode Capital Management, although the filings do not necessarily reflect current trading decisions.
- Negative Sentiment: Sidoti sharply cut its EPS forecasts for Citizens. FY2026 estimates fell to $0.12 from $0.31, while FY2027 estimates declined to $0.21 from $0.35. The reductions suggest analysts expect weaker profitability over the next several years. Sidoti Citizens earnings outlook
- Negative Sentiment: Investors bought about 3,000 CIA put options, roughly 126% above average daily put volume. The activity may reflect increased hedging or bearish speculation, though options flow alone is not conclusive.
- Negative Sentiment: The company’s latest quarterly results were already disappointing: EPS was $0.01 versus a $0.07 consensus estimate, and revenue of $61.9 million missed expectations of $63.85 million. The earnings miss, lowered forecasts and a recent downgrade to a weaker “Hold” assessment are likely weighing more heavily on the stock than the insider purchases.
Institutional Trading of Citizens
Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CIA. Bank of America Corp DE grew its stake in shares of Citizens by 15.7% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 42,405 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $213,000 after buying an additional 5,746 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its stake in shares of Citizens by 8.3% in the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 238,487 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $1,200,000 after acquiring an additional 18,244 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. boosted its holdings in Citizens by 28.5% during the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 39,301 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $190,000 after acquiring an additional 8,721 shares during the period. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Citizens by 4.9% during the 4th quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC now owns 473,232 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $2,286,000 after acquiring an additional 21,963 shares during the period. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its position in Citizens by 6.7% during the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 70,353 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $340,000 after acquiring an additional 4,420 shares during the last quarter. 13.73% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
Separately, Weiss Ratings cut shares of Citizens from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research report on Friday, August 7th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold".
Read Our Latest Stock Report on Citizens
About Citizens
(
Get Free Report)
Citizens, Inc (NYSE:CIA) is a bank holding company headquartered in Conway, Arkansas. Through its wholly owned subsidiary, Citizens Bank of Northern Arkansas, the company provides commercial and consumer banking services to individuals, small businesses and corporate clients across Northern and Central Arkansas.
Citizens offers a range of deposit products, including checking accounts, savings accounts and certificates of deposit, alongside lending solutions such as residential mortgages, commercial real estate loans and consumer installment loans.
Further Reading
This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from InsiderTrades.com in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected].