Direct Line Insurance Group plc (LON:DLG) Given Consensus Rating of “Hold” by Brokerages

Shares of Direct Line Insurance Group plc (LON:DLG) have been given a consensus rating of “Hold” by the five ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and two have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is GBX 217.25 ($2.91).

Several brokerages recently commented on DLG. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “buy” rating and set a GBX 240 ($3.21) price target on shares of Direct Line Insurance Group in a research report on Thursday, September 5th. Berenberg Bank reduced their price target on Direct Line Insurance Group from GBX 220 ($2.94) to GBX 215 ($2.88) and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, July 2nd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and issued a GBX 195 ($2.61) price objective on shares of Direct Line Insurance Group in a research report on Monday, June 24th.

Insider Transactions at Direct Line Insurance Group

In other news, insider Carol Hagh bought 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 4th. The shares were bought at an average price of GBX 195 ($2.61) per share, for a total transaction of £19,500 ($26,083.47). Over the last quarter, insiders have bought 10,161 shares of company stock worth $1,980,106. Company insiders own 0.85% of the company’s stock.

Direct Line Insurance Group Stock Up 0.5 %

LON:DLG opened at GBX 182.90 ($2.45) on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 20.04, a quick ratio of 0.28 and a current ratio of 0.57. The company has a market cap of £2.38 billion, a PE ratio of 795.22, a PEG ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 0.42. Direct Line Insurance Group has a 52-week low of GBX 149.50 ($2.00) and a 52-week high of GBX 240.10 ($3.21). The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of GBX 183.36 and a 200 day simple moving average of GBX 192.83.

Direct Line Insurance Group Cuts Dividend

The company also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 11th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, September 12th will be paid a dividend of GBX 2 ($0.03) per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 12th. This represents a dividend yield of 1.04%. Direct Line Insurance Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 2,608.70%.

About Direct Line Insurance Group

Direct Line Insurance Group plc engages in the provision of general insurance products and services in the United Kingdom. The company operates through Motor, Home, Rescue and Other Personal Lines, and Commercial segments. It offers motor, home, van, landlord, rescue, pet, tradesperson, business, creditor and select, and travel insurance products, as well as commercial insurance for small and medium-sized enterprises.