Securian Asset Management Inc. Trims Stock Position in Old Republic International Co. (NYSE:ORI)

Securian Asset Management Inc. reduced its stake in shares of Old Republic International Co. (NYSE:ORI) by 4.6% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 17,635 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 857 shares during the quarter. Securian Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Old Republic International were worth $638,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new position in Old Republic International during the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. Fairway Wealth LLC purchased a new position in Old Republic International during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in Old Republic International during the 4th quarter valued at $34,000. Core Alternative Capital purchased a new position in Old Republic International during the 4th quarter valued at $36,000. Finally, Synergy Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Old Republic International during the 4th quarter valued at $39,000. 70.92% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Old Republic International Stock Performance

Shares of ORI stock opened at $37.41 on Monday. Old Republic International Co. has a 12 month low of $28.59 and a 12 month high of $39.27. The stock has a market cap of $9.28 billion, a PE ratio of 14.22 and a beta of 0.83. The company has a current ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 0.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $36.33 and its 200-day moving average price is $36.24.

Old Republic International (NYSE:ORI) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, January 23rd. The insurance provider reported $0.90 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.71 by $0.19. Old Republic International had a net margin of 10.36% and a return on equity of 20.32%. On average, equities analysts expect that Old Republic International Co. will post 3.17 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Old Republic International Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 20th. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th will be paid a $0.29 dividend. This is a boost from Old Republic International’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.27. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 10th. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.10%. Old Republic International’s payout ratio is presently 44.11%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, StockNews.com cut shares of Old Republic International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 25th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, VP Thomas Dare sold 27,457 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $36.50, for a total value of $1,002,180.50. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 46,556 shares in the company, valued at $1,699,294. The trade was a 37.10 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, SVP Jeffrey Lange sold 1,098 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $36.56, for a total transaction of $40,142.88. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 34,679 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,267,864.24. The trade was a 3.07 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 43,039 shares of company stock worth $1,580,733 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.78% of the company’s stock.

Old Republic International Profile

Old Republic International Corporation, through its subsidiaries, engages in the insurance underwriting and related services business primarily in the United States and Canada. It operates through three segments: General Insurance, Title Insurance, and Republic Financial Indemnity Group Run-off Business.