Simplicity Solutions LLC Grows Stock Position in Verisk Analytics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRSK)

Simplicity Solutions LLC lifted its stake in Verisk Analytics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRSK) by 29.3% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 4,320 shares of the business services provider’s stock after buying an additional 980 shares during the period. Simplicity Solutions LLC’s holdings in Verisk Analytics were worth $1,032,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of VRSK. CVA Family Office LLC purchased a new position in Verisk Analytics during the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Sunbelt Securities Inc. increased its holdings in Verisk Analytics by 67.5% during the 2nd quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 134 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares during the period. Quarry LP purchased a new position in Verisk Analytics during the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC increased its holdings in Verisk Analytics by 48.5% during the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 150 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 49 shares during the period. Finally, NewSquare Capital LLC purchased a new position in Verisk Analytics during the 3rd quarter valued at about $39,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.00% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have weighed in on VRSK shares. Evercore ISI reaffirmed an “in-line” rating and set a $250.00 price objective on shares of Verisk Analytics in a research report on Tuesday, March 26th. Bank of America cut Verisk Analytics from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and cut their price objective for the company from $270.00 to $260.00 in a research report on Monday, January 8th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Verisk Analytics presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $252.00.

Verisk Analytics Stock Performance

Shares of VRSK opened at $222.10 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.05, a current ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 8.85. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $236.86 and its 200-day moving average price is $237.46. Verisk Analytics, Inc. has a 52 week low of $187.86 and a 52 week high of $251.98. The stock has a market cap of $31.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 52.76, a P/E/G ratio of 2.77 and a beta of 0.78.

Verisk Analytics (NASDAQ:VRSK) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 21st. The business services provider reported $1.40 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.44 by ($0.04). Verisk Analytics had a return on equity of 305.15% and a net margin of 22.92%. The company had revenue of $677.20 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $673.56 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.43 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that Verisk Analytics, Inc. will post 6.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Verisk Analytics Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 29th. Investors of record on Friday, March 15th were given a $0.39 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 14th. This is a boost from Verisk Analytics’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.34. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.70%. Verisk Analytics’s dividend payout ratio is 37.05%.

Verisk Analytics announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase plan on Wednesday, February 21st that authorizes the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the business services provider to purchase up to 2.9% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are often an indication that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity at Verisk Analytics

In related news, insider Kathy Card Beckles sold 227 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $237.61, for a total value of $53,937.47. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 7,796 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,852,407.56. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related news, insider Nicholas Daffan sold 1,507 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $249.25, for a total value of $375,619.75. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 50,208 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,514,344. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Kathy Card Beckles sold 227 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $237.61, for a total value of $53,937.47. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 7,796 shares in the company, valued at $1,852,407.56. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 11,300 shares of company stock valued at $2,647,952. 0.40% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Verisk Analytics Profile

Verisk Analytics, Inc provides data analytics and technology solutions to the insurance markets in the United States and internationally. It offers policy language, prospective loss costs, policy writing and rating rules, and various underwriting solutions for risk selection and segmentation, pricing, and workflow optimization; property- and auto- specific rating and underwriting information solutions that allows clients to understand, quantify, underwrite, mitigate, and avoid potential loss for risks; catastrophe modeling solutions, which enables companies to identify, quantify, and plan for the financial consequences of catastrophes for use by insurers, reinsurers, intermediaries, financial institutions, and governments.