Old Republic International Co. (NYSE:ORI) Shares Sold by Handelsbanken Fonder AB

Handelsbanken Fonder AB trimmed its stake in Old Republic International Co. (NYSE:ORI) by 9.9% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 59,171 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 6,500 shares during the quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB’s holdings in Old Republic International were worth $2,141,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Allworth Financial LP boosted its holdings in Old Republic International by 161.9% in the 3rd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 728 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 450 shares during the period. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new position in Old Republic International in the third quarter worth $28,000. Core Alternative Capital bought a new position in Old Republic International in the fourth quarter worth about $36,000. Synergy Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Old Republic International during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Finally, Crews Bank & Trust bought a new position in Old Republic International during the 4th quarter worth $40,000. 70.92% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Old Republic International Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE ORI opened at $37.28 on Wednesday. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $35.97 and its 200 day simple moving average is $35.97. The company has a quick ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.17 and a beta of 0.88. Old Republic International Co. has a 52-week low of $28.59 and a 52-week high of $39.27.

Old Republic International (NYSE:ORI) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 23rd. The insurance provider reported $0.90 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.71 by $0.19. Old Republic International had a net margin of 10.36% and a return on equity of 20.32%. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Old Republic International Co. will post 3.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Old Republic International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a special dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 15th. Investors of record on Friday, January 3rd were issued a $2.00 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 3rd. Old Republic International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 40.30%.

Insider Activity

In related news, SVP Jeffrey Lange sold 1,098 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $36.56, for a total value of $40,142.88. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 34,679 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,267,864.24. This represents a 3.07 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, SVP Carolyn Monroe sold 9,188 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $36.35, for a total value of $333,983.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 33,556 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,219,760.60. The trade was a 21.50 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com cut Old Republic International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday.

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.