United Fire Group (NASDAQ:UFCS) Reaches New 1-Year High – Still a Buy?

United Fire Group, Inc (NASDAQ:UFCSGet Free Report)’s share price hit a new 52-week high during trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $53.29 and last traded at $52.0950, with a volume of 628030 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $52.55.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. JonesTrading increased their price target on United Fire Group from $40.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of United Fire Group in a research note on Wednesday, May 13th. Zacks Research upgraded United Fire Group from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 8th. Wall Street Zen raised United Fire Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. Finally, Piper Sandler raised their target price on United Fire Group from $45.00 to $57.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and three have given a Buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, United Fire Group currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $51.00.

Get Our Latest Stock Report on United Fire Group

United Fire Group Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of $1.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.56 and a beta of 0.52. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $45.57 and its 200-day moving average is $40.05. The company has a quick ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 0.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15.

United Fire Group (NASDAQ:UFCSGet Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The insurance provider reported $1.16 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.87 by $0.29. The firm had revenue of $369.44 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $340.15 million. United Fire Group had a net margin of 9.16% and a return on equity of 14.65%. On average, analysts forecast that United Fire Group, Inc will post 4.69 EPS for the current year.

United Fire Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 19th. Investors of record on Friday, June 5th were given a $0.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, June 5th. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.5%. United Fire Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 16.13%.

United Fire Group announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock buyback program on Wednesday, May 20th that allows the company to buyback 2,000,000 outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the insurance provider to buy shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are often a sign that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other United Fire Group news, Director George D. Milligan bought 4,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, June 5th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $45.23 per share, with a total value of $203,535.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 90,034 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,072,237.82. The trade was a 5.26% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 6.06% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On United Fire Group

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its position in shares of United Fire Group by 129.4% in the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 686 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 387 shares during the period. Basepoint Wealth LLC bought a new position in United Fire Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Federated Hermes Inc. lifted its stake in United Fire Group by 109.5% in the fourth quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 1,190 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $43,000 after buying an additional 622 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of United Fire Group by 812.8% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,570 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $45,000 after buying an additional 1,398 shares during the period. Finally, Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new position in shares of United Fire Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $48,000. Institutional investors own 62.68% of the company’s stock.

United Fire Group Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

United Fire Group, Inc (NASDAQ: UFCS) is an insurance holding company based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, that specializes in property and casualty coverage for commercial and personal lines. The company underwrites business through three primary segments: commercial, personal and specialty insurance. Within the commercial segment, United Fire Group offers tailored policies for small- and medium-sized enterprises, including general liability, commercial property and workers’ compensation. Its personal lines cover homeowners, auto, farm and umbrella policies.

United Fire Group distributes its products primarily through a national network of independent insurance agents and brokers.

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