RLI’s (RLI) Market Perform Rating Reaffirmed at Citizens Jmp

Citizens Jmp restated their market perform rating on shares of RLI (NYSE:RLI) in a research note issued to investors on Friday morning,Benzinga reports.

Other analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. Truist Financial set a $62.00 price objective on shares of RLI and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, October 3rd. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of RLI in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of RLI from an “underperform” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $52.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Friday. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their price objective on RLI from $85.00 to $81.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company set a $59.00 target price on RLI and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $65.20.

RLI Stock Performance

RLI opened at $56.97 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $5.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.07 and a beta of 0.54. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $62.61 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $64.44. RLI has a 1 year low of $55.80 and a 1 year high of $81.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05, a current ratio of 0.32 and a quick ratio of 0.35.

RLI (NYSE:RLI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 21st. The insurance provider reported $0.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.76 by $0.18. RLI had a return on equity of 18.67% and a net margin of 21.43%.The business had revenue of $465.69 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $447.53 million. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.41 earnings per share. Equities analysts expect that RLI will post 3.08 EPS for the current fiscal year.

RLI Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 19th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 28th were issued a $0.16 dividend. This represents a $0.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 28th. RLI’s dividend payout ratio is presently 14.68%.

Insider Activity

In other RLI news, CEO Craig W. Kliethermes acquired 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 23rd. The shares were purchased at an average price of $57.45 per share, for a total transaction of $287,250.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer directly owned 143,990 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,272,225.50. This represents a 3.60% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, COO Jennifer L. Klobnak acquired 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 23rd. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $57.99 per share, with a total value of $115,980.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 100,318 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,817,440.82. The trade was a 2.03% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Company insiders own 2.16% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in RLI. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its holdings in RLI by 115.1% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 56,386 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $4,529,000 after purchasing an additional 30,170 shares during the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its position in shares of RLI by 110.8% in the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 185,504 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $14,902,000 after purchasing an additional 97,501 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its stake in shares of RLI by 472.3% during the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 29,177 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $2,344,000 after buying an additional 24,079 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of RLI during the 2nd quarter worth about $221,000. Finally, Signaturefd LLC grew its stake in RLI by 16.0% in the 2nd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 1,240 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $90,000 after buying an additional 171 shares during the last quarter. 77.89% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

RLI News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting RLI this week:

• Positive Sentiment: RLI reported Q4 results that beat estimates (EPS $0.94 vs. ~$0.76 consensus) and topped revenue expectations; management cited solid investment income and expense control, supporting near-term earnings. Earnings Press Release / Transcript
• Positive Sentiment: Underwriting results were strong: underwriting income rose to about $71M for Q4 and the combined ratio was in the low-80s (~82.6–83%), indicating profitable core insurance operations that can support underwriting margins. Underwriting Income Article
• Positive Sentiment: RLI trimmed its catastrophe reinsurance purchases by $150M at the January renewal — management is taking advantage of cheaper reinsurance pricing to lower reinsurance expense and retain more premium, which could boost margins if managed carefully. Reinsurance Renewal Article
• Positive Sentiment: Management highlights disciplined underwriting and substantial book-value growth (~33%), signaling capital strength and a focus on profitable growth rather than top-line share grabbing in a competitive market. Business Strategy / Book Value Article
• Positive Sentiment: Jefferies moved RLI from Underperform to Hold on valuation grounds — a modestly supportive analyst action that reduces near-term downside from that firm’s prior view. Jefferies Upgrade
• Neutral Sentiment: Citizens JMP reaffirmed a market‑perform / MP rating — neutral wording from another shop keeps analyst consensus cautious. Analyst Reaffirmation
• Neutral Sentiment: Full earnings-call transcript is available for detail on reserves, reinsurance strategy and segment performance for investors who want to dig into management commentary. Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts (William Blair noted via TipRanks) keep a Hold stance, pointing to slowing premium growth and rising loss costs — key headwinds that could dent future underwriting leverage and justify a cautious view. Analyst Note on Growth & Loss Trends

RLI Company Profile

RLI Corporation (NYSE:RLI) is a specialty property and casualty insurance company focused on underwriting niche risks for businesses and individuals. Headquartered in Peoria, Illinois, the company operates through a network of independent agents and brokers, offering customized coverage solutions. RLI’s approach emphasizes disciplined underwriting, targeted product development and strong customer service to maintain profitability and long-term growth.

Founded in 1965 as Replacement Lens, Inc, RLI initially provided insurance for contact lens manufacturers before shifting its focus to specialty insurance in the 1980s.