Jennifer Klobnak Purchases 2,000 Shares of RLI (NYSE:RLI) Stock

RLI Corp. (NYSE:RLI) COO Jennifer Klobnak bought 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 23rd. The stock was bought at an average cost of $57.99 per share, for a total transaction of $115,980.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief operating officer directly owned 100,318 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,817,440.82. This represents a 2.03% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website.

RLI Price Performance

RLI opened at $56.97 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $5.23 billion, a PE ratio of 13.07 and a beta of 0.54. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $62.61 and a 200-day moving average price of $64.39. RLI Corp. 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 announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 21st. The insurance provider reported $0.94 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.76 by $0.18. The company had revenue of $465.69 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $447.53 million. RLI had a net margin of 21.43% and a return on equity of 18.67%. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.41 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that RLI Corp. will post 3.08 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

RLI Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 19th. Investors of record on Friday, November 28th were given a dividend of $0.16 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 28th. This represents a $0.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. RLI’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 14.68%.

Key Headlines Impacting RLI

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have commented on the company. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of RLI in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their price target on RLI from $85.00 to $81.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Truist Financial set a $58.00 price objective on RLI in a research report on Friday. Jefferies Financial Group raised RLI from an “underperform” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $52.00 target price for the company in a research report on Friday. Finally, Citizens Jmp restated a “market perform” rating on shares of RLI in a research note on Friday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $65.20.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On RLI

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Quent Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of RLI in the third quarter worth approximately $26,000. Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its position in RLI by 94.4% in the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 414 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 201 shares during the period. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd boosted its stake in shares of RLI by 7,300.0% during the 2nd quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 370 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 365 shares during the last quarter. Clarity Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of RLI during the 2nd quarter valued at $28,000. Finally, Chung Wu Investment Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of RLI in the 2nd quarter worth $29,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 77.89% of the company’s stock.

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.