Zacks Research Issues Positive Outlook for RLI Earnings

RLI Corp. (NYSE:RLI) – Stock analysts at Zacks Research lifted their Q3 2026 earnings estimates for RLI in a research report issued on Wednesday, March 18th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the insurance provider will post earnings per share of $0.57 for the quarter, up from their previous forecast of $0.55. Zacks Research has a “Strong Sell” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for RLI’s current full-year earnings is $3.08 per share.

RLI (NYSE:RLI) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, January 21st. The insurance provider reported $0.94 earnings per share 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 firm had revenue of $465.69 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $447.53 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.41 EPS.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised RLI from a “moderate buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $59.00 price objective on shares of RLI and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Truist Financial set a $58.00 target price on shares of RLI in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Citizens Jmp reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of RLI in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group raised 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, January 23rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $65.20.

RLI Stock Down 0.1%

RLI opened at $58.03 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $5.33 billion, a PE ratio of 13.31 and a beta of 0.50. The business has a 50 day moving average of $60.34 and a 200-day moving average of $62.30. RLI has a 52 week low of $55.80 and a 52 week high of $81.79.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On RLI

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Wasatch Advisors LP bought a new position in RLI during the 2nd quarter valued at about $84,608,000. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of RLI in the fourth quarter worth approximately $66,997,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of RLI by 6,060.1% in the fourth quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 739,709 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $47,327,000 after acquiring an additional 727,701 shares during the period. Bank of Montreal Can raised its holdings in shares of RLI by 3,664.4% during the fourth quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 368,384 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $23,569,000 after purchasing an additional 358,598 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Two Sigma Investments LP raised its holdings in shares of RLI by 353.1% during the third quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 446,378 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $29,113,000 after purchasing an additional 347,858 shares during the last quarter. 77.89% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other RLI news, CEO Craig W. Kliethermes bought 5,000 shares of RLI stock in a transaction on Friday, January 23rd. The stock was acquired at an average price of $57.45 per share, with a total value of $287,250.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer owned 143,990 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,272,225.50. This trade represents a 3.60% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, COO Jennifer L. Klobnak purchased 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 23rd. The stock was acquired at an average price of $57.99 per share, with a total value of $115,980.00. Following the purchase, the chief operating officer directly 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 disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 2.16% of the company’s stock.

RLI Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 16th. Investors of record on Monday, March 2nd were given a dividend of $0.16 per share. This represents a $0.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 2nd. RLI’s dividend payout ratio is 14.68%.

About RLI

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.