Verisk Analytics (NASDAQ:VRSK) had its price target raised by investment analysts at Morgan Stanley from $91.00 to $106.00 in a research report issued on Wednesday. The brokerage presently has an “equal weight” rating on the business services provider’s stock. Morgan Stanley’s price objective would suggest a potential upside of 6.16% from the stock’s previous close.
A number of other brokerages have also recently weighed in on VRSK. BidaskClub raised shares of Verisk Analytics from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 23rd. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price target on shares of Verisk Analytics to $100.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Friday, January 19th. They noted that the move was a valuation call. Zacks Investment Research lowered shares of Verisk Analytics from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, January 13th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods set a $101.00 price objective on shares of Verisk Analytics and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, December 1st. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald restated a “buy” rating and issued a $108.00 price objective on shares of Verisk Analytics in a research note on Friday, December 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company. The stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $94.50.
Verisk Analytics (NASDAQ VRSK) traded up $0.73 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $99.85. 156,588 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 780,451. The stock has a market cap of $16,180.98, a PE ratio of 36.68, a P/E/G ratio of 2.54 and a beta of 0.80. Verisk Analytics has a 1-year low of $75.60 and a 1-year high of $99.96. The company has a current ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36.
In other news, CEO Scott G. Stephenson purchased 22,200 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 6th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $91.16 per share, for a total transaction of $2,023,752.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer now directly owns 577,441 shares in the company, valued at approximately $52,639,521.56. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Frank J. Coyne sold 64,420 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $90.44, for a total transaction of $5,826,144.80. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 58,998 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,335,779.12. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have bought 22,978 shares of company stock worth $2,098,817 and have sold 108,446 shares worth $9,961,333. Insiders own 3.41% of the company’s stock.
A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VRSK. Advisory Services Network LLC boosted its holdings in Verisk Analytics by 300.5% during the second quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC now owns 1,690 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $143,000 after buying an additional 1,268 shares in the last quarter. Perigon Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Verisk Analytics by 61.2% in the second quarter. Perigon Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,763 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $149,000 after purchasing an additional 669 shares in the last quarter. BB&T Investment Services Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Verisk Analytics in the second quarter valued at about $153,000. Bank of Nova Scotia Trust Co. purchased a new stake in shares of Verisk Analytics in the third quarter valued at about $164,000. Finally, Gotham Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Verisk Analytics by 1.7% in the second quarter. Gotham Asset Management LLC now owns 2,702 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $228,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. 92.66% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
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About Verisk Analytics
Verisk Analytics, Inc is a data analytics provider serving customers in insurance, natural resources and financial services. The Company operates through two segments: Risk Assessment and Decision Analytics. Its Risk Assessment segment serves its property and casualty insurance customers and focuses on prediction of loss, selection and pricing of risk, and compliance with their reporting requirements in each United States state in which they operate.
