Plato Investment Management Ltd Takes Position in Old Republic International Co. (NYSE:ORI)

Plato Investment Management Ltd bought a new position in shares of Old Republic International Co. (NYSE:ORI) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 9,965 shares of the insurance provider’s stock, valued at approximately $362,000.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Old Republic International during the 4th quarter worth about $34,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp increased its position in Old Republic International by 32.4% during the fourth quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 2,041 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $74,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares during the last quarter. Cobblestone Capital Advisors LLC NY raised its stake in Old Republic International by 9.3% during the fourth quarter. Cobblestone Capital Advisors LLC NY now owns 7,866 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $285,000 after purchasing an additional 671 shares during the period. A&I Financial Services LLC purchased a new position in Old Republic International during the fourth quarter worth approximately $497,000. Finally, QRG Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Old Republic International by 14.9% in the 4th quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 15,605 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $565,000 after purchasing an additional 2,029 shares during the last quarter. 70.92% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, StockNews.com downgraded Old Republic International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 25th.

Insider Activity at Old Republic International

In other news, SVP Carolyn Monroe sold 9,188 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $36.35, for a total value of $333,983.80. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 33,556 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,219,760.60. This trade represents a 21.50 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, SVP Jeffrey Lange sold 1,098 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $36.56, for a total value of $40,142.88. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 34,679 shares in the company, valued at $1,267,864.24. This trade represents a 3.07 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.00% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Old Republic International Stock Performance

NYSE ORI opened at $37.47 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 0.62 and a quick ratio of 0.28. Old Republic International Co. has a 1-year low of $28.59 and a 1-year high of $39.27. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.25 and a beta of 0.88. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $36.17 and its 200-day simple moving average is $36.13.

Old Republic International (NYSE:ORI) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 23rd. The insurance provider reported $0.90 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.71 by $0.19. Old Republic International had a net margin of 10.36% and a return on equity of 20.32%. Equities analysts predict that Old Republic International Co. will post 3.17 EPS for the current year.

Old Republic International Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 20th. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th will be given a dividend of $0.29 per share. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.10%. This is a boost from Old Republic International’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.27. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 10th. Old Republic International’s dividend payout ratio is 44.11%.

About Old Republic International

Old Republic International Corporation, through its subsidiaries, engages in the insurance underwriting and related services business primarily in the United States and Canada. It operates through three segments: General Insurance, Title Insurance, and Republic Financial Indemnity Group Run-off Business.