Employers (NYSE:EIG) Stock Passes Above 200-Day Moving Average – Should You Sell?

Employers Holdings Inc (NYSE:EIG)’s stock price crossed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $42.42 and traded as high as $44.66. Employers shares last traded at $44.36, with a volume of 319,759 shares changing hands.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

EIG has been the subject of several analyst reports. Zacks Research raised shares of Employers from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 30th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Employers in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold”.

Employers Stock Down 0.1%

The company has a market capitalization of $995.80 million, a PE ratio of 31.63 and a beta of 0.58. The company’s 50 day moving average is $40.82 and its two-hundred day moving average is $42.36.

Employers (NYSE:EIG) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 30th. The financial services provider reported ($1.10) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.61 by ($1.71). Employers had a net margin of 6.91% and a return on equity of 3.38%. The firm had revenue of $239.30 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $216.60 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.81 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.8% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that Employers Holdings Inc will post 3.63 EPS for the current year.

Employers Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 26th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 12th were paid a $0.32 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, November 12th. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.9%. Employers’s payout ratio is presently 50.59%.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Michael Pedraja bought 5,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 4th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $37.09 per share, for a total transaction of $203,995.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 17,830 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $661,314.70. The trade was a 44.61% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 1.40% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Employers

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS boosted its holdings in Employers by 4.3% in the second quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 6,172 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $291,000 after purchasing an additional 257 shares during the last quarter. Aquatic Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Employers by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. Aquatic Capital Management LLC now owns 22,623 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $961,000 after buying an additional 277 shares during the last quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Employers by 133.5% in the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 635 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 363 shares during the period. Rhumbline Advisers boosted its stake in shares of Employers by 0.5% in the second quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 70,777 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $3,339,000 after buying an additional 371 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Meritage Portfolio Management grew its holdings in Employers by 4.2% during the second quarter. Meritage Portfolio Management now owns 9,334 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $440,000 after acquiring an additional 379 shares during the period. 80.49% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Employers Company Profile

Employers Holdings, Inc (NYSE: EIG) is a publicly traded property and casualty insurance holding company headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa. Through its subsidiaries, Employers Mutual Casualty Company and Employers Preferred Insurance Company, the firm specializes in providing workers’ compensation coverage alongside an array of commercial insurance products. Its service offerings include general liability, commercial auto, businessowners policies and umbrella coverages, tailored to meet the risk-management needs of small and mid-sized businesses across multiple industries.

The company markets its insurance solutions primarily through a network of independent agencies and brokers, leveraging local market expertise to underwrite policies that address the unique exposures faced by clients in manufacturing, construction, healthcare, retail and service sectors.