Analysts Set Expectations for RLI’s Q3 Earnings (NYSE:RLI)

RLI Corp. (NYSE:RLI) – Equities researchers at Zacks Research lowered their Q3 2026 earnings estimates for shares of RLI in a research note issued on Tuesday, August 11th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the insurance provider will earn $0.51 per share for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of $0.53. The consensus estimate for RLI’s current full-year earnings is $2.85 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for RLI’s Q4 2026 earnings at $0.67 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $2.84 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $0.67 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $0.70 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $0.52 EPS, Q2 2028 earnings at $0.79 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $2.73 EPS.

RLI has been the subject of a number of other reports. Weiss Ratings raised RLI from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods restated an “outperform” rating and set a $74.00 price target (up from $70.00) on shares of RLI in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. Wells Fargo & Company downgraded RLI from an “equal weight” rating to an “underweight” rating and set a $57.00 price objective for the company. in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. UBS Group set a $74.00 price objective on shares of RLI in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of RLI from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, August 1st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $63.00.

RLI Stock Up 0.7%

Shares of NYSE:RLI opened at $64.03 on Wednesday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $58.67 and its 200 day moving average is $57.67. The stock has a market cap of $5.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.45 and a beta of 0.38. RLI has a 52-week low of $47.26 and a 52-week high of $69.19.

RLI (NYSE:RLI) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The insurance provider reported $0.83 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.72 by $0.11. The firm had revenue of $575.57 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $568.70 million. RLI had a net margin of 22.22% and a return on equity of 17.61%. The company’s revenue was up 15.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.82 earnings per share.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On RLI

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of RLI by 94.4% during the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 414 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 201 shares during the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its position in RLI by 156.4% during the third quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 464 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 283 shares during the last quarter. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in RLI during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $43,000. IFP Advisors Inc boosted its stake in RLI by 85.9% in the fourth quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 684 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $44,000 after acquiring an additional 316 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Advisory Services Network LLC purchased a new position in RLI in the third quarter worth $47,000. 77.89% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, COO Jennifer L. Klobnak purchased 2,000 shares of RLI stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 27th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $52.72 per share, with a total value of $105,440.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 104,318 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,499,644.96. The trade was a 1.95% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director David B. Duclos acquired 2,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 28th. The shares were bought at an average price of $51.99 per share, with a total value of $129,975.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 9,780 shares in the company, valued at $508,462.20. The trade was a 34.34% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders acquired a total of 16,500 shares of company stock worth $858,955 over the last quarter. Insiders own 2.39% of the company’s stock.

RLI Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 12th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 29th were issued a dividend of $0.18 per share. This is an increase from RLI’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.16. This represents a $0.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 29th. RLI’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 15.13%.

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.