Zacks Research Comments on RLI’s Q4 Earnings (NYSE:RLI)

RLI Corp. (NYSE:RLI) – Stock analysts at Zacks Research cut their Q4 2026 earnings estimates for RLI in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, February 11th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the insurance provider will post earnings of $0.66 per share for the quarter, down from their prior estimate of $0.74. 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. Zacks Research also issued estimates for RLI’s Q3 2027 earnings at $0.61 EPS and Q4 2027 earnings at $0.60 EPS.

Several other analysts have also weighed in on the company. Jefferies Financial Group raised RLI from an “underperform” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $52.00 target price on the stock in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Truist Financial set a $58.00 price objective on shares of RLI in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their target price on RLI from $85.00 to $81.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Citizens Jmp reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of RLI in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company set a $59.00 price objective on RLI and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, RLI has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $65.20.

RLI Stock Performance

NYSE RLI opened at $61.58 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $61.69 and a 200 day moving average price of $63.44. The company has a market capitalization of $5.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.12 and a beta of 0.53. RLI has a 1-year low of $55.80 and a 1-year high of $81.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05, a current ratio of 0.32 and a quick ratio of 0.35.

RLI (NYSE:RLI) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 21st. The insurance provider reported $0.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.76 by $0.18. The company had revenue of $465.69 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $447.53 million. RLI had a net margin of 21.43% and a return on equity of 18.67%. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.41 EPS.

Insider Activity

In other RLI news, COO Jennifer L. Klobnak purchased 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 23rd. The shares were purchased at an average price of $57.99 per share, for a total transaction of $115,980.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief operating officer owned 100,318 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,817,440.82. This represents a 2.03% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Craig W. Kliethermes acquired 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 23rd. The shares were acquired at an average price of $57.45 per share, with a total value of $287,250.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer owned 143,990 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,272,225.50. This trade represents a 3.60% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 2.16% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of RLI

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of RLI by 3.4% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 9,448,929 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $604,542,000 after purchasing an additional 310,857 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in RLI by 1.4% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 8,875,002 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $567,823,000 after acquiring an additional 124,687 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of RLI by 3.2% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,191,891 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $140,260,000 after purchasing an additional 67,025 shares in the last quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP boosted its stake in shares of RLI by 65.3% in the fourth quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 1,938,186 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $124,005,000 after purchasing an additional 765,344 shares during the period. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its stake in shares of RLI by 6.3% in the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,899,524 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $121,536,000 after purchasing an additional 112,541 shares during the period. 77.89% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More RLI News

Here are the key news stories impacting RLI this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised its Q3 2027 EPS estimate slightly to $0.61 from $0.59, a modest upward revision that could be read as a small near-term improvement in earnings visibility for RLI. Note the firm still carries a “Strong Sell” rating, limiting the upside impact.
• Neutral Sentiment: FPA Queens Road Small Cap Value Fund published commentary on RLI, signaling investor interest from a small‑cap/value manager. The piece draws attention to the name but does not present a clear short‑term catalyst or recommendation that should materially move consensus by itself. FPA Queens Road Small Cap Value Fund’s Thoughts on RLI Corp. (RLI)
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research issued a series of downward EPS revisions across 2026–2028 and reiterated a “Strong Sell” stance. Highlights: Q4 2027 cut from $0.85 to $0.60; Q4 2026 from $0.74 to $0.66; Q2 2027 from $0.73 to $0.69; Q3 2026 from $0.58 to $0.55; Q2 2026 from $0.78 to $0.74; Q1 2026 from $0.85 to $0.81. They also trimmed FY2026 to $2.76 (from $2.94) and FY2027 to $2.70 (from $2.96), and set FY2028 at $2.51. These multiple cuts and the negative rating create downside pressure by lowering earnings expectations and signaling caution to investors.

RLI Company Profile

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.