United Fire Group (NASDAQ:UFCS) Upgraded at Wall Street Zen

United Fire Group (NASDAQ:UFCS) was upgraded by investment analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report released on Saturday.

Other equities analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. JonesTrading lifted their price target on shares of United Fire Group from $33.00 to $38.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 12th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of United Fire Group in a report on Monday, December 29th. Piper Sandler lifted their price objective on United Fire Group from $37.00 to $41.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded shares of United Fire Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $39.50.

United Fire Group Stock Performance

Shares of UFCS stock opened at $38.53 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $36.56 and its two-hundred day moving average is $33.84. United Fire Group has a fifty-two week low of $25.01 and a fifty-two week high of $40.63. The firm has a market cap of $982.90 million, a P/E ratio of 8.60 and a beta of 0.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a current ratio of 0.37 and a quick ratio of 0.37.

United Fire Group (NASDAQ:UFCS) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The insurance provider reported $1.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.90 by $0.60. The firm had revenue of $365.81 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $332.34 million. United Fire Group had a net margin of 8.52% and a return on equity of 14.19%. Analysts predict that United Fire Group will post 2.42 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in shares of United Fire Group by 2.4% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,511,541 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $54,945,000 after buying an additional 35,338 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its stake in United Fire Group by 0.7% in the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,477,639 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $53,712,000 after acquiring an additional 10,887 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its holdings in United Fire Group by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 809,086 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $29,410,000 after acquiring an additional 3,289 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in United Fire Group by 5.1% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 615,052 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $22,361,000 after acquiring an additional 29,679 shares during the period. Finally, Systematic Financial Management LP raised its position in shares of United Fire Group by 3.5% during the 2nd quarter. Systematic Financial Management LP now owns 603,747 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $17,328,000 after acquiring an additional 20,413 shares during the last quarter. 62.68% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About United Fire Group

United Fire Group, Inc (NASDAQ: UFCS) is an insurance holding company based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, that specializes in property and casualty coverage for commercial and personal lines. The company underwrites business through three primary segments: commercial, personal and specialty insurance. Within the commercial segment, United Fire Group offers tailored policies for small- and medium-sized enterprises, including general liability, commercial property and workers’ compensation. Its personal lines cover homeowners, auto, farm and umbrella policies.

United Fire Group distributes its products primarily through a national network of independent insurance agents and brokers.