RLI (NYSE:RLI) Posts Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.10 EPS

RLI (NYSE:RLI) issued its earnings results on Wednesday. The insurance provider reported $0.83 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.10, FiscalAI reports. The business had revenue of $423.87 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $564.47 million. RLI had a net margin of 21.43% and a return on equity of 18.67%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 4.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.92 earnings per share.

RLI Stock Performance

RLI stock traded down $0.99 during trading on Thursday, reaching $56.12. 86,468 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 745,841. The company has a market cap of $5.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.87 and a beta of 0.52. RLI has a 52-week low of $55.80 and a 52-week high of $78.25. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $59.64 and its 200 day moving average price is $61.10.

RLI Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 16th. Investors of record on Monday, March 2nd were issued a dividend of $0.16 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 2nd. This represents a $0.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. RLI’s payout ratio is currently 14.68%.

Insider Transactions at RLI

In related news, COO Jennifer L. Klobnak acquired 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 23rd. The shares were purchased at an average price of $57.99 per share, with a total value of $115,980.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief operating officer owned 100,318 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,817,440.82. This represents a 2.03% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Craig W. Kliethermes acquired 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 23rd. The shares were bought at an average cost of $57.45 per share, for a total transaction of $287,250.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer owned 143,990 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,272,225.50. This represents a 3.60% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. 2.39% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On RLI

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Alberta Investment Management Corp acquired a new position in RLI during the fourth quarter worth about $1,472,000. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV raised its position in RLI by 63.8% during the fourth quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 9,419 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $603,000 after acquiring an additional 3,670 shares during the last quarter. Strong Retirement Solutions LLC acquired a new position in RLI during the fourth quarter worth about $322,000. Empowered Funds LLC raised its position in RLI by 2.0% during the fourth quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 42,335 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $2,709,000 after acquiring an additional 819 shares during the last quarter. Finally, nVerses Capital LLC acquired a new position in RLI during the fourth quarter worth about $244,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.89% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting RLI

Here are the key news stories impacting RLI this week:

• Positive Sentiment: RLI reported a strong underwriting result and an attractive combined ratio of 86 for Q1, which management highlighted as evidence of disciplined underwriting and profitable growth. RLI Reports First Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly EPS was $0.83; some outlets and summaries frame that as beating certain consensus figures and note healthy net margin (21.43%) and ROE (18.67%), which support RLI’s profitability profile. Press Release / Financials
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst pieces are focused on whether RLI can sustain its profit streak amid specialty-insurance sector volatility — this is more thematic and may affect sentiment rather than immediate fundamentals. RLI earnings in focus
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue for Q1 was reported at ~$423.9M, materially below some analyst estimates cited (~$564.5M), a sizeable top-line miss that can weigh on multiple and near-term growth expectations. RLI Reports Sales Below Analyst Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Some analyst services (Zacks) flagged that Q1 earnings missed their consensus (Zacks: $0.83 vs $0.85 estimate), and year-over-year EPS declined from $0.92 to $0.83 — a mixed earnings signal that may prompt downgrades or cautious guidance. RLI Q1 Earnings Lag Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Sector risk discussion and calls to “reassess” RLI in some coverage add sentiment risk; combined with the stock trading below its 50- and 200-day SMAs, this raises the chance of further near-term downside before fundamentals reassert. Is It Time To Reassess RLI?

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

RLI has been the topic of several analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of RLI from $59.00 to $55.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised shares of RLI from a “moderate buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of 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. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of RLI in a report on Thursday, April 2nd. Finally, Truist Financial set a $58.00 target price on shares of RLI in a report on Friday, January 23rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $64.40.

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.