Universal Insurance (NYSE:UVE) Stock Rating Raised to “Strong-Buy” at Zacks Research

Zacks Research upgraded shares of Universal Insurance (NYSE:UVE) from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report report published on Thursday morning,Zacks reports.

Several other research firms have also issued reports on UVE. Piper Sandler lifted their price objective on shares of Universal Insurance from $44.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Universal Insurance from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, October 3rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded Universal Insurance from a “buy (a-)” rating to a “buy (a+)” rating in a report on Thursday, October 8th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Universal Insurance has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $45.00.

Universal Insurance Stock Up 1.2%

Shares of Universal Insurance stock opened at $48.98 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $1.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.12 and a beta of 0.69. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $44.34 and a 200-day simple moving average of $41.07. Universal Insurance has a 52-week low of $28.32 and a 52-week high of $50.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a current ratio of 0.57 and a quick ratio of 0.57.

Universal Insurance (NYSE:UVE) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 22nd. The insurance provider reported $1.93 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.57 by $0.36. The firm had revenue of $444.31 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $601.67 million. Universal Insurance had a return on equity of 39.04% and a net margin of 13.94%. On average, equities research analysts expect that Universal Insurance will post 6.13 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Universal Insurance news, Chairman Sean Downes sold 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, September 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $43.98, for a total transaction of $879,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman owned 1,084,645 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $47,702,687.10. The trade was a 1.81% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 15.00% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Universal Insurance

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Signaturefd LLC raised its holdings in Universal Insurance by 83.7% in the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 599 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 273 shares in the last quarter. USA Financial Formulas acquired a new stake in shares of Universal Insurance during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $44,000. Parallel Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Universal Insurance by 4,847.3% during the 1st quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 2,721 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $93,000 after purchasing an additional 2,666 shares in the last quarter. Archer Investment Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Universal Insurance during the 1st quarter worth approximately $95,000. Finally, Root Financial Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Universal Insurance by 170,750.0% during the 1st quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 3,417 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $117,000 after purchasing an additional 3,415 shares in the last quarter. 66.61% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Universal Insurance News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Universal Insurance this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Significant earnings beat: UVE reported third-quarter adjusted earnings of $1.93 per share, up from $1.36 a year earlier and above analyst estimates. Zacks attributed the 41.9% earnings increase to stronger underwriting results, higher earned premiums and increased investment income. UVE Q3 Earnings Beat Estimates on Lower Losses & Premium Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Improved underwriting and growth: Management highlighted lower losses, premium growth and an 8% increase in policies in force. The company said it remains focused on organic growth, supporting expectations for continued expansion in its insurance portfolio. Universal signals organic growth focus
• Positive Sentiment: Catastrophe exposure viewed as manageable: Universal characterized the impact from Hurricane Isaias as manageable, reducing concern that catastrophe losses would materially weaken quarterly results or near-term profitability. Universal Insurance Q3 2026 earnings call transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst-screening support: UVE was added to multiple Zacks Rank #1 lists covering momentum, value, income and overall “Strong Buy” stocks. These designations may improve investor attention, but they are not changes to company guidance or analyst price targets. Best Momentum Stock to Buy

Universal Insurance Company Profile

Universal Insurance Holdings, Inc (NYSE: UVE) is an insurance holding company that provides property and casualty insurance through its subsidiaries. Its primary business is personal residential insurance, with products designed to protect homeowners and other residential property owners against risks such as wind, fire, theft and other covered losses.

The company’s offerings include homeowners, condominium unit owners, renters and dwelling fire insurance, along with related residential property coverage.