White Mountains Insurance Group, Ltd. (NYSE:WTM) Sees Significant Decrease in Short Interest

White Mountains Insurance Group, Ltd. (NYSE:WTM) was the recipient of a large decrease in short interest during the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totaling 64,771 shares, a decrease of 25.6% from the December 15th total of 87,076 shares. Approximately 2.6% of the company’s stock are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 18,242 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3.6 days. Based on an average daily volume of 18,242 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3.6 days. Approximately 2.6% of the company’s stock are short sold.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Philip A. Gelston sold 165 shares of White Mountains Insurance Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $2,048.51, for a total value of $338,004.15. Following the transaction, the director owned 1,568 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,212,063.68. The trade was a 9.52% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 3.20% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WTM. Fifth Third Bancorp increased its stake in shares of White Mountains Insurance Group by 183.3% during the second quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 17 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC boosted its holdings in White Mountains Insurance Group by 7.1% in the 3rd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 31,698 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $52,318,000 after buying an additional 2,113 shares during the last quarter. Voya Investment Management LLC increased its stake in White Mountains Insurance Group by 5.9% during the 1st quarter. Voya Investment Management LLC now owns 524 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $1,009,000 after buying an additional 29 shares in the last quarter. Regency Capital Management Inc. DE purchased a new stake in White Mountains Insurance Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $1,356,000. Finally, Janney Montgomery Scott LLC raised its holdings in shares of White Mountains Insurance Group by 8.0% during the second quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 446 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $801,000 after acquiring an additional 33 shares during the last quarter. 88.65% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of White Mountains Insurance Group in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold”.

White Mountains Insurance Group Stock Performance

White Mountains Insurance Group stock traded down $3.91 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $2,058.01. 17,342 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 15,819. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $2,023.49 and its 200-day moving average price is $1,887.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14, a current ratio of 0.75 and a quick ratio of 0.75. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.87 and a beta of 0.35. White Mountains Insurance Group has a 1 year low of $1,648.00 and a 1 year high of $2,143.25.

White Mountains Insurance Group (NYSE:WTM) last released its earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The insurance provider reported $72.21 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $57.00 by $15.21. White Mountains Insurance Group had a return on equity of 7.19% and a net margin of 5.63%.The firm had revenue of $864.20 million during the quarter.

About White Mountains Insurance Group

White Mountains Insurance Group, Ltd. is a Bermuda-based diversified insurance and financial services holding company organized in 1985 and headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda. The company operates through a portfolio of insurance, reinsurance and specialty finance businesses, offering a blend of underwriting expertise and investment management to institutional clients worldwide. As a publicly traded entity on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: WTM), White Mountains seeks to generate long-term shareholder value by combining disciplined capital management with strategic acquisitions and organic growth initiatives.

Through its principal operating subsidiaries—most notably Sirius International Insurance Group, Ltd.