Radian Group (NYSE:RDN) Cut to Hold at Zacks Research

Radian Group (NYSE:RDN) was downgraded by investment analysts at Zacks Research from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report released on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

RDN has been the topic of several other research reports. UBS Group reduced their price target on shares of Radian Group from $41.00 to $39.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price target on Radian Group from $42.00 to $43.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Roth Mkm reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $45.00 price target on shares of Radian Group in a research note on Friday, January 2nd. Weiss Ratings lowered Radian Group from a “buy (a-)” rating to a “buy (b+)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, Barclays cut their price target on Radian Group from $40.00 to $37.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $40.20.

Radian Group Stock Up 0.4%

Shares of NYSE RDN opened at $35.38 on Monday. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $33.74 and its 200 day simple moving average is $34.28. The company has a market cap of $4.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 0.77. The company has a quick ratio of 3.40, a current ratio of 3.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23. Radian Group has a 12-month low of $29.32 and a 12-month high of $38.84.

Radian Group (NYSE:RDN) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The insurance provider reported $1.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.11 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $300.51 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $300.45 million. Radian Group had a net margin of 46.99% and a return on equity of 13.07%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.09 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Radian Group will post 4.72 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Edward J. Hoffman sold 13,009 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, April 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $35.00, for a total transaction of $455,315.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 138,708 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,854,780. This represents a 8.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 2.03% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Radian Group

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its stake in Radian Group by 178.9% in the third quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 742 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 476 shares during the period. Financial Consulate Inc. acquired a new position in Radian Group in the third quarter valued at about $29,000. Bessemer Group Inc. lifted its stake in Radian Group by 66.7% in the third quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 795 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 318 shares during the period. V Square Quantitative Management LLC acquired a new position in Radian Group in the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. lifted its stake in Radian Group by 191.3% in the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 871 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 572 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.33% of the company’s stock.

About Radian Group

Radian Group Inc (NYSE:RDN) is a leading provider of private mortgage insurance and related risk management solutions in the United States. Through its primary subsidiary, Radian Guaranty Inc, the company underwrites borrower-paid and lender-paid mortgage insurance that protects lenders and investors from potential losses arising from borrower defaults. Radian’s core business focuses on supporting residential mortgage originations and servicing by offering capital-efficient credit protection and credit risk transfer strategies.

Beyond mortgage insurance, Radian offers an array of real estate transaction services under its Radian Title division.