Radian Group Inc. (NYSE:RDN) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of Radian Group Inc. (NYSE:RDN) have earned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the eight research firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $42.6667.

RDN has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price objective on Radian Group from $42.00 to $43.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, April 10th. Zacks Research downgraded Radian Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, April 20th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Radian Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday. Barclays lifted their price objective on Radian Group from $37.00 to $39.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, UBS Group decreased their price objective on Radian Group from $41.00 to $39.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 12th.

Radian Group Stock Up 2.0%

Shares of RDN opened at $34.24 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $4.55 billion, a PE ratio of 8.43, a P/E/G ratio of 0.84 and a beta of 0.73. The business has a fifty day moving average of $35.30 and a 200 day moving average of $34.67. Radian Group has a 52-week low of $31.50 and a 52-week high of $38.84. The company has a quick ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 0.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16.

Radian Group (NYSE:RDN) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The insurance provider reported $1.27 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.17 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $466.34 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $377.83 million. Radian Group had a return on equity of 13.57% and a net margin of 40.50%.Radian Group’s revenue was up 46.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.99 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Radian Group will post 5.17 EPS for the current year.

Radian Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 17th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 2nd will be issued a $0.255 dividend. This represents a $1.02 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 2nd. Radian Group’s payout ratio is presently 25.12%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Noel Joseph Spiegel sold 4,834 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $36.19, for a total transaction of $174,942.46. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 20,008 shares in the company, valued at $724,089.52. This represents a 19.46% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Margaret Anne Leyden sold 2,070 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, May 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $34.59, for a total value of $71,601.30. Following the sale, the director owned 6,864 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $237,425.76. This trade represents a 23.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders sold a total of 75,516 shares of company stock worth $2,747,576 over the last ninety days. 2.03% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of RDN. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its stake in shares of Radian Group by 178.9% during the 3rd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 742 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 476 shares in the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Radian Group by 66.7% during the 3rd quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 795 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 318 shares in the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Radian Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Radian Group by 191.3% during the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 871 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 572 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp raised its stake in shares of Radian Group by 65.8% during the 4th quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 907 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 360 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors 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.