Verisk Analytics, Inc. $VRSK Stock: Grandfield & Dodd LLC Raises Stake

Grandfield & Dodd LLC lifted its stake in Verisk Analytics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRSK) by 2.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 154,328 shares of the business services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,188 shares during the quarter. Verisk Analytics accounts for approximately 1.4% of Grandfield & Dodd LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 22nd biggest position. Grandfield & Dodd LLC’s holdings in Verisk Analytics were worth $25,904,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of VRSK. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in shares of Verisk Analytics in the second quarter worth approximately $1,852,678,000. XXEC Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Verisk Analytics during the second quarter valued at approximately $992,675,000. Bamco Inc. NY purchased a new stake in shares of Verisk Analytics during the second quarter valued at approximately $844,259,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Verisk Analytics by 34.9% during the first quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,567,509 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $297,443,000 after acquiring an additional 405,824 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Jupiter Topco LLC purchased a new stake in Verisk Analytics during the 2nd quarter valued at $266,201,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.00% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Verisk Analytics news, CEO Lee Shavel sold 3,535 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $170.70, for a total value of $603,424.50. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 98,490 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $16,812,243. This represents a 3.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CFO Elizabeth Mann sold 400 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $184.85, for a total value of $73,940.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 17,584 shares in the company, valued at $3,250,402.40. The trade was a 2.22% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 11,805 shares of company stock valued at $2,203,266. 0.52% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Verisk Analytics Price Performance

NASDAQ VRSK opened at $196.30 on Friday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $181.56 and its 200-day moving average price is $186.81. The stock has a market capitalization of $25.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.15, a PEG ratio of 2.21 and a beta of 0.69. Verisk Analytics, Inc. has a 1-year low of $155.94 and a 1-year high of $227.16.

Verisk Analytics (NASDAQ:VRSK) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The business services provider reported $1.98 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.93 by $0.05. Verisk Analytics had a negative return on equity of 239.55% and a net margin of 28.24%. The company had revenue of $806.30 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $804.02 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.88 earnings per share. Verisk Analytics’s revenue was up 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that Verisk Analytics, Inc. will post 7.71 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Weiss Ratings upgraded Verisk Analytics from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 25th. UBS Group boosted their target price on Verisk Analytics from $220.00 to $235.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Verisk Analytics from $240.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on shares of Verisk Analytics from $235.00 to $215.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, October 13th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $247.00 price target on shares of Verisk Analytics in a report on Thursday, July 30th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Verisk Analytics presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $224.79.

About Verisk Analytics

Verisk Analytics, Inc (NASDAQ: VRSK), doing business as Verisk, is a global data analytics and technology company serving the insurance industry and other risk-focused markets. Its platforms help organizations use data, statistical models and workflow tools to evaluate risk, make decisions and improve operational efficiency.

Verisk’s insurance offerings support underwriting, pricing, claims management, fraud detection, catastrophe modeling and regulatory compliance. Its products include industry data, predictive analytics, property and casualty risk solutions, claims-estimating tools and information used by insurers to assess property, vehicles, businesses and other exposures.