Progressive (NYSE:PGR) Stock Rating Lowered by Zacks Research

Progressive (NYSE:PGR) was downgraded by investment analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report released on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other research firms have also recently commented on PGR. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Progressive in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Barclays raised shares of Progressive from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their target price for the stock from $257.00 to $265.00 in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Progressive in a research report on Monday, December 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $227.00 target price on shares of Progressive in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price target on shares of Progressive from $250.00 to $252.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $259.39.

Progressive Stock Up 2.0%

Shares of Progressive stock traded up $4.16 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $212.24. 1,930,786 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,705,162. Progressive has a 52 week low of $198.50 and a 52 week high of $292.99. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $220.53 and its 200 day simple moving average is $231.47. The company has a market cap of $124.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 0.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 0.29 and a current ratio of 0.29.

Insider Buying and Selling at Progressive

In other Progressive news, insider Andrew J. Quigg sold 1,649 shares of Progressive stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $204.35, for a total value of $336,973.15. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 39,626 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,097,573.10. The trade was a 4.00% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CFO John P. Sauerland sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $228.48, for a total value of $1,142,400.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 223,024 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $50,956,523.52. This trade represents a 2.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 13,788 shares of company stock valued at $3,018,961 over the last ninety days. 0.33% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of PGR. Davis Capital Management bought a new stake in shares of Progressive in the third quarter valued at about $25,000. Dagco Inc. bought a new position in shares of Progressive during the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. Ameriflex Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Progressive by 106.6% in the third quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 126 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp bought a new stake in shares of Progressive in the second quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Finally, Westside Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in Progressive by 900.0% during the 2nd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 130 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 117 shares during the period. 85.34% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Progressive News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Progressive this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results topped expectations — Progressive reported quarterly EPS and revenue above consensus, with management citing higher premiums and improved underwriting margins, which supports near-term earnings visibility. Zacks: Q4 Earnings and Revenues Top Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly profit rose significantly year-over-year, reinforcing the earnings beat and suggesting continued operating leverage in the auto/home insurance portfolio. Reuters: Quarterly profit jumps
• Neutral Sentiment: Company announced a planned CFO retirement effective July 3, 2026, and named Chief Strategy Officer Andrew Quigg as the expected successor; management says a phased handover will ensure continuity. This reduces surprise but still introduces an execution/transition watch item. GlobeNewswire: CFO Transition
• Neutral Sentiment: Official month/quarter December results release provides additional detail on premiums, loss trends and investment results — useful for analysts updating forecasts but not a standalone surprise versus the headline beat. GlobeNewswire: December Results
• Negative Sentiment: An analyst downgrade from Zacks Research to “strong sell” injects short-term selling pressure and raises questions among some investors about valuation and near-term outlook despite the beat. TickerReport: Zacks downgrade
• Negative Sentiment: Notable insider selling activity has been reported in recent months; while not new, continued insider sales can be viewed negatively by some investors and may temper enthusiasm after the earnings pop. Quiver Quant: Retirement & insider activity

Progressive Company Profile

Progressive Corporation is a large U.S.-based property and casualty insurer that primarily underwrites personal auto insurance along with a broad suite of related products. Its offerings include coverage for private passenger automobiles, commercial auto fleets, motorcycles, boats and recreational vehicles, as well as homeowners, renters, umbrella and other specialty P&C products. Progressive also provides claims handling, risk management and related services to individual and commercial policyholders.

The company distributes its products through a mix of direct channels—online and by phone—and an extensive independent agent network.