The Travelers Companies, Inc. $TRV Shares Sold by Epoch Investment Partners Inc.

Epoch Investment Partners Inc. lessened its position in shares of The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TRV) by 2.9% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 108,482 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 3,228 shares during the quarter. Epoch Investment Partners Inc.’s holdings in Travelers Companies were worth $31,642,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Cannell & Spears LLC grew its position in Travelers Companies by 2,000.6% in the first quarter. Cannell & Spears LLC now owns 18,821 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $5,492,000 after acquiring an additional 17,925 shares during the period. Hilltop Holdings Inc. raised its position in Travelers Companies by 306.7% in the first quarter. Hilltop Holdings Inc. now owns 5,153 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $1,503,000 after purchasing an additional 3,886 shares during the period. Modern Wealth Management LLC raised its position in Travelers Companies by 3.4% in the first quarter. Modern Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,832 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $532,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares during the period. Keebeck Wealth Management acquired a new position in shares of Travelers Companies in the 1st quarter valued at $317,000. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its stake in shares of Travelers Companies by 6.8% in the 1st quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 821,884 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $239,727,000 after purchasing an additional 52,651 shares during the last quarter. 82.45% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting Travelers Companies

Here are the key news stories impacting Travelers Companies this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst coverage remained constructive, with Morgan Stanley and other firms highlighting potential upside, while a recent Zacks note said Travelers’ shares hit a 52-week high and questioned whether the run can continue. Morgan Stanley Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Travelers Companies (NYSE:TRV) Stock The Travelers Companies, Inc. (TRV) Hit a 52 Week High, Can the Run Continue?
• Positive Sentiment: AM Best assigned an “a+” issue credit rating with a stable outlook to Travelers’ new $750 million senior unsecured notes, signaling confidence in the company’s credit quality and access to capital. AM Best Assigns Issue Credit Rating to The Travelers Companies, Inc. New Senior Unsecured Notes
• Positive Sentiment: Travelers priced $750 million of 4.95% senior notes due 2031, which adds funding for general corporate purposes and appears manageable given the company’s strong balance sheet. Travelers Companies Prices $750 Million Senior Notes Offering
• Neutral Sentiment: Mizuho raised its price target to $343 from $324 but kept a neutral rating, suggesting the stock may have already moved ahead of near-term fundamentals. Mizuho price target update
• Negative Sentiment: Reports that several top Travelers executives sold company stock could weigh on sentiment, even if the transactions were routine. Top Travelers Executives Quietly Unload Millions in Company Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Deutsche Bank and UBS both reiterated hold-type views, reinforcing that some analysts see limited upside after the recent rally. Deutsche Bank Sticks to Its Hold Rating for Travelers Companies (TRV) UBS Releases a Hold Rating on Travelers Companies (TRV)

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently issued reports on TRV shares. Cantor Fitzgerald raised their price objective on Travelers Companies from $335.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Raymond James Financial set a $430.00 target price on shares of Travelers Companies in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Citigroup reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of Travelers Companies in a research note on Monday, July 20th. Evercore set a $329.00 price target on shares of Travelers Companies and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of Travelers Companies from $295.00 to $334.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Hold rating and five have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Travelers Companies presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $354.26.

Travelers Companies Price Performance

TRV stock opened at $387.42 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.33, a quick ratio of 0.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. The company has a market capitalization of $80.80 billion, a PE ratio of 10.38, a P/E/G ratio of 3.87 and a beta of 0.46. The Travelers Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $252.26 and a 12-month high of $389.11. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $322.06 and its 200 day moving average price is $304.48.

Travelers Companies (NYSE:TRV) last posted its earnings results on Friday, July 17th. The insurance provider reported $10.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $5.41 by $4.63. Travelers Companies had a return on equity of 25.41% and a net margin of 16.95%.The firm had revenue of $12.15 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $11.26 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $6.51 EPS. Travelers Companies’s revenue was up .3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that The Travelers Companies, Inc. will post 32.49 EPS for the current year.

Travelers Companies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, September 10th will be given a dividend of $1.25 per share. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 10th. Travelers Companies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 13.39%.

Insider Transactions at Travelers Companies

In other news, EVP Michael Frederick Klein sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $307.65, for a total value of $3,076,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 45,125 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $13,882,706.25. This trade represents a 18.14% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Vice Chairman William H. Heyman sold 1,557 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $310.64, for a total transaction of $483,666.48. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 259,590 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $80,639,037.60. The trade was a 0.60% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 18,292 shares of company stock valued at $5,639,800. 1.39% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Travelers Companies Company Profile

The Travelers Companies, Inc (NYSE: TRV) is a leading provider of property and casualty insurance products and services. The company underwrites a broad range of commercial and personal insurance lines, offering coverage designed to protect individuals, small and midsize businesses, and large corporate clients against property loss, liability, and other operational risks. Travelers is known for combining underwriting, claims management and risk control services to help clients prevent losses and recover when incidents occur.

On the commercial side, Travelers writes primary and specialty coverages including property, general liability, commercial auto, workers’ compensation, professional and management liability, surety and inland marine.