Weekly Industrial Alliance (IAG) stock rating prices target

Weekly Industrial Alliance (IAG) stock rating prices target : A number of firms have modified their ratings and price targets on shares of Industrial Alliance (TSE: IAG) recently:

  •     Industrial Alliance Insurance had its price target raised by analysts at TD Securities from $34.00 to $38.00. They now have a “hold” rating on the stock.
        Industrial Alliance Insurance had its price target raised by analysts at CIBC from $35.00 to $41.00.
        Industrial Alliance Insurance had its price target raised by analysts at National Bank Financial from $30.00 to $37.00.
        Industrial Alliance Insurance had its price target raised by analysts at RBC Capital from $29.00 to $35.00. They now have a “sector perform” rating on the stock.

  •     Industrial Alliance Insurance had its “sector underperform” rating reaffirmed by analysts at Scotiabank.
        Industrial Alliance Insurance was upgraded by analysts at National Bank Financial from an “underperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating.
  •     Industrial Alliance Insurance was downgraded by analysts at Canaccord Genuity from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating. They now have a $40.00 price target on the stock, down previously from $42.00.
  •     Industrial Alliance Insurance had its “sector perform” rating reaffirmed by analysts at CIBC. They now have a $11.00 price target on the stock, down previously from $19.00.

Shares of Industrial Alliance opened at 36.40 on Tuesday. Industrial Alliance has a one year low of $20.55 and a one year high of $39.20. The stock’s 50-day moving average is currently $35.05. The company has a market cap of $3.309 billion and a P/E ratio of 10.60.

Industrial Alliance Insurance and Financial Services Inc. (Industrial Alliance) is a life and health insurance company.

Insurance stock focus today AIG, HIG shares

best insurance stocks today - Insurance stock focus today AIG, HIG shares : Financial Sector of Property & Casualty Insurance Industry stocks are in focus, as its stocks were gaining high volume during the previous trade. American International Group, Inc. (NYSE:AIG) remained a top volume gainer in its industry and was showing a negative trend during the previous trading session. Also, Hartford Financial Services Group Inc (NYSE:HIG) was in focus of investors and it was showing bearish movement during the previous trade.

American International Group, Inc. (NYSE:AIG) reported that, for the fourth quarter of 2012, a net loss of $4.0 billion, or $2.68 per diluted share, in comparison to the prior year same quarter net income of $21.5 billion, or $11.31 per diluted share. Net income was $3.4 billion, or $2.04 per diluted share, for the fiscal year 2012 versus the fiscal year 2011 of $20.6 billion, or $11.01 per diluted share.

Financial Sector stock, American International Group, Inc. (NYSE:AIG) reported the plunge of -3.62% and closed at $37.06 with the total traded volume of 26.91 million shares. The stock’s opening price was $38.89. The company has a total of 1.48 billion outstanding shares and its total market capitalization is $54.71 billion.

52-week price range of the stock remained $27.18 – $39.90, while during last trade its minimum price was $36.86 and it gained its highest price of $38.93.

Hartford Financial Services Group Inc (NYSE:HIG) declared for the fourth quarter 2012, a net loss of $46 million, or $0.13 per diluted share, in comparison to the prior year same duration net income of $118 million, or $0.23 per diluted share.

Property & Casualty Insurance company showing negative momentum during previous trade, Hartford Financial Services Group Inc (NYSE:HIG) reported the decline of -4.32% after opening at the price of $24.29, while its closing price for the day was $23.05.

HIG’s total trading volume for the day was 8.92 million shares, versus its average volume of 5.65 million shares. Company’s current market capitalization stands at $10.20 billion along with 442.50 million shares.

About Fast Moving Stocks

FastMovingStock.com is engaged in providing valuable ideas and news information on U.S. stocks on a regular basis. FastMovingStock.com provides detailed research guides on small cap and large cap stocks, helping investors in making wise stock market investment decisions through its free e-newsletter to subscribers.

Zacks estimates Willis Group Holdings EPS

Best insurance stock today - Zacks estimates Willis Group Holdings EPS : Willis Group Holdings plc (WSH - Analyst Report) reported fourth-quarter 2012 adjusted net income from continuing operations of 45 cents per share, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by a penny. Results were in line with the year-ago earnings.

Including goodwill impairment charge of $2.62 per share, write-off of unamortized cash retention awards of 79 cents, 2012 cash bonus accrual of $1 per share, insurance recovery of 2 cents, loss on disposal of operations of 1 cent, deferred tax valuation allowance of 64 cents and dilutive impact of potentially issuable shares of 6 cents, Willis Group incurred a loss of $4.65 per share, compared with an income of 14 cents in the prior-year quarter.

Operational Performance

Total revenue in the quarter increased 6.3% year over year to $871 million due to higher commissions and fees. Commissions and fees improved 7% year over year to $867 million in the quarter.

Investment income
plummeted 100% year over year to $4 million, attributable to lower net yields on cash and cash equivalents.

Total expense shot up 123% year over year to $1.6 billion, primarily due to an increase in salaries and benefits, and goodwill impairment charge.

In the quarter under review, adjusted operating income was $166 million, up 8.5% year over year. Operating margin expanded 40 basis points to 19.1%.

Quarterly Segment Update

Global: Organic growth in commissions and fees was 11.6% in the quarter, while reported growth was 11.3%. Organic growth was primarily driven by better results across all lines of business.

Operating margin was 19.7%, expanding 340 basis points year over year.

North America: Commissions and fees, on an organic basis, grew 5%, while on a reported basis grew 4.7%.

Operating margin in the quarter contracted 250 basis points to 17.2%.

International: On an organic basis, commissions and fees increased 7.4% year over year, while on a reported basis, it increased 6.4%. Latin America reported strong double-digit growth, while Europe and UK reported mid-single digit growth. Asia recorded low single-digit growth.

Operating margin was 23.6%, contracting 270 basis points.

Full year Highlights

Adjusted net income from continuing operations of $2.58 per share were in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Earnings declined 5.8% over 2011.

Including goodwill impairment charge of $2.60 per share, write-off of unamortized cash retention awards of 78 cents, 2012 cash bonus accrual of 99 cents, insurance recovery of 3 cents, loss on disposal of operations of 2 cents, India JV settlement of 6 cents, write-off of uncollectible accounts receivable balance and legal fees of 5 cents, deferred tax valuation allowance of 64 cents and the dilutive impact of potentially issuable shares of 6 cents, Willis Group incurred a loss of $2.58 per share, compared with an income of $1.15 in 2011.

Cost Savings Initiative

Management is reviewing the organizational design and expects to reduce headcount. The review will be completed in the first quarter of 2013. As a result Willis Group expects to incur a pre-tax charge of about $35 million to $45 million in the first quarter of 2013.

Nevertheless, beginning in the second quarter, the company expects to realize cost savings, primarily through headcount reduction, of approximately $20 million to $25 million in 2013. Moreover, it expects annualized cost savings of approximately $25 million to $30 million.

Financial Update

Willis exited 2012 with cash and cash equivalents of $500 million, up 14.7% year over year.

Long-term debt slid 0.7% to $2.3 billion from 2011 end.

Cash flow from operating activities in 2012 was $524 million, up 19.4%.

Dividend Update

In Feb 2013, the board of directors approved a 3.7% increase in the quarterly cash dividend. Willis will pay the increased dividend of 28 cents on Apr 15, 2013 to shareholders of record as on Mar 29, 2013. The annualized dividend comes to $1.12 per share.

Performance of other insurance brokers

Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (MMC - Analyst Report) reported its fourth-quarter 2012 operating earnings of 52 cents per share, in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate.

However, the results were slightly higher than the year-ago quarter’s earnings of 46 cents per share.

Arthur J Gallagher & Co. (AJG - Snapshot Report) reported earnings of 39 cents in the fourth quarter, a penny above the Zacks Consensus Estimate and up 11% year over year.

Aon plc (AON - Snapshot Report) posted earnings of $1.27 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 1.6% and the year-ago earnings by 31%.

Zacks Rank

Willis Group currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold)

UIHC insurance will release financial result Q4 February 27 2013

UIHC insurance will release financial result Q4 February 27 2013 :  United Insurance Holdings Corp. (Nasdaq: UIHC) (the Company), a property and casualty insurance holding company, announced today that it expects to release its financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2012, after the market closes on Wednesday, February 27, 2013. The Company will conduct its quarterly conference call to discuss those results and review the outlook for the Company on Thursday, February 28, 2013, at 10:00 a.m. ET. The Company invites interested parties to participate in the conference call.

Webcast
To listen to the live webcast, please go to www.upcic.com (“Events and Presentations”) and click on the conference call link, or go to: http://upcic.equisolvewebcast.com. This webcast will be archived and accessible through the Company’s website for approximately 30 days following the call.

About UIHC and UPC Insurance
Founded in 1999, UIHC is an insurance holding company that sources, writes and services residential property and casualty insurance policies using a network of independent agents and a group of wholly owned insurance subsidiaries. UPC Insurance, the primary operating subsidiary of UIHC, writes and services property and casualty insurance in Florida, South Carolina, Massachusetts and Rhode Island and was recently licensed to write in North Carolina. From its headquarters in St. Petersburg, UPC Insurance’s team of dedicated professionals manages a completely integrated insurance company, including sales, underwriting, customer service and claims.

Zurich Insurance Net capital gains on investments 2012

Best Insurance stock - Zurich Insurance Net capital gains on investments 2012 : Zurich Insurance Group AG, Switzerland’s biggest insurer, said fourth-quarter profit rose 82 percent after higher capital gains on investments.

Net income increased to $983 million from $540 million a year earlier, the Zurich-based company said today in a statement. That beat the $521.1 million average estimate of 13 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. Business operating profit fell to $540 million from $983 million in the year-earlier quarter.


Zurich Insurance will keep its dividend unchanged at an 11- year high of 17 Swiss francs ($18.52) a share, after increasing the payout to that level in 2010. Net capital gains on debt and equity investments were $1.04 billion in the fourth quarter compared with a loss of $78 million in the year-earlier period.

“Results were better than expected, but only on the bottom line, which was clearly due to higher realized capital gains,” said Daniel Bischof, a Zurich-based analyst with Helvea. “For me the operating profit is more important, and there they were rather disappointing because of the general insurance business.”

Net capital gains on investments totaled $2.2 billion in 2012, driven by sales of debt and equity securities.

“We continue to execute our proven strategy, growing our business in emerging markets while delivering a resilient performance in mature markets,” Chief Executive Officer Martin Senn said in the statement today. “This strong underlying profitability ensures we remain well positioned to continue to deliver for our customers, employees and shareholders in 2013.”(source http://www.bloomberg.com )

The negative side of bank mortgage insurance

The negative side of bank mortgage insurance : Mortgage life insurance isn’t very popular and it has more than a few detractors. For one thing, the premium payments typically remain constant even though your death benefit drops. What seemed like a bargain when you first took the insurance, and your mortgage, becomes less so as the loan balance and the insurance death benefit drop.

Another concern is that the insurance benefit will be payable to your lender upon your death, not to your dependents. That limits the desirability of having this type of insurance.

While it may be good to have your mortgage paid off upon your death, your dependents may have other, more pressing concerns. They will not be able to address those concerns with a mortgage life insurance policy. read How does mortgage life insurance work

Is it worth having?


For most people mortgage life insurance shouldn’t be necessary. You can instead take the largest term life insurance policy you can afford and use part of the proceeds to payoff the mortgage on your home at your death, if that’s what you and your survivors agree upon. However your dependents will not be locked into paying off the mortgage, should they decide against doing so.

A straight term life insurance policy give them the flexibility to allocate the money wherever it’s most needed. Maybe that’s the mortgage, and maybe it’s not, but they’ll have that option.

If you don’t have a whole lot of confidence that your survivors will allocate the life insurance proceeds wisely, then mortgage life insurance can be a consideration. Since the proceeds will be allocated directly to payoff the mortgage event of your death, you will be able to know that it will happen as you wish.

Your survivors might still blow through other insurance proceeds, but at least you can know that the mortgage on a house will be paid for.


How does mortgage life insurance work

best insurance stock - How does mortgage life insurance work : The best way to think of mortgage life insurance is that it is term life insurance with a single purpose: to payoff your mortgage in the event of your death.

A mortgage life insurance policy is tied to your mortgage in almost every way. At the time that you take your mortgage, whether on a purchase or refinance, the death benefit on insurance policy is set up to match the amount of your mortgage loan.

However, the death benefit will decline as your mortgage is paid down. Once your mortgage is paid off, the life insurance goes away.

In the event of your death, the proceeds of the policy will go right to your lender to payoff the mortgage on your house.

As to the specifics, there are variations depending on which insurance company you use as well as the particulars in your situation. It’s also important to remember that while a lender may recommend that you get mortgage life insurance, you are not required to get it. It is strictly optional coverage.

Brightcove Inc earnings loss q4 2012

best insurance stock - Brightcove Inc earnings loss q4 2012 : Brightcove Inc. (BCOV - Snapshot Report) reported a loss of 13 cents in the fourth quarter of 2012, wider than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of 7 cents. However, loss per share was narrower than a loss of 75 cents reported in the year-ago quarter.

 Revenues

Revenues jumped 31.3% from the year-ago quarter to $24.3 million, slightly better than the consensus mark. The year-over-year surprise was primarily driven by a 34.2% surge in Subscription and Support revenues, which fully offset an 8.4% plunge in Professional services and Other revenues.

Brighcove’s revenues from premium offerings jumped 29% year over year to $21.8 million. Premium refers to Brighcove’s traditional video cloud customers, the enterprise edition of app cloud and Zencoder customers on annual contracts. Revenues from volume offerings surged 53.0% year over year to $2.5 million.

Brightcove’s customer base expanded 64% from the year-ago quarter to 6367, which includes 1625 premium customers and 4742 volume customers. Sequentially, both premium and volume customers increased by 52 and 172, respectively.

Brightcove added a number of major companies to its customer base that includes the likes of insurance provider Allstate (ALL - Analyst Report) and biopharmaceutical company Bristol Meyers Squibb (BMY - Analyst Report). Brightcove also entered into a partnership with Viacom (VIA - Snapshot Report) and NBC.

Revenues from non-media customers (60% of total revenues) grew 60% year over year, while media customers (40% of total revenue) increased 17% from the year-ago quarter. Recurring dollar retention rate was 89% in the fourth quarter.

Region wise, revenues from North America (64% of total revenue) increased 29% year over year to $15.6 million. Europe (23% of total revenue) jumped 33.0% year over year to $5.6 million. Asia-Pacific including Japan (13% of total revenue) soared 35.0% from the year-ago quarter to $3.1 million.

Margins

Gross margin increased 20 basis points (“bps”) on a year-over-year basis to 69.8% in the reported quarter. Operating expenses soared 27.7% year over year to $20.7 million due to 27.5% year-over-year increase in research & development expenses, 20.6% year-on-year rise in sales & marketing expenses and a 46.1% jump in general & administrative expenses.

Loss from operations (including stock-based compensation) was $3.7 million, wider than $3.3 million reported in the year-ago quarter on a higher revenue base.

Net loss (including stock based compensation) of $3.7 million was narrower than a loss of $3.8 million incurred in the prior-year quarter.

Balance Sheet and Cash flow

Exiting the fourth quarter, Brightcove had cash, cash equivalents and investments of $30.0 million, down from $30.8 million reported in the third quarter. Brightcove generated cash flow of $2.7 million in the fourth quarter. Free cash flow was $2.5 million in the quarter.

Outlook

For the first quarter, Brightcove expects revenues in the range of $23.5 million to $24.0 million, which represents 18% to 21% year-over-year growth. Non-GAAP operating loss is expected to be $2.0 million to $2.3 million. Non-GAAP loss is expected in the range of 8 cents to 10 cents per share.

For fiscal 2013, Brightcove expects revenues to be in the range of $102.0 million to $105.0 million, which represents 16% to 19% year-over-year growth. Non-GAAP loss is expected to be $4.5 million to $6.5 million. Non-GAAP net loss per share is expected in the range of 18 cents to 25 cents per share.

Recommendation
We believe that strong demand for cloud-based solutions, security and mobile products, and online videos along with strategic acquisitions are the positives for the stock over the long term. However, intense competition and sluggish macro-economic environment are the near-term headwinds.

Currently, Brightcove has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Insurance stock prices analysis today

Best Insurance Stock  - Insurance stock prices analysis today : Metlife Inc stock prices analysis, Genworth Financial Inc ,  Lincoln National Corporation (NYSE:LNC) , ING Groep N.V. (ADR) (NYSE:ING) : Metlife Inc (NYSE:MET) stock is at $37.23, down-2.06 percent from its previous close of $38.20. Its today’s volume is 9.73 million shares in comparison to its usual trading volume of 8.67 million shares. The stock opened the session at $37.71 and touched its highest price point at $37.80.

The company is on track to expand the portfolio of Americas head William Wheeler with a $2 billion agreement to takeover AFP Provida SA (PROVIDA) from Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA (BBVA), highlighting the potential he may be the next chief executive officer.

Metlife Inc’s lowest price point for the session stood at $37.22, and its 52 week price range stood at $27.60 - $39.55. The company has total of 1.09billion outstanding shares and its total market capitalization is $40.62billion. Its beta value stands at 1.99 times and earning per share was $2.05.

Previous 5 days graph demonstrated a negative move of -1.12%. MET’s quarterly performance remained green with the percentage of +7.29, while its year to date performance showed that the stock advanced overall 13.02%.

Genworth Financial Inc (NYSE:GNW) stock is at $9.15, down-1.61 percent from its previous close of $9.30. The stock opened the session at $9.23 and touched its highest price point at $9.25. Genworth Financial stock’s lowest price point for the session stood at $9.08.

Stocks graphical chart shows a bullish trend during its last one month’s trading session. It remained positive with 50.99% during previous three months trade.

Its today’s volume is 8.14 million shares in comparison to its usual trading volume of 10.66 million shares. Its beta value stands at 3.15 points. Currently stocks EPS is $0.61 while its price to earning ratio is 15.11.

Lincoln National Corporation (NYSE:LNC) opened the session at $29.15 and remained in $28.73 and $29.25 price range during the session. The stock is 2.10 percent down at $28.88. Volume closed the day at 2.61 million shares, its average volume being 2.58 million shares.

The company has total of 275.02 million outstanding shares and its total market capitalization is $7.94billion. Its beta value stands at 2.66 times and earning per share was $1.44.

LNC was a loser in the 5 days activity and slipped about -0.59%. The one month performance of stock was positive as it scored more than 2.74%.

ING Groep N.V. (ADR) (NYSE:ING) traded in the range of $9.41 and $9.64 in its previous trading session. The stock recorded the volume of 2.92 million shares so far, in comparison its average daily trading volume of 1.96 million shares. The company has total of 3.80 million outstanding shares and its total market capitalization is $35.81billion.

Company’s year to date performance remained declining as it lost almost -0.74%. If we look at last 6 months of trade that is in bullish zone with an increase of 42.08%

The stock opened at $9.64 and its closing price for the day was $9.42, down-5.52 percent from its previous close of $9.97. The beta of the INGstands at 2.77. 52 week range of the stock is $5.51 -$10.47. (source http://otcstockpicks.net/)

About OTC Stock Picks
The team is among the US market leaders in connecting stocks to investors. With over two decades of market experience, the team prides itself on having the ‘pulse’ of the stock market. The company tracks over 100 different stocks with the goal of bringing investor attention to stock trading opportunities. The team is exceptional at predicting momentum-changes in stocks via technical analysis and fundamentals, and quickly relaying this information through its penny stock newsletter. The company offers investors Free Level II service and Free Real Time Stock Charts on its company website.

Indonesia insurance property market forecast 2013

best insurance stock - Indonesia insurance property market forecast 2013 : Property insurance market share continues to shrink. Data General Insurance Association of Indonesia (AAUI) in the first semester of this year noted, the property insurance market share slipped to 27.4% from the same term last year's 29.9%.

Property market share surpassed by motor insurance rose to 30.1% from the previous 29%. Until the beginning of the semester, the total general insurance premiums Rp 18.89 trillion, grow 12.8% compared to the same period last year of Rp 16.74 trillion.

Property insurance contributions Rp 5.1 trillion or an increase of 3.5% from the same period last year of Rp 5 trillion. While gross property insurance claims actually grew 24.6% to Rp 2 trillion from Rp 1.6 trillion in the previous period. Premium of Rp 5.6 trillion, up 17.2% from Rp 4.8 trillion.

Increasingly shrinking property insurance estimate because the war was still going on tariffs. As a result, players choose cautious about accepting risk property insurance.

In addition, the granting of commissions to intermediaries such as broker or brokerage has been no standardization. First, the commission to the broker the range of 15% -20%, now has a range of 25% -30%. In addition, property premium rates were calculated using the model per mile.

Unlike auto insurance, calculations based on the percentage of the vehicle price. "Hence, the growth of the motor vehicle, the premiums vary with the property," said Julian.

With this condition, it is not likely the property insurance market share will continue to shrink in the coming period. Moreover, the desire to create a preference industry premium rates for property insurance has not yet materialized. That is, the property insurance premium price competition will continue to happen.

In fact, the desire to make the tariff preferences that have been around a long time. However, until now there is statistical data collected premium of industry players to make such preferences. Unlike in vehicle insurance, is there a reference rate.

2013 Asian commercial insurance rates

best insurance stock - 2013 Asian commercial insurance rates :Continued economic growth and low natural catastrophe losses, combined with strong competition between insurers in most classes of business, will continue to provide favourable market conditions for buyers of commercial insurance in Asia during 2013, according to a report published today by Marsh.


Organisations across Asia, especially those with little or no exposure to natural catastrophe risk or with good loss histories, should be able to secure reductions on their insurance rates, continuing a trend begun in the second half of 2012, Marsh noted in its Asia Insurance Market Report 2013.

However, Asian companies offering employee benefit programs can expect more challenging conditions this year as medical cost inflation continues to escalate significantly, putting upward pressure on rates.

For example, Marsh expects insurers to seek average rate increases of up to 35% in Thailand where medical inflation is expected to rise between 20% and 25% this year. An upward trend, with local variations, is expected to be seen in most Asian countries.

Marsh also noted that while rates for directors and officers (D&O) insurance for US-listed Chinese companies remained high the market had largely stabilised, partly due to a slow-down in IPO activity.

Across the rest of Asia, D&O rates generally remained flat or decreased, as increased litigation against directors was offset by an increase in insurance capacity.

“The insurance market in Asia remains generally favourable to buyers as the flow of capital, capacity and competition into the region keeps rates competitive,” says Martin South, CEO of Marsh in Asia-Pacific.

“However, there will always be the possibility of spikes in premiums following large market losses. As the industry matures, clients should focus on providing their insurers with robust evidence of their risk management and mitigation strategies, not only to secure competitive pricing, but also to ensure they have insurance protection aligned to their particular risk needs.”

The report also finds that employees’ compensation (workers’ compensation) in Hong Kong continues to be a challenging market. Rates continue to rise significantly as loss experiences deteriorate and major insurers enter and exit the market, creating significant turbulence.

Banks continue to use structured trade credit insurance as a way to both deleverage their balance sheets yet still remain active in the trade finance market in Asia.

Professional liability insurance remains a buyers’ market, with highly competitive rates across Asia as new insurer entrants bring additional capacity and competition to the market, says the report.(source www.cfoinnovation.com )

Selective Insurance Group SIGI Stock rating price target by RBC Capital

best insurance stock - Selective Insurance Group SIGI Stock rating price target by RBC Capital : Selective Insurance Group (NASDAQ: SIGI) had its target price upped by RBC Capital from $20.00 to $23.00 in a report released on Monday. RBC Capital currently has a sector perform rating on the stock.

Separately, analysts at Zacks upgraded shares of Selective Insurance Group from a neutral rating to an outperform rating in a research note to investors on Tuesday, January 8th. They now have a $21.50 price target on the stock.

One analyst has rated the stock with a buy rating, and six have assigned a hold rating to the stock. The company currently has an average rating of hold and an average target price of $20.40.

Selective Insurance Group traded down 0.77% on Monday, hitting $21.82. Selective Insurance Group has a 52-week low of $16.22 and a 52-week high of $22.08. The stock’s 50-day moving average is currently $19.85. The company has a market cap of $1.200 billion and a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.17.

Selective Insurance Group last announced its earnings results on Thursday, January 31st. The company reported ($0.04) earnings per share for the quarter, beating the analysts’ consensus estimate of ($0.17) by $0.13. The company had revenue of $449.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $394.86 million. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.33 earnings per share. Selective Insurance Group’s revenue was up 12.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts predict that Selective Insurance Group will post $1.51 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which is scheduled for Friday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 15th will be given a dividend of $0.13 per share. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.36%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, February 13th.

Selective Insurance Group, Inc. is a holding company of seven insurance subsidiaries. The Company, through its subsidiaries, offers property and casualty insurance products and services in the East and Midwest of the United States.

Aflac Dividend Stock forecast

Aflac Dividend Stock forecast
Aflac Dividend Stock forecast : Aflac Incorporated provides supplemental health and life insurance in Japan (80% of earnings) and the U.S. Products are marketed at work sites and help fill gaps in primary coverage.

Fair Value: In calculating fair value, I consider the NPV MMA Differential Fair Value along with these four calculations of fair value, see page 2 of the linked PDF for a detailed description:

1. Avg. High Yield Price
2. 20-Year DCF Price
3. Avg. P/E Price
4. Graham Number

AFL is trading at a discount to 3.) and 4.) above. The stock is trading at a 16.2% discount to its calculated fair value of $61.44. AFL earned a Star in this section since it is trading at a fair value.

Dividend Analytical Data: In this section there are three possible Stars and three key metrics, see page 2 of the linked PDF for a detailed description:

1. Free Cash Flow Payout
2. Debt To Total Capital
3. Key Metrics
4. Dividend Growth Rate
5. Years of Div. Growth
6. Rolling 4-yr Div. > 15%

AFL earned three Stars in this section for 1.), 2.) and 3.) above. A Star was earned since the Free Cash Flow payout ratio was less than 60% and there were no negative Free Cash Flows over the last 10 years. The stock earned a Star as a result of its most recent Debt to Total Capital being less than 45%. AFL earned a Star for having an acceptable score in at least two of the four Key Metrics measured. The company has paid a cash dividend to shareholders every year since 1973 and has increased its dividend payments for 30 consecutive years.

Dividend Income vs. MMA: Why would you assume the equity risk and invest in a dividend stock if you could earn a better return in a much less risky money market account (MMA) or Treasury bond? This section compares the earning ability of this stock with a high yield MMA. Two items are considered in this section, see page 2 of the linked PDF for a detailed description:

1. NPV MMA Diff.
2. Years to > MMA

AFL earned a Star in this section for its NPV MMA Diff. of the $992. This amount is in excess of the $500 target I look for in a stock that has increased dividends as long as AFL has. The stock's current yield of 2.6% exceeds the 2.54% estimated 20-year average MMA rate.

Memberships and Peers: AFL is a member of the S&P 500, a Dividend Aristocrat, a member of the Broad Dividend Achievers™ Index and a Dividend Champion. The company's peer group includes: American Independence Corp. (AMIC) with a 0.0% yield, Unum Group (UNM) with a 2.3% yield and CNO Financial Group, Inc. (CNO) with a 0.8% yield.

Conclusion: AFL earned one Star in the Fair Value section, earned three Stars in the Dividend Analytical Data section and earned one Star in the Dividend Income vs. MMA section for a total of five Stars. This quantitatively ranks AFL as a 5-Star Very Strong stock.

Using my D4L-PreScreen.xls model, I determined the share price would need to increase to $51.47 before AFL's NPV MMA Differential decreased to the $500 minimum that I look for in a stock with 30 years of consecutive dividend increases. At that price the stock would yield 2.6%.

Resetting the D4L-PreScreen.xls model and solving for the dividend growth rate needed to generate the target $500 NPV MMA Differential, the calculated rate is 5.3%. This dividend growth rate is lower than the 7.9% used in this analysis, thus providing a margin of safety. AFL has a risk rating of 1.25 which classifies it as a Low risk stock.

Operating in the two largest insurance markets in the world (U.S. and Japan), AFL has built a tremendous low-cost distribution system. Focusing on supplemental insurance products, AFL consistently generate excess returns for shareholders. Consistent earnings has allowed the company to increase its dividend and repurchase shares.

Despite a strong business model, the AFL's balance sheet remains stressed due to questions over some of its investments, specifically European bank hybrid bonds and European sovereign debt. The company has taken steps to de-risk its investment portfolio. This move will likely slow earnings growth over the next few years, but should lead to higher long-term value.

AFL is currently trading at a discount versus its historical valuation. The company is trading below my calculated fair value price of $61.44. However, a recent runup in its share price has lowered the stocks yield, so for now I will wait on a more attractive entry point before adding to my position.

Disclaimer: Material presented here is for informational purposes only. The above quantitative stock analysis, including the Star rating, is mechanically calculated and is based on historical information. The analysis assumes the stock will perform in the future as it has in the past. This is generally never true. Before buying or selling any stock you should do your own research and reach your own conclusion. See my Disclaimer for more information. Disclosure: At the time of this writing, I was long in AFL (1.5% of my Dividend Growth Portfolio).source : http://seekingalpha.com/article/1154141-aflac-incorporated-dividend-stock-analysis?source=google_news