Vanguard Group Inc. Sells 232,195 Shares of Loews Co. (NYSE:L)

Vanguard Group Inc. trimmed its stake in Loews Co. (NYSE:L - Free Report) by 1.1% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 20,941,567 shares of the insurance provider's stock after selling 232,195 shares during the quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. owned 9.62% of Loews worth $1,773,541,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Loews in the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Brooklyn Investment Group acquired a new stake in shares of Loews during the 3rd quarter valued at about $40,000. Human Investing LLC bought a new stake in shares of Loews in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $51,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new position in Loews in the third quarter worth approximately $49,000. Finally, Intact Investment Management Inc. bought a new position in Loews during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $68,000. 58.33% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Jonathan M. Tisch sold 50,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $84.66, for a total transaction of $4,233,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 6,755,529 shares in the company, valued at $571,923,085.14. This represents a 0.73 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Andrew H. Tisch sold 7,533 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, January 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $84.35, for a total transaction of $635,408.55. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 1,568,191 shares in the company, valued at $132,276,910.85. This represents a 0.48 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 158,860 shares of company stock worth $13,486,463 in the last quarter. 18.70% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, StockNews.com downgraded shares of Loews from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th.

Loews Stock Up 1.4 %

Shares of L traded up $1.31 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $91.95. 883,042 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 718,813. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a quick ratio of 0.34 and a current ratio of 0.34. The company has a market cap of $19.57 billion, a PE ratio of 14.37 and a beta of 0.80. The firm's 50 day moving average is $85.89 and its 200-day moving average is $83.54. Loews Co. has a 52 week low of $72.91 and a 52 week high of $92.35.

Loews (NYSE:L - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, February 10th. The insurance provider reported $0.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Loews had a return on equity of 8.04% and a net margin of 8.08%.

Loews Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 11th. Investors of record on Wednesday, February 26th were paid a $0.0625 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 26th. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.27%. Loews's payout ratio is presently 3.91%.

Loews Company Profile

Loews Corporation provides commercial property and casualty insurance in the United States and internationally. The company offers specialty insurance products, such as management and professional liability, and other coverage products; surety and fidelity bonds; property insurance products that include standard and excess property, marine and boiler, and machinery coverages; and casualty insurance products, such as workers' compensation, general and product liability, and commercial auto, surplus, and umbrella coverages.