Intact Financial Co. (TSE:IFC) Given Average Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Shares of Intact Financial Co. (TSE:IFC - Get Free Report) have been given an average rating of "Moderate Buy" by the ten ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and eight have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price target among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is C$264.40.

IFC has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Scotiabank reduced their price objective on Intact Financial from C$272.00 to C$263.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, August 22nd. Raymond James upped their target price on Intact Financial from C$261.00 to C$269.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 31st. National Bankshares boosted their price target on Intact Financial from C$260.00 to C$265.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, July 29th. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price objective on shares of Intact Financial from C$264.00 to C$262.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, August 22nd. Finally, TD Securities increased their target price on shares of Intact Financial from C$270.00 to C$282.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 31st.

Intact Financial Price Performance

TSE:IFC traded up C$0.37 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching C$255.18. The stock had a trading volume of 280,813 shares, compared to its average volume of 286,511. The stock has a market capitalization of C$45.51 billion, a PE ratio of 22.39, a PEG ratio of 2.01 and a beta of 0.57. Intact Financial has a 52 week low of C$188.27 and a 52 week high of C$265.10. The company has a 50 day moving average price of C$252.72 and a two-hundred day moving average price of C$236.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 31.26, a quick ratio of 0.28 and a current ratio of 0.36.

Intact Financial (TSE:IFC - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, July 30th. The company reported C$4.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of C$3.61 by C$1.25. The company had revenue of C$7.07 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of C$7.64 billion. Intact Financial had a net margin of 7.14% and a return on equity of 12.93%. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Intact Financial will post 15.774665 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Intact Financial Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 27th. Investors of record on Friday, September 13th were issued a $1.21 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, September 13th. This represents a $4.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.90%. Intact Financial's dividend payout ratio is presently 42.64%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Senior Officer Kenneth Anderson sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$253.88, for a total value of C$507,759.00. 0.24% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

About Intact Financial

Intact Financial Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides property and casualty insurance products to individuals and businesses in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and internationally. The company offers insurance, such as personal auto which provides coverage from accidents, third party liability, and physical damage; personal property which provides protection for homes and contents from risks, including fire, theft, vandalism, water damages, other damages, and personal liability; and commercial line and specialty line insurance which provides commercial auto, property, and liability coverages.