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Kinsale Capital Trades Above 50-Day SMA: Time to Buy the Stock?
ZACKS· 2025-07-21 14:11
Core Insights - Kinsale Capital Group, Inc. (KNSL) is currently trading above its 50-day simple moving average, indicating a short-term bullish trend, with a share price of $480.18, down 9.7% from its 52-week high of $531.79 [1] - The company has gained 3.2% year-to-date, underperforming the Finance sector and the Zacks S&P 500 Composite, which grew by 9.2% and 6.5% respectively [3] - Kinsale Capital has a market capitalization of $11.19 billion, with an average trading volume of 0.2 million shares over the last three months [4] Performance and Valuation - Kinsale Capital has outperformed peers such as CNA Financial Corporation, American Financial Group, and Arch Capital Group, which have seen share price declines of 8.5%, 6.9%, and 4.3% respectively [4] - The company's shares are trading at a premium, with a price-to-book value of 7.07X compared to the industry average of 1.52X, indicating overvaluation [8] Growth Prospects - The Zacks Consensus Estimate projects a 10.6% year-over-year increase in earnings per share for 2025, with revenues expected to reach $1.75 billion, reflecting a 10.4% improvement [9] - For 2026, earnings per share and revenues are estimated to increase by 15.1% and 12% respectively from 2025 estimates [9] - Kinsale Capital has a Growth Score of B, indicating favorable growth prospects [10] Underwriting and Operational Efficiency - The company leverages its strength in the excess and surplus (E&S) market to achieve robust underwriting results, maintaining a combined ratio below 95% [7][17] - Kinsale Capital's proprietary technology enhances operational efficiency, lowers expenses, and supports scalable growth [18] Market Position and Challenges - The company is well-positioned to benefit from increased submission flow and enhanced pricing discipline due to ongoing market dislocation [16] - However, Kinsale Capital remains cautious about the impact of persistent inflation, which could affect insurer margins and pricing strategies [19] Strategic Focus - Kinsale Capital's strategy emphasizes disciplined underwriting, a focus on the E&S market, and the use of proprietary technology to drive growth and operational efficiency [20]
Warren Buffett Has Put Almost $78 Billion to Work in His Favorite Stock Over 7 Years, and It Recently Fell 10% -- Is the Oracle of Omaha a Buyer?
The Motley Fool· 2025-06-27 07:06
Core Insights - Berkshire Hathaway's Class A shares have declined by 10% since early May, raising questions about CEO Warren Buffett's buying strategy [1][4] - Buffett's investment strategy has historically involved significant stock repurchases, with nearly $78 billion spent on buybacks since July 2018 [15] - Despite a recent correction in Berkshire's stock price, Buffett is unlikely to repurchase shares unless the price-to-book value premium decreases to around 50% [20][21] Investment Activity - Buffett has been a net seller of stocks since October 2022, with a cumulative net selling total of $174.4 billion through March 31, 2025 [5][6] - In the most recent quarter, Berkshire purchased $3.183 billion in equity securities while selling $4.677 billion, resulting in a net selling of $1.494 billion [6] - Despite the net selling trend, Buffett has selectively added to positions, such as purchasing shares of Domino's Pizza for three consecutive quarters [7] Stock Repurchase Strategy - The board amended Berkshire's share-repurchase program in July 2018, allowing Buffett to buy back shares without a set ceiling as long as cash reserves remain above $30 billion [14] - Since the amendment, Berkshire's stock has consistently traded at a premium to book value, with the current premium fluctuating between 60% and 80% [20] - Buffett has not repurchased any shares in the last three quarters, breaking a streak of 24 consecutive quarters of buybacks [19]