Here are three stocks with buy ranks and strong growth characteristics for investors to consider today, Dec. 17:The Allstate Corporation (ALL) : This insurance company carries a Zacks Rank #1, and has witnessed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 22.7% over the last 60 days.Allstate has a PEG ratio of 0.40 compared with 1.75 for the industry. The company possesses a  Growth Score of B.Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation (GLDD) : This dredging services company carries a Za ...

Core Insights - Three stocks are highlighted with a buy rank and strong income characteristics for investors to consider on December 17 Group 1: Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son Limited (NTB) - The company provides a range of community, commercial, and private banking services [1] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings has increased by 5.1% over the last 60 days [1] - The company has a dividend yield of 3.9%, compared to the industry average of 2.7% [1] Group 2: F&G Annuities & Life, Inc. (FG) - The company specializes in fixed annuities and life insurance products [2] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings has increased by 15% over the last 60 days [2] - The company has a dividend yield of 2.5%, compared to the industry average of 1.6% [2] Group 3: Bread Financial Holdings, Inc. (BFH) - The company is a tech-forward financial services provider offering payment and lending solutions [3] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings has increased by 22.2% over the last 60 days [3] - The company has a dividend yield of 1.2%, compared to the industry average of 0.0% [3]

Core Insights - Investor focus is shifting towards high-growth companies with clear operational inflection points for 2026, rather than broad momentum [1] - Two stocks identified with improving fundamentals and potential for significant growth are Root and dLocal [1] Group 1: Root (NASDAQ: ROOT) - Root has restructured its business around usage-based insurance, telematics, and AI-driven pricing, leading to improved risk selection and pricing accuracy [2] - The company has shown narrowing loss ratios and improving underwriting margins, indicating progress towards sustainable profitability [3] - In Q3 2025, Root reported revenue of $387.8 million, a 26.9% year-over-year increase, driven by a new pricing algorithm and expanded distribution, despite a net loss of $5.4 million [4] - Key catalysts for 2026 include sustained profitability, geographic expansion, partnerships, and product rollouts, although risks from claims volatility and competition exist [4] Group 2: dLocal (NASDAQ: DLO) - dLocal reported total payment volume of $10.4 billion in Q3 2025, a 59% year-over-year increase, with strong momentum expected to continue [8] - The company has shown expanding gross margins and improving adjusted EBITDA, indicating that growth is becoming more profitable [9] - Structural tailwinds from digital payments and e-commerce adoption in emerging markets support dLocal's outlook [9] - Key growth drivers include an expanding merchant base, geographic diversification, and improved product mix, with catalysts such as accelerating volumes and higher take rates expected [10] Group 3: Investment Outlook - Both Root and dLocal's potential for significant upside is contingent on sustained underwriting profitability and faster policy growth, which could lead to a small-cap re-rating [12] - While a tenfold return in a single year is ambitious, the fundamentals and catalysts for both stocks suggest a plausible path for substantial growth in 2026 [12]

US-based insurance brokerage Trucordia has acquired Global Financial & Insurance Services, an insurance and financial services provider based in Texas, US. Financial specifics of the deal remain undisclosed. Global Financial & Insurance has a presence in Dallas, Houston, Fort Worth and Los Angeles, and serves clients across all 50 US states. It assists individuals, families and businesses with a variety of insurance and financial offerings. The business was founded by Amin Chagani, and provides covera ...

American International Group (AIG) has appointed Adam Clifford to the role of CEO, International Commercial Insurance. The appointment is effective from 5 January 2026. In his new position, Clifford will oversee underwriting, distribution and business teams in the UK and Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa (MEA), Japan and Latin America. His portfolio includes oversight of Talbot, Global Specialty and Multinational operations. Based in London, he will report to AIG General Insurance CEO J ...

Credit insurer Atradius has received final regulatory approval to begin underwriting business through Lloyd’s Syndicate 1864, starting from 1 January 2026. The move, following the initial “in principle” approval in July, is expected to expand Atradius’ international operations and increase its access to the Lloyd’s market. The syndicate will underwrite trade credit risks, initially serving both new and existing customers within the European financial sector. Credit insurance is expected to assist lende ...

Hong Kong stocks rebounded from a three-week low in a late rally on Wednesday, as traders weighed the prospects of monetary easing after a mixed reading on the US payroll report. The Hang Seng Index rose 0.9 per cent to 25,468.78 at the close after swinging between gains and losses during most of the day's trading. The Hang Seng Tech Index gained 1 per cent. On the mainland, the CSI 300 Index climbed 1.8 per cent and the Shanghai Composite Index added 1.2 per cent. Do you have questions about the bigge ...

Equity benchmarks erased early gains to trade in the red by midday on Wednesday, with the BSE Sensex down 239.66 points, or 0.28 per cent, at ₹84,440.20 and the NSE Nifty 50 falling 76.85 points, or 0.30 per cent, to 25,783.25 as of 1 pm. The Sensex had opened higher at ₹84,856.26 against the previous close of ₹84,679.86, while the Nifty opened at 25,902.40 compared to Tuesday’s close of 25,860.10. Both indices attempted a tentative recovery in early trade before losing momentum and slipping into negative t ...

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#行情 港股主要指数午后拉升，恒生指数涨幅扩大至1%，恒生科技指数涨1.24%，保险、贵金属、半导体概念股普涨。 https://t.co/C5ZrIVLZJe ...