Protective Life (NYSE: PL) was downgraded by investment analysts at Scotiabank from a “sector perform” rating to an “underperform” rating in a note issued to investors on Monday.

Shares of Protective Life traded up 0.50% during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $33.94. Protective Life has a 52 week low of $24.67 and a 52 week high of $33.98. The stock’s 50-day moving average is currently $32.03. The company has a market cap of $2.652 billion and a P/E ratio of 9.23.

Protective Life last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 6th. The company reported $0.98 EPS for the quarter, beating the Thomson Reuters consensus estimate of $0.88 by $0.10. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.02 earnings per share. On average, analysts predict that Protective Life will post $3.81 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Several other analysts have also recently commented on the stock. Analysts at Bank of America upgraded shares of Protective Life from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note to investors on Wednesday, February 13th. They now have a $33.00 price target on the stock, up previously from $30.00. Separately, analysts at Barclays Capital raised their price target on shares of Protective Life from $30.00 to $32.00 in a research note to investors on Thursday, February 7th. They now have an “equal weight” rating on the stock. Finally, analysts at Zacks reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Protective Life in a research note to investors on Friday, January 11th. They now have a $32.00 price target on the stock.

Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, nine have issued a hold rating, and one has given a sell rating to the company’s stock. The company currently has an average rating of “hold” and an average target price of $31.82.

Protective Life Corporation is a holding company whose subsidiaries provide financial services through the production, distribution, and administration of insurance and investment products.

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