Zacks Research Weighs in on RLI’s Q4 Earnings (NYSE:RLI)

RLI Corp. (NYSE:RLI) – Research analysts at Zacks Research lowered their Q4 2026 earnings per share estimates for RLI in a note issued to investors on Wednesday, February 11th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the insurance provider will post earnings per share of $0.66 for the quarter, down from their prior estimate of $0.74. Zacks Research currently has a “Strong Sell” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for RLI’s current full-year earnings is $3.08 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for RLI’s Q3 2027 earnings at $0.61 EPS and Q4 2027 earnings at $0.60 EPS.

RLI (NYSE:RLI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 21st. The insurance provider reported $0.94 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.76 by $0.18. RLI had a net margin of 21.43% and a return on equity of 18.67%. The company had revenue of $465.69 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $447.53 million. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.41 EPS.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on the company. Citizens Jmp reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of RLI in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Truist Financial set a $58.00 price target on RLI in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their price target on RLI from $85.00 to $81.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $59.00 target price on RLI and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of RLI from an “underperform” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $52.00 target price on the stock in a report on Friday, January 23rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, RLI presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $65.20.

RLI Trading Down 1.0%

Shares of NYSE:RLI opened at $62.40 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05, a current ratio of 0.32 and a quick ratio of 0.35. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $61.71 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $63.47. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.73 billion, a PE ratio of 14.31 and a beta of 0.53. RLI has a one year low of $55.80 and a one year high of $81.79.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of RLI. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of RLI by 3.4% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 9,448,929 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $604,542,000 after purchasing an additional 310,857 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its position in RLI by 3.3% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 8,750,315 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $570,696,000 after acquiring an additional 279,983 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in RLI by 3.2% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,191,891 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $140,260,000 after purchasing an additional 67,025 shares during the last quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP increased its holdings in RLI by 65.3% during the 4th quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 1,938,186 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $124,005,000 after purchasing an additional 765,344 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its stake in shares of RLI by 6.3% in the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,899,524 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $121,536,000 after purchasing an additional 112,541 shares during the last quarter. 77.89% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at RLI

In other RLI news, CEO Craig W. Kliethermes acquired 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 23rd. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $57.45 per share, with a total value of $287,250.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 143,990 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,272,225.50. The trade was a 3.60% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, COO Jennifer L. Klobnak acquired 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 23rd. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $57.99 per share, for a total transaction of $115,980.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief operating officer directly owned 100,318 shares in the company, valued at $5,817,440.82. This trade represents a 2.03% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 2.16% of the company’s stock.

Key RLI News

Here are the key news stories impacting RLI this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Small upward revision for one quarter — Zacks raised its Q3 2027 EPS estimate to $0.61 from $0.59, a minor positive relative to a string of cuts. Zacks Q3 2027 note
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks published a full set of forward estimates (includes FY2028 EPS of $2.51 and a consensus FY estimate reference of $3.08) — useful baseline for modeling but not a catalyst by itself. Zacks full estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Broad downward revisions — Zacks cut several near‑term quarter estimates (examples: Q1 2026 to $0.81 from $0.85; Q2 2026 to $0.74 from $0.78; Q3 2026 to $0.55 from $0.58; Q4 2026 to $0.66 from $0.74) and trimmed FY2026 to $2.76 (from $2.94) and FY2027 to $2.70 (from $2.96). Those cuts signal a weaker earnings outlook and likely weigh on the stock. Zacks downward revisions
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst stance is explicitly bearish — Zacks Research has a “Strong Sell” rating on RLI, which can amplify selling pressure and hurt sentiment even after past quarterly beats. Zacks Strong Sell

About RLI

RLI Corporation (NYSE:RLI) is a specialty property and casualty insurance company focused on underwriting niche risks for businesses and individuals. Headquartered in Peoria, Illinois, the company operates through a network of independent agents and brokers, offering customized coverage solutions. RLI’s approach emphasizes disciplined underwriting, targeted product development and strong customer service to maintain profitability and long-term growth.

Founded in 1965 as Replacement Lens, Inc, RLI initially provided insurance for contact lens manufacturers before shifting its focus to specialty insurance in the 1980s.