Zacks Research Issues Negative Forecast for RLI Earnings

RLI Corp. (NYSE:RLI) – Stock analysts at Zacks Research reduced their Q2 2026 earnings estimates for RLI in a research report issued on Wednesday, March 18th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the insurance provider will post earnings of $0.68 per share for the quarter, down from their prior estimate of $0.74. Zacks Research 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 FY2026 earnings at $2.72 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $0.80 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $0.67 EPS and Q3 2027 earnings at $0.62 EPS.

A number of other research firms have also recently issued reports on RLI. Wells Fargo & Company set a $59.00 target price on shares of RLI and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Truist Financial set a $58.00 price objective on shares of RLI in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upgraded RLI from a “moderate buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded RLI from an “underperform” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $52.00 price target for the company in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, Citizens Jmp reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of RLI in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $65.20.

RLI Trading Down 1.6%

NYSE RLI opened at $58.06 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $5.34 billion, a PE ratio of 13.32 and a beta of 0.50. RLI has a 1-year low of $55.80 and a 1-year high of $81.79. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $60.38 and its 200-day simple moving average is $62.44.

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On RLI

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its stake in RLI by 8.0% during the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 274,777 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $17,921,000 after acquiring an additional 20,438 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its holdings in shares of RLI by 15.5% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 1,422,596 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $92,782,000 after purchasing an additional 191,020 shares during the last quarter. Van Berkom & Associates Inc. increased its position in shares of RLI by 14.6% during the 3rd quarter. Van Berkom & Associates Inc. now owns 1,229,649 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $80,198,000 after purchasing an additional 156,241 shares in the last quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC lifted its holdings in RLI by 222.1% during the 2nd quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 36,461 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $2,613,000 after purchasing an additional 25,140 shares during the last quarter. Finally, ProShare Advisors LLC boosted its position in RLI by 21.8% in the third quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 515,819 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $33,642,000 after buying an additional 92,381 shares in the last quarter. 77.89% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at RLI

In other news, COO Jennifer L. Klobnak acquired 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 23rd. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $57.99 per share, for a total transaction of $115,980.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 100,318 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,817,440.82. This trade represents a 2.03% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Craig W. Kliethermes bought 5,000 shares of RLI stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 143,990 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,272,225.50. This trade represents a 3.60% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. 2.16% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

RLI Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 2nd were given a $0.16 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 2nd. This represents a $0.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. RLI’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 14.68%.

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.