The Allstate Co. (NYSE:ALL) Shares Bought by Candriam S.C.A.

Candriam S.C.A. lifted its holdings in shares of The Allstate Co. (NYSE:ALL) by 18.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 109,038 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 17,159 shares during the quarter. Candriam S.C.A.’s holdings in Allstate were worth $21,021,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ALL. FSA Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Allstate in the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Allstate in the third quarter worth approximately $29,000. Vision Financial Markets LLC purchased a new stake in Allstate in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Peoples Bank KS acquired a new position in Allstate during the fourth quarter worth approximately $49,000. Finally, Stonebridge Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in Allstate during the fourth quarter worth approximately $53,000. 76.47% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently commented on the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price objective on Allstate from $235.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on Allstate from $220.00 to $228.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 7th. Evercore ISI upgraded Allstate from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Allstate from $186.00 to $187.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 14th. Finally, Barclays reduced their price target on shares of Allstate from $187.00 to $183.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating, fifteen have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $217.94.

Allstate Stock Performance

ALL stock opened at $197.42 on Friday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $190.62 and its 200 day simple moving average is $191.51. The company has a current ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 0.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The Allstate Co. has a 12-month low of $155.40 and a 12-month high of $209.88. The firm has a market cap of $52.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.62, a P/E/G ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 0.52.

Allstate (NYSE:ALL) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The insurance provider reported $7.67 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.40 by $2.27. Allstate had a net margin of 7.28% and a return on equity of 28.20%. As a group, equities research analysts predict that The Allstate Co. will post 18.74 EPS for the current year.

Allstate Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be paid a $1.00 dividend. This represents a $4.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.03%. This is a boost from Allstate’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.92. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 10th. Allstate’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 23.54%.

Allstate announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase plan on Wednesday, February 26th that permits the company to repurchase $1.50 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the insurance provider to reacquire up to 3% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO Jesse E. Merten sold 40,102 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $186.53, for a total value of $7,480,226.06. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 18,115 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,378,990.95. This trade represents a 68.88 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 1.80% of the company’s stock.

About Allstate

The Allstate Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides property and casualty, and other insurance products in the United States and Canada. It operates in five segments: Allstate Protection; Protection Services; Allstate Health and Benefits; Run-off Property-Liability; and Corporate and Other segments.