RLI (NYSE:RLI) Cut to “Sell” at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen lowered shares of RLI (NYSE:RLI) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note published on Monday morning.

Several other analysts also recently weighed in on RLI. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of RLI from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of RLI from $55.00 to $62.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of RLI from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 2nd. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price target on shares of RLI from $67.00 to $70.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, RLI has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $60.50.

RLI Price Performance

Shares of RLI opened at $59.25 on Monday. RLI has a 12 month low of $47.26 and a 12 month high of $70.07. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $55.51 and a 200 day moving average price of $57.38. The company has a market cap of $5.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.84 and a beta of 0.38.

RLI (NYSE:RLI) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The insurance provider reported $0.83 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.72 by $0.11. The company had revenue of $575.57 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $568.70 million. RLI had a return on equity of 17.72% and a net margin of 20.81%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 15.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.82 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts anticipate that RLI will post 2.75 earnings per share for the current year.

RLI Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 12th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 29th were paid a $0.18 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 29th. This is a positive change from RLI’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.16. This represents a $0.72 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. RLI’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 16.82%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, COO Jennifer L. Klobnak bought 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 19th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $53.42 per share, for a total transaction of $106,840.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 102,318 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,465,827.56. This represents a 1.99% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Clark C. Kellogg bought 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, June 1st. The shares were bought at an average cost of $50.90 per share, for a total transaction of $152,700.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 4,502 shares in the company, valued at $229,151.80. This trade represents a 199.73% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders purchased a total of 16,500 shares of company stock valued at $858,955 over the last three months. 2.39% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of RLI

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of RLI by 94.4% during the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 414 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 201 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its position in RLI by 156.4% in the third quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 464 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 283 shares during the period. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB lifted its position in RLI by 72.1% in the fourth quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 618 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 259 shares during the period. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC bought a new position in RLI during the 4th quarter valued at $43,000. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc boosted its stake in RLI by 85.9% during the 4th quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 684 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $44,000 after purchasing an additional 316 shares in the last quarter. 77.89% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

RLI News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting RLI this week:

• Positive Sentiment: RLI beat consensus EPS estimates, reporting $0.83 per share versus expectations around $0.71-$0.73, which suggests stronger-than-expected profitability. RLI Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Revenue also topped estimates in the latest quarter, with results showing solid top-line performance and year-over-year revenue growth of 15.2%. RLI Corp. (RLI) Q2 Earnings and Revenues Beat Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: The company reported strong profitability metrics, including a 17.72% return on equity and a 20.81% net margin, which may reinforce confidence in its operating discipline. RLI Press Release
• Neutral Sentiment: While earnings beat estimates, one data point showed revenue at $463.1 million versus a different estimate set in another feed, highlighting some inconsistency in reported expectations rather than a clear fundamental issue. RLI ($RLI) Releases Q2 2026 Earnings

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.