Kinsale Capital Group (NYSE:KNSL) Cut to Underperform at Jefferies Financial Group

22 Mar 2026, 05:34 by Danessa Lincoln · The Markets Daily

Jefferies Financial Group lowered shares of Kinsale Capital Group (NYSE:KNSL – Free Report) from a hold rating to an underperform rating in a research report released on Thursday, Marketbeat reports. Jefferies Financial Group currently has $312.00 price target on the financial services provider’s stock, down from their previous price target of $392.00.

A number of other research analysts have also issued reports on the stock. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Kinsale Capital Group from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, February 28th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Kinsale Capital Group in a research report on Monday, December 29th. BMO Capital Markets downgraded shares of Kinsale Capital Group from a “market perform” rating to an “underperform” rating and set a $348.00 price target for the company. in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Kinsale Capital Group in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of Kinsale Capital Group from $450.00 to $410.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Kinsale Capital Group currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $430.91.

Read Our Latest Stock Report on Kinsale Capital Group

Kinsale Capital Group Price Performance

Shares of KNSL opened at $328.32 on Thursday. Kinsale Capital Group has a 12-month low of $322.96 and a 12-month high of $512.76. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $383.43 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $401.95. The company has a quick ratio of 0.08, a current ratio of 0.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. The stock has a market cap of $7.60 billion, a PE ratio of 15.15, a PEG ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 1.01.

Kinsale Capital Group (NYSE:KNSL – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The financial services provider reported $5.81 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $5.30 by $0.51. The firm had revenue of $483.27 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $467.66 million. Kinsale Capital Group had a return on equity of 25.45% and a net margin of 26.87%.During the same period last year, the company earned $4.62 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that Kinsale Capital Group will post 17.72 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Kinsale Capital Group declared that its board has initiated a stock repurchase program on Thursday, December 11th that permits the company to buyback $250.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization permits the financial services provider to reacquire up to 2.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are generally an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Kinsale Capital Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 12th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 26th were given a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 26th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.3%. This is a boost from Kinsale Capital Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.17. Kinsale Capital Group’s payout ratio is currently 4.61%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kinsale Capital Group

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of KNSL. World Investment Advisors increased its position in shares of Kinsale Capital Group by 47.9% during the fourth quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 1,028 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $402,000 after buying an additional 333 shares during the period. Montanaro Asset Management Ltd bought a new stake in Kinsale Capital Group during the fourth quarter valued at $1,095,000. Bayban bought a new stake in Kinsale Capital Group during the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Virtu Financial LLC grew its holdings in Kinsale Capital Group by 175.2% during the 4th quarter. Virtu Financial LLC now owns 3,118 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,219,000 after acquiring an additional 1,985 shares during the period. Finally, Vancity Investment Management Ltd grew its holdings in Kinsale Capital Group by 11.9% during the 4th quarter. Vancity Investment Management Ltd now owns 2,423 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $947,000 after acquiring an additional 258 shares during the period. 85.36% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Kinsale Capital Group

Here are the key news stories impacting Kinsale Capital Group this week:

Neutral Sentiment: Analyst consensus remains around a “Hold” rating on KNSL, reflecting mixed views rather than broad bullish conviction. Article Title
Negative Sentiment: Jefferies downgraded Kinsale from “Hold” to “Underperform” and cut its price target sharply to $312 from $392 — a sizable reduction that signals the firm expects below‑market performance and creates downward pressure on sentiment and the stock’s target price levels. Article Title
Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research trimmed EPS estimates across multiple quarters and cut FY2026 forecasts (small but consistent downgrades to Q4 2026, Q1–Q2 2027 and FY2026), lowering near‑term earnings growth expectations — a headwind for valuation and buy‑side expectations. Article Title

About Kinsale Capital Group

(Get Free Report)

Kinsale Capital Group, Inc (NYSE:KNSL) is a specialty property and casualty insurance company headquartered in Richmond, Virginia. Established in 2009, the company focuses on underwriting complex and underserved risks across the United States. Kinsale operates through a network of wholesale brokers and independent agencies, offering tailored coverage solutions for a range of niche industries.