For the quarter ended December 2025, RLI Corp. (RLI) reported revenue of $448.73 million, up 2.9% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $0.94, compared to $0.41 in the year-ago quarter.
The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $451.17 million, representing a surprise of -0.54%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +24.01%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $0.76.
While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street expectations to determine their next course of action, some key metrics always provide a better insight into a company's underlying performance.
Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance.
Here is how RLI Corp. performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:
- Net operating expenses - Total: 39.3% versus 38.4% estimated by five analysts on average.
- Net loss & settlement expenses - Total: 43.3% versus the five-analyst average estimate of 49.8%.
- Underwriting income (loss) - Total: 82.6% versus 87.6% estimated by five analysts on average.
- Underwriting income (loss) - Surety: 79.6% compared to the 85.5% average estimate based on three analysts.
- Underwriting income (loss) - Property: 49.2% versus the three-analyst average estimate of 69.8%.
- Underwriting income (loss) - Casualty: 99.6% versus the three-analyst average estimate of 97.5%.
- Net operating expenses - Property: 36% compared to the 33.1% average estimate based on two analysts.
- Net premiums earned: $406.4 million versus $406.2 million estimated by five analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +2.3% change.
- Net investment income: $42.33 million versus $42.97 million estimated by five analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +9.2% change.
- Net premiums earned- Property: $122.51 million versus $120.27 million estimated by three analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -9% change.
- Net premiums earned- Surety: $37.11 million versus $37.19 million estimated by three analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +1% change.
- Net premiums earned- Casualty: $246.79 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $246.65 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +9.3%.
View all Key Company Metrics for RLI Corp. here>>>
Shares of RLI Corp. have returned -8.2% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -0.4% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell), indicating that it could underperform the broader market in the near term.
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RLI Corp. (RLI): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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