United Fire Group saw its IBD SmartSelect Composite Rating rise to 96 Friday, up from 94 the day before.
The new rating is a sign the stock is outpacing 96% of all stocks when it comes to the most important stock-picking criteria. The market's biggest winners often have a 95 or higher grade in the early stages of a new price run, so that's a good starting point when looking for the best stocks to buy and watch.
United Fire Group is currently forming a consolidation, with a 31.70 buy point. See if the stock can break out in heavy trade at least 40% higher than normal. Be aware that it's a thinly traded stock, with average daily dollar volume under $8 million. Less liquid stocks are more prone to volatile action since it takes fewer shares bought or sold to move the share price.
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The stock sports an 81 EPS Rating, meaning its recent quarterly and annual earnings growth tops 81% of all stocks.
Its Accumulation/Distribution Rating of A shows heavy buying by institutional investors, such as mutual funds and pension funds, over the last 13 weeks.
The company reported a 92% rise in earnings for Q4. Top line growth fell to 16%, down from 18% in the previous quarter.
United Fire Group holds the No. 5 rank among its peers in the Insurance-Property/Casualty/Title industry group. Goosehead Insurance Cl A is the top-ranked stock within the group.
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