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Travelers Companies

Travelers offers a broad product range and participates in both commercial and personal insurance lines. Its commercial operations offer a variety of coverage types for companies of any size but concentrate on serving midsize businesses. Its personal lines are roughly evenly split between auto and homeowners insurance. Travelers derives 6% of its premiums from foreign markets.

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The Travelers Companies, Inc. Common Stock

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TWO RIVERS FINCL GRP INC by Two Rivers Financial Group, Inc.

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Travelers Companies's (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TRV#NYSE">TRV</a>) short percent of float has risen 3.75% since its last report. The company recently reported that it has 3.77 million shares sold short, which is 1.66% of all regular shares that are available for trading. Based on its trading volume, it would take traders 3.45 days to cover their short positions on average.
<h3>Why Short Interest Matters</h3>
Short interest is the number of shares that have been sold short but have not yet been covered or closed out. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/how-to-short-a-stock/">Short selling</a> is when a trader sells shares of a company they do not own, with the hope that the price will fall. Traders make money from short selling if the price of the stock falls and they lose if it rises.
Short interest is important to track because it can act as an indicator of market sentiment towards a particular stock. An increase in short interest can signal that investors have become more bearish, while a decrease in short interest can signal they have become more bullish.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/short-interest">List of the most shorted stocks</a>
<h3>Travelers Companies Short Interest Graph (3 Months)</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2024/1729107925_0.png" alt="short_fig" />
As you can see from the chart above the percentage of shares that are sold short for Travelers Companies has grown since its last report. This does not mean that the stock is going to fall in the near-term but traders should be aware that more shares are being shorted.
<h3>Comparing Travelers Companies's Short Interest Against Its Peers</h3>
Peer comparison is a popular technique amongst analysts and investors for gauging how well a company is performing. A company's peer is another company that has similar characteristics to it, such as industry, size, age, and financial structure. You can find a company's peer group by reading its 10-K, proxy filing, or by doing your own similarity analysis.
According to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/">Benzinga Pro</a>, Travelers Companies's peer group average for short interest as a percentage of float is 1.82%, which means the company has less short interest than most of its peers.
Did you know that increasing short interest can actually be bullish for a stock? <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/how-to-make-money-on-a-short-squeeze/">This post by Benzinga Money explains how you can profit from it.</a>
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and was reviewed by an editor.

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Short Ideas

(TRV) - Analyzing Travelers Companies's Short Interest

Travelers Companies (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TRV#NYSE">TRV</a>) is preparing to release its quarterly earnings on Thursday, 2024-10-17. Here's a brief overview of what investors should keep in mind before the announcement.
Analysts expect Travelers Companies to report an earnings per share (EPS) of $3.64.
The market awaits Travelers Companies's announcement, with hopes high for news of surpassing estimates and providing upbeat guidance for the next quarter.
It's important for new investors to understand that guidance can be a significant driver of stock prices.
<h3>Earnings Track Record</h3>
During the last quarter, the company reported an EPS beat by $0.53, leading to a 0.0% drop in the share price on the subsequent day.
Here's a look at Travelers Companies's past performance and the resulting price change:

<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Quarter</th>
<th>Q2 2024</th>
<th>Q1 2024</th>
<th>Q4 2023</th>
<th>Q3 2023</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>EPS Estimate</td>
<td>1.98</td>
<td>4.90</td>
<td>5.02</td>
<td>2.99</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>EPS Actual</td>
<td>2.51</td>
<td>4.69</td>
<td>7.01</td>
<td>1.95</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Price Change %</td>
<td>-8.0%</td>
<td>2.0%</td>
<td>7.000000000000001%</td>
<td>-2.0%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2024/1729090839_0.png" alt="eps graph" />
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/TRV/earnings">To track all earnings releases for Travelers Companies visit their earnings calendar on our site.</a>
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

Earnings

A Peek at Travelers Companies's Future Earnings

UBS analyst Brian Meredith maintains Travelers Companies (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TRV#NYSE">TRV</a>) with a Neutral and raises the price target from $238 to $244.

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Analyst Ratings

UBS Maintains Neutral on Travelers Companies, Raises Price Target to $244

Insured losses are way higher than originally anticipated due to the havoc from <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/10/41240852/back-to-back-hurricanes-batter-floridas-insurance-market-stocks-to-watch">back-to-back hurricanes</a>.
What Happened: Moody&#8217;s Risk Management Solutions, or RMS, <a href="https://www.rms.com/newsroom/announcement/2024-10-14/moodys-rms-event-response-us-private-market-insured-loss-estimate-for-hurricanes-helene-and-milton">crunched</a> the data to determine the financial impact of Hurricanes Milton and Helene. 
The firm expects total insured losses to range between $35 billion and $55 billion. 
That&#8217;s nearly quadruple what Moody's originally estimated, with losses falling between $8 billion and $14 billion. 
Hurricane Milton, the 13th named storm of the season, closely followed Hurricane Helene, which made landfall just two weeks earlier in Florida&#8217;s Big Bend region along the Gulf of Mexico.
Both storms hit many of the same areas, bringing widespread wind damage, storm surges, and inland flooding.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/10/41317881/hurricane-milton-to-deliver-2-5b-blow-to-floridas-homebuilding-sector-goldman-sachs">Hurricane Milton To Deliver $2.5B Blow To Florida&#8217;s Homebuilding Sector, Goldman Sachs Says</a>
Why It Matters: Moody&#8217;s estimates help insurance companies, policymakers and other stakeholders assess the financial risks and prepare for the economic consequences of such events in the future.
And that&#8217;s important considering hurricane season typically runs until Nov. 30. 
But here&#8217;s the thing: Floridians already pay exorbitant homeowners&#8217; insurance premiums, <a href="https://www.orlandoweekly.com/news/experts-worry-floridas-2024-hurricane-season-could-wipeout-recent-homeowners-insurance-fixes-38005875">per</a> Orlando Weekly. With the immense damage caused by these storms, they&#8217;re going to be paying even more.
According to Moody&#8217;s Chief Risk Modeling Officer Mohsen Rahnama, several factors add uncertainty to the final loss estimates. These include the complexity of hazard patterns, such as the damaging tornadoes spawned by Milton's rainbands in southern Florida, and the storm's interaction with a mid-latitude jet, which created two swaths of the strongest winds. 
In some cases, structures already damaged by Helene may have sustained further damage from Milton. This complicates efforts to determine the primary cause of loss and leads to potential coverage issues.
It&#8217;s not just Helene and Milton. Overlapping insurance claims and Florida's annual deductibles may increase losses for properties previously damaged by past hurricanes, such as Ian in 2022.
Altogether, the Moody&#8217;s ground teams conducted &#8220;field reconnaissance&#8221; for more than 2,000 miles of damage.
&#8220;Our teams are still in Florida surveying the impacted areas,&#8221; Rahnama said.
Florida&#8217;s Insurance Problem: Several major insurance companies had already retreated from Florida due to the high risks associated with the state&#8217;s frequent hurricanes and rising litigation costs. The ones that remained include:
<ul>
<li>Allstate Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ALL#NYSE">ALL</a>) </li>
<li>Travelers Companies Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TRV#NYSE">TRV</a>) </li>
<li>Progressive Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PGR#NYSE">PGR</a>) </li>
<li>State Farm</li>
</ul>
Florida-only carriers will take the hardest hit, per a Moody&#8217;s report from Oct. 10. These insurance companies have at least 75% of their homeowners and commercial property premiums written in the state, the firm noted. 
&#8220;The top 10 Florida-only insurers write about 50% of the state&#8217;s homeowners business and are more vulnerable than others given their geographic concentration,&#8221; the company <a href="https://floridaphoenix.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Moodys-Ratings_Hurricane-Milton_Reinsurers-10Oct2024-PBC_1425591-1.pdf">stated</a>. They include:
<ul>
<li>Citizens Property Insurance Corp.</li>
<li>Universal P&amp;C</li>
<li>Tower Hill</li>
<li>First Protective</li>
<li>Slide Insurance</li>
<li>Edison Insurance</li>
<li>Amer Integrity</li>
<li>Florida Peninsula</li>
<li>Homeowners Choice P&amp;C</li>
<li>Security First </li>
</ul>
ETFs To Watch: Three exchange-traded funds tracking public companies in the insurance space were all in the green at last check Monday:
<ul>
<li>SPDR S&amp;P Insurance ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KIE#NYSE">KIE</a>), up 0.78%</li>
<li>iShares U.S. Insurance ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IAK#NYSE">IAK</a>), up 0.37%</li>
<li>Invesco KBW Property &amp; Casualty Insurance ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KBWP#NASDAQ">KBWP</a>), up 0.58%</li>
</ul>
What&#8217;s Next: Moody's will provide a final industry loss estimate for Milton by the end of this week.
The National Hurricane Center is tracking a tropical depression in the Atlantic Ocean. 
Though it can bring heavy rain and cause flooding, a tropical depression is generally weak; if wind speeds increase beyond 39 miles per hour, it can develop into a tropical storm or hurricane if conditions allow.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Mon 10/14 8am EDT: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AL94?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AL94</a> has a chance of developing into a tropical depression as it approaches, or moves near the northern <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LeewardIslands?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LeewardIslands</a> late this week. <a href="https://t.co/1aFZ3ykENk">pic.twitter.com/1aFZ3ykENk</a>
&mdash; National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) <a href="https://twitter.com/NHC_Atlantic/status/1845796399990129124?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
Now Read:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/10/41319060/s-p-500-extends-record-highs-dow-breaks-43-000-ahead-of-pivotal-earnings-week-bitco">S&amp;P 500 Extends Record Highs, Dow Breaks 43K, Bitcoin Rallies: What&#8217;s Driving Markets Monday?</a></li>
</ul>
Photo: Shutterstock

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Hurricanes Helene, Milton Insurance Losses Spike To $55B: Moody's

The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/trv#NYSE">TRV</a>) is set to report third-quarter 2024 earnings on Oct. 17. TRV delivered an earnings surprise in two of the last four quarters and missed twice, the average beat being 7.47%.
<h2>Factors to Consider</h2>
Travelers&#39; third-quarter results are likely to benefit from solid performance across its three segments.
Better pricing, solid renewal rate change, strong retention and exposure growth are likely to have aided premiums in the to-be-reported quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate is currently pegged at $10.5 billion, indicating an increase of 8.9% from the year-ago reported number. We estimate premiums to increase 8.6% to $10.5 billion.
Investment results are likely to benefit from a higher long-term average yield, a higher average level of fixed maturity investments, reliable terms from growing fixed income portfolio and higher returns from non-fixed income portfolio. The Zacks Consensus Estimate is currently pegged at $883 million, implying an increase of 14.8% from the year-ago reported number. We estimate net investment income to increase 13% to $868.7 million.
The Personal Insurance segment is likely to have benefited from increases in the automobile and homeowners and other product lines, strong retention rates and positive renewal premium changes. The Zacks Consensus Estimate is currently pegged at $4.2 billion, indicating an increase of 10.2% from the year-ago reported number. We estimate earned premiums at Personal Insurance to be $4 billion, suggesting an improvement of 7% from the year-ago reported figure.
An increase in net written premiums coupled with higher net investment income and other revenues is likely to have aided the top line in the to-be-reported quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is currently pegged at $11.68 billion, indicating a 9.1% increase from the year-ago reported figure.
Despite catastrophe losses, better pricing and increased exposure, coupled with prudent underwriting, are expected to have aided underwriting profitability, which, in turn, is expected to have led to an improvement in the combined ratio. We estimate the combined ratio to be 100.3. The Zacks Consensus Estimate is currently pegged at 98, indicating an improvement of 300 basis points from the year-ago reported number.
However, expenses are expected to have risen on higher claims and claim adjustment expenses, amortization of deferred acquisition costs, general and administrative expenses, as well as interest expenses. We estimate expenses to increase 4.1% in the to-be-reported quarter to $10.6 billion.&nbsp; 
Continued share buybacks are anticipated to have provided an additional boost to the bottom line.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for third-quarter 2024 earnings per share is pegged at $3.76, suggesting an increase of 92.8% from the year-ago reported figure.
<h2>What the Zacks Model Unveils</h2>
Our proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for Travelers this time around. This is because a stock needs to have the right combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). This is not the case, as you can see below:
Earnings ESP: Travelers has an Earnings ESP of -9.26%. This is because the Most Accurate Estimate of $3.41 is pegged lower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.76.
<div class="chart_embed">
<h3>The Travelers Companies, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise</h3>
<img alt="The Travelers Companies, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise" src="https://staticx-tuner.zacks.com/images/charts/1d/1728904143.png" style="height:263px; width:545px" title="" />
The Travelers Companies, Inc. price-eps-surprise | The Travelers Companies, Inc. Quote
Zacks Rank: Travelers currently carries a Zacks Rank #3.
</div>
<h2>Stocks to Consider</h2>
Here are three P&amp;C insurance stocks you may want to consider, as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat:
Arch Capital Group (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/acgl#NASDAQ">ACGL</a>) has an Earnings ESP of +5.14% and a Zacks Rank #3 at present. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for third-quarter 2024 earnings is pegged at $1.82, indicating a year-over-year decrease of 21.2%.
ACGL&#39;s earnings beat estimates in each of the last four reported quarters.
First American Financial (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/faf#NYSE">FAF</a>) has an Earnings ESP of +1.77% and a Zacks Rank #3 at present. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for third-quarter 2024 earnings is pegged at $1.15, indicating a year-over-year decrease of 5.7%.
FAF&#39;s earnings beat estimates in two of the last four reported quarters while missing in the other two.
American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/afg#NYSE">AFG</a>) has an Earnings ESP of +1.91% and carries a Zacks Rank of 3 at present. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for third-quarter 2024 earnings is pegged at $2.51, implying an increase of 2.4% from the year-ago quarter&#39;s reported figure.
AFG&#39;s earnings beat estimates in two of the last four reported quarters while missing in the other two.
<a href="https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2350077/travelers-gears-up-to-report-q3-earnings-what-s-in-the-cards?cid=CS-BENZ-FT-analyst_blog|earnings_preview-2350077">To read this article on Zacks.com click here.</a>

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Travelers Gears Up to Report Q3 Earnings: What's in the Cards?

B of A Securities analyst Joshua Shanker maintains Travelers Companies (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TRV#NYSE">TRV</a>) with a Underperform and raises the price target from $223 to $241.

B of A Securities Maintains Underperform on Travelers Companies, Raises Price Target to $241

Wells Fargo analyst Elyse Greenspan maintains Travelers Companies (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TRV#NYSE">TRV</a>) with a Equal-Weight and raises the price target from $206 to $207.

Wells Fargo Maintains Equal-Weight on Travelers Companies, Raises Price Target to $207

Jefferies analyst Yaron Kinar maintains Travelers Companies (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TRV#NYSE">TRV</a>) with a Hold and raises the price target from $210 to $235.

Jefferies Maintains Hold on Travelers Companies, Raises Price Target to $235

Providing a diverse range of perspectives from bullish to bearish, 9 analysts have published ratings on Travelers Companies (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TRV#NYSE">TRV</a>) in the last three months.
The following table encapsulates their recent ratings, offering a glimpse into the evolving sentiments over the past 30 days and comparing them to the preceding months.
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th></th>
<th style="text-align: right;">Bullish</th>
<th style="text-align: right;">Somewhat Bullish</th>
<th style="text-align: right;">Indifferent</th>
<th style="text-align: right;">Somewhat Bearish</th>
<th style="text-align: right;">Bearish</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Total Ratings</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">1</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">5</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">1</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Last 30D</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>1M Ago</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2M Ago</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">1</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3M Ago</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">5</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">1</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">1</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Analysts provide deeper insights through their assessments of 12-month price targets, revealing an average target of $226.0, a high estimate of $286.00, and a low estimate of $203.00. Observing a 4.57% increase, the current average has risen from the previous average price target of $216.12. 
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2024/1728489638_0.png" alt="price target chart" />
<h2>Analyzing Analyst Ratings: A Detailed Breakdown</h2>
The analysis of recent analyst actions sheds light on the perception of Travelers Companies by financial experts. The following summary presents key analysts, their recent evaluations, and adjustments to ratings and price targets.
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Analyst</th>
<th>Analyst Firm</th>
<th>Action Taken</th>
<th>Rating</th>
<th>Current Price Target</th>
<th>Prior Price Target</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Alex Scott</td>
<td>Goldman Sachs</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Sell</td>
<td>$216.00</td>
<td>$196.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Alex Scott</td>
<td>Barclays</td>
<td>Announces</td>
<td>Overweight</td>
<td>$286.00</td>
<td>-</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Cave Montazeri</td>
<td>Deutsche Bank</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Hold</td>
<td>$234.00</td>
<td>$221.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Michael Ward</td>
<td>Citigroup</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Sell</td>
<td>$203.00</td>
<td>$200.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Joshua Shanker</td>
<td>B of A Securities</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Underperform</td>
<td>$223.00</td>
<td>$202.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Scott Heleniak</td>
<td>RBC Capital</td>
<td>Maintains</td>
<td>Sector Perform</td>
<td>$225.00</td>
<td>$225.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Paul Newsome</td>
<td>Piper Sandler</td>
<td>Lowers</td>
<td>Neutral</td>
<td>$207.00</td>
<td>$213.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Michael Phillips</td>
<td>Morgan Stanley</td>
<td>Lowers</td>
<td>Equal-Weight</td>
<td>$210.00</td>
<td>$220.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Andrew Kligerman</td>
<td>TD Cowen</td>
<td>Lowers</td>
<td>Hold</td>
<td>$230.00</td>
<td>$252.00</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<h3>Key Insights:</h3>
<ul>
<li>Action Taken: Responding to changing market dynamics and company performance, analysts update their recommendations. Whether they 'Maintain', 'Raise', or 'Lower' their stance, it signifies their response to recent developments related to Travelers Companies. This offers insight into analysts' perspectives on the current state of the company.</li>
<li>Rating: Providing a comprehensive analysis, analysts offer qualitative assessments, ranging from 'Outperform' to 'Underperform'. These ratings reflect expectations for the relative performance of Travelers Companies compared to the broader market.</li>
<li>Price Targets: Understanding forecasts, analysts offer estimates for Travelers Companies's future value. Examining the current and prior targets provides insight into analysts' changing expectations.</li>
</ul>
Navigating through these analyst evaluations alongside other financial indicators can contribute to a holistic understanding of Travelers Companies's market standing. Stay informed and make data-driven decisions with our Ratings Table.
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/TRV/analyst-ratings?utm_source=Benzinga Insights">Stay up to date on Travelers Companies analyst ratings.</a>
<h2>Discovering Travelers Companies: A Closer Look</h2>
Travelers offers a broad product range and participates in both commercial and personal insurance lines. Its commercial operations offer a variety of coverage types for companies of any size but concentrate on serving midsize businesses. Its personal lines are roughly evenly split between auto and homeowners insurance. Travelers derives 6% of its premiums from foreign markets.
<h3>Travelers Companies: Delving into Financials</h3>
Market Capitalization Analysis: With an elevated market capitalization, the company stands out above industry averages, showcasing substantial size and market acknowledgment.
Positive Revenue Trend: Examining Travelers Companies's financials over 3 months reveals a positive narrative. The company achieved a noteworthy revenue growth rate of 11.73% as of 30 June, 2024, showcasing a substantial increase in top-line earnings. When compared to others in the Financials sector, the company excelled with a growth rate higher than the average among peers.
Net Margin: Travelers Companies's net margin lags behind industry averages, suggesting challenges in maintaining strong profitability. With a net margin of 4.69%, the company may face hurdles in effective cost management.
Return on Equity (ROE): The company's ROE is below industry benchmarks, signaling potential difficulties in efficiently using equity capital. With an ROE of 2.12%, the company may need to address challenges in generating satisfactory returns for shareholders.
Return on Assets (ROA): Travelers Companies's ROA falls below industry averages, indicating challenges in efficiently utilizing assets. With an ROA of 0.41%, the company may face hurdles in generating optimal returns from its assets.
Debt Management: Travelers Companies's debt-to-equity ratio stands notably higher than the industry average, reaching 0.32. This indicates a heavier reliance on borrowed funds, raising concerns about financial leverage.
<h2>Understanding the Relevance of Analyst Ratings</h2>
Analysts are specialists within banking and financial systems that typically report for specific stocks or within defined sectors. These people research company financial statements, sit in conference calls and meetings, and speak with relevant insiders to determine what are known as analyst ratings for stocks. Typically, analysts will rate each stock once a quarter. 
In addition to their assessments, some analysts extend their insights by offering predictions for key metrics such as earnings, revenue, and growth estimates. This supplementary information provides further guidance for traders. It is crucial to recognize that, despite their specialization, analysts are human and can only provide forecasts based on their beliefs.
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The Analyst Landscape: 9 Takes On Travelers Companies

Insurance, regional banks, fitness centers, utilities, hospitals and theme parks are among the sectors that could be negatively impacted when Hurricane Milton hits Florida Wednesday night or <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/10/41231817/hurricane-milton-dire-warning-if-you-choose-to-stay-youre-going-to-die-officials-encourage-writing-n">early </a><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/10/41209505/hurricane-milton-is-floridas-second-storm-in-two-weeks-how-disney-theme-parks-insurance-companie">Thursday </a><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/10/41231817/hurricane-milton-dire-warning-if-you-choose-to-stay-youre-going-to-die-officials-encourage-writing-n">morning.</a>
Here's a look at some of the sectors and stocks that investors should be watching with Hurricane Milton on the way.
Hurricane Milton Update: According <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/weather/map-hurricane-milton-path-forecast-status-track-rcna174203">to </a>NBC News, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/hurricane-milton">Hurricane Milton was downgraded </a>to a Category 4 storm on Wednesday morning. The hurricane is expected to make landfall Wednesday night and could hit some of Florida&#8217;s most populous areas, including the Tampa Bay area.
Evacuation orders are in place for multiple Florida counties with government officials warning that failure to follow the orders could lead to casualties.
With evacuations taking place, Florida service stations are running out of gas, and there are concerns about charging electric vehicles on evacuation routes.
The constant changes in the storm's path could have a major effect on the damage and potential casualties. A landfall in the Tampa Bay area is seen as the worst-case scenario for the hurricane, as reported by <a href="https://www.cnn.com/weather/live-news/hurricane-milton-florida-10-09-24/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN</a>.
Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/10/41239644/hurricane-milton-evacuations-a-matter-of-life-and-death-biden-says-feds-bostic-says-storm-could-">Hurricane Milton Evacuations &#8216;A Matter Of Life And Death,&#8217; Biden Says: Fed&#8217;s Bostic Says Storm Could Have Significant Economic Impact Over Next 6 Months</a>
Regional Banks: DA Davidson analyst Gary Tenner looked at the regional banks that could be most impacted by Hurricane Milton in a new investor note.
"Based on experience, we would expect the banks in the market to be impacted in multiple ways in the post-hurricane period, including a potential deposit boost related to insurance settlements, elevated near term expenses and provision, with lending opportunities related to rebuilding efforts,&#8221; Tenner said.
The analyst said banks in the Tampa and St. Petersburg areas could see near-term increased expenses but could see "positive offsets over the longer term."
Based on market share in the region, Tenner highlights the following regional banks:
<ul>
<li>Regions Financial (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RF#NYSE">RF</a>): Buy rating</li>
<li>Fifth Third Bancorp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FITB#NASDAQ">FITB</a>): Neutral rating</li>
<li>Synovus Financial Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SNV#NYSE">SNV</a>): Buy rating</li>
<li>SouthState Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SSB#NYSE">SSB</a>): Buy rating</li>
<li>Cadence Bank (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CADE#NYSE">CADE</a>): Buy rating</li>
<li>Hancock Whitney Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HWC#NASDAQ">HWC</a>): Buy rating</li>
</ul>
Hospitals Impact: Hospital operators in the Florida region could be negatively impacted by Hurricane Milton and face IV shortages, RBC analyst Ben Hendrix said in a new investor note.
"Hospital operators traded slightly lower on Thursday, which we believe reflects at least in part weather-related concerns as Hurricane Milton moves toward Florida's west coast," Hendrix said.
The analyst said hospitals could see "some disruptions to facilities" in the coming days.
RBC highlights the following hospitals in the report:
<ul>
<li>Community Health Systems (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CYH#NYSE">CYH</a>): Outperform rating</li>
<li>HCA Healthcare (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HCA#NYSE">HCA</a>): Outperform rating</li>
<li>Tenet Healthcare (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/THC#NYSE">THC</a>): Outperform rating</li>
<li>Universal Health Services (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UHS#NYSE">UHS</a>): Sector Perform rating</li>
</ul>
"We believe HCA may be spared the worst of the storm damage with most of its hospital concentration in Central Florida located in the Tampa Bay area, which is north of the expected Sarasota landfall," Hendrix said.
Utilities Impact: Hurricane Milton could have a negative impact on utility stocks, Scotiabank analyst Andrew Weisel warned investors in a new note.
"While we remain bullish on U.S. utility fundamentals and valuations, we're growing somewhat cautious about investor sentiment, which had finally started to turn positive after years of negativity or indifference," Weisel said.
The analyst said they generally caution against trading around storms like Hurricane Milton.
"Rising hurricane activity is no doubt worrisome."
Weisel said the utility sector has several catalysts like rate cuts and the 2024 election, aside from the hurricane impact.
Top utility picks from Weisel are CMS Energy Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CMS#NYSE">CMS</a>), WEC Energy Group (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WEC#NYSE">WEC</a>) and DTE Energy Company (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DTE#NYSE">DTE</a>). After these three top picks, the analyst highlights Southern Company (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SO#NYSE">SO</a>), NextEra Energy (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NEE#NYSE">NEE</a>), Alliant Energy Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LNT#NASDAQ">LNT</a>) and American Electric Power Company (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AEP#NASDAQ">AEP</a>) as other favorable utility names. 
Weisel also said he would buy Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DUK#NYSE">DUK</a>) because of its weakness ahead of Hurricane Milton.
"While outages often lead to lost revenues, slightly weighing on near-term earnings, the impacts are generally very modest," Weisel said.
Another major utility that could be impacted by Hurricane Milton is Tampa Electric, owned by Emera Inc. (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/EMRAF#OTC">EMRAF</a>). Serving the Tampa Bay area, Tampa Electric is particularly vulnerable to the storm&#8217;s effects.
Insurance Stocks: The insurance sector is one of the sectors most on watch for the damaging impact and cleanup aftermath from Hurricane Milton.
Insurance stocks like Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BRK#NYSE">BRK</a>) (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BRK#NYSE">BRK</a>), Allstate (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ALL#NYSE">ALL</a>), Progressive (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PGR#NYSE">PGR</a>), Travelers Companies (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TRV#NYSE">TRV</a>) and Chubb (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CB#NYSE">CB</a>) are among the large insurers that could be impacted.
RBC analyst Derald Goh, who covers European insurance stocks, shared a note on the potential damage from the hurricane.
"A potential $60bn industry loss from Hurricane Milton appears very manageable for a sector that is keen to demonstrate stronger earnings resiliency and should drive a re-rating," Goh said.
The $60 billion estimate comes as Hurricane Milton is expected to cause destruction similar to that caused by Hurricane Ian in 2022. Based on the estimated damage from that storm, the analyst considers this estimate the most reliable method for predicting the impact on insurance companies.
Goh said five hurricanes have made landfall in the U.S. this season, and the previous average forecast was 12.
Leisure Sector: Hurricane Milton could also impact theme parks, with the state of Florida home to Disney World, owned by The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DIS#NYSE">DIS</a>), and Universal Studios Orlando, owned by Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CMCSA#NASDAQ">CMCSA</a>).
Disney announced it is <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/10/41245886/disney-world-closes-early-as-hurricane-milton-approaches-florida-parks-brace-for-impact">closing Disney World parks early </a>on Wednesday and transportation services could remain limited, with a plan to re-open on Thursday. The storm may have scared away a large amount of tourists. Goldman Sachs recently said Disney could see a<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/entertainment/24/10/41229099/disney-faces-150m-200m-blow-from-hurricane-milton-attendance-set-to-drop-6-says-goldman-sac"> $150 million to $200 million</a> negative impact from Hurricane Milton.
Morgan Stanley analyst Megan Alexander sees Hurricane Milton having a negative impact on fitness centers Planet Fitness (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PLNT#NYSE">PLNT</a>) and Life Time Group Holdings (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LTH#NYSE">LTH</a>) and indoor golf facility company Topgolf Callaway Brands (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MODG#NYSE">MODG</a>).
"Overall, PLNT appears to be the most exposed across our coverage particularly given the concentration of corporate locations in the state," Alexander said.
The analyst, who has an Overweight rating and a $84 price target on Planet Fitness, said Florida represents around 25% of corporate-owned locations. Store closures could negatively impact new membership additions, but Alexander added that the monthly membership fee revenue model could insulate the company from a negative impact.
The analyst sees Life Time Group, rated Equal Weight with a $21 price target, having a minimal impact with only five locations in Florida, which is less than 3% of total locations.
Alexander said Topgolf has nine locations in Florida, with five currently closed due to Hurricane Milton. The analyst, who has an Underweight rating and a $10 price target on the stock, said Topgolf will likely see a minimal impact unless locations have severe storm damage and have to be closed for an extended time period.  
Read Next: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/10/41231817/hurricane-milton-dire-warning-if-you-choose-to-stay-youre-going-to-die-officials-encourage-writing-n">Hurricane Milton Dire Warning: &#8216;If You Choose To Stay &#8230; You&#8217;re Going To Die,&#8217; Officials Encourage Writing Name On Arm In Permanent Marker For ID</a></li>
</ul>
Image of Hurricane Milton courtesy of NASA.

Analyst Color

Equities

Health Care

Reiteration

CADE

CMCSA

EMRAF

FITB

MODG

PLNT

Hurricane Milton Descends On Florida: Analysts Warn Of Impact On Disney, NextEra's Florida Power & Light, Regional Banks

Goldman Sachs analyst Alex Scott maintains Travelers Companies (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TRV#NYSE">TRV</a>) with a Sell and raises the price target from $196 to $216.

Goldman Sachs Maintains Sell on Travelers Companies, Raises Price Target to $216

Insurance companies operating in Florida face significant challenges following two intense hurricanes: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/10/41231817/hurricane-milton-dire-warning-if-you-choose-to-stay-youre-going-to-die-officials-encourage-writing-n">Helene and Milton</a>. 
What Happened: After Hurricane Helene, losses for private insurers were <a href="https://www.wusf.org/weather/2024-09-25/helene-could-cause-billions-in-private-federal-insurance-losses">estimated</a> at $3 to $6 billion. Hurricane Milton, expected to make landfall Wednesday on Florida's Gulf Coast near Tampa, is adding further strain to Florida&#8217;s insurance market.
High claim volumes, rising premiums and an exodus of insurers already slammed customers. With Hurricane Milton looming, the market could experience further destabilization.
The average annual premium for homeowners' insurance in Florida has surged to $10,996, making it the highest in the nation. 
Insurify <a href="https://insurify.com/homeowners-insurance/report/home-insurance-price-projections/">projects</a> that this number will rise by an additional 7% in 2024, bringing the average to $11,759. This figure is nearly four times the national average, driven by multiple factors including the increased frequency and severity of hurricanes, rising costs of building materials, and issues with reinsurance. 
Florida has also seen a significant number of insurance companies pull out of the state, further exacerbating the situation​.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/09/41082452/hurricane-helene-exposes-vulnerability-of-floridas-home-insurance-market">Hurricane Helene Exposes Vulnerability Of Florida&#8217;s Home Insurance Market</a>
Stocks To Watch: The <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/10/41239644/hurricane-milton-evacuations-a-matter-of-life-and-death-biden-says-feds-bostic-says-storm-could-">ongoing hurricane activity in Florida</a> is expected to impact several major publicly traded insurance companies.
Key insurers facing challenges include: 
<ul>
<li>Allstate Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ALL#NYSE">ALL</a>) </li>
<li>Travelers Companies Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TRV#NYSE">TRV</a>) </li>
<li>Progressive Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PGR#NYSE">PGR</a>) </li>
<li>State Farm (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/STFGX#NASDAQ">STFGX</a>) </li>
</ul>
Citizens Property Insurance Corp. covers more than 1.4 million policies but with much higher premiums, averaging $21,707 annually​. Dubbed Florida's insurer of last resort, the company is transferring more than 648,000 policies to private insurers, per <a href="https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2024/10/04/what-citizens-insurance-depopulation-means-for-florida-homeowners/">Click Orlando</a>.
These companies are experiencing heavy financial strain due to increased claims, which will likely lead to higher premiums and reduced coverage availability. Smaller, regional insurers operating in Florida may also face insolvency or further pressure to exit the market.
Why It Matters: According <a href="https://www.insurancebusinessmag.com/us/news/property/florida-insurers-deny-nearly-half-of-hurricane-claims-ratings-agency-says-508765.aspx">to</a> Insurance Business Magazine, citing Weiss Ratings data, several large Florida insurers denied nearly half of homeowner claims closed in 2023. 
Among these carriers were:
<ul>
<li>Castle Key Indemnity Co., denied 47.1% of claims</li>
<li>Castle Key Insurance Company, at 46%.</li>
<li>State Farm Florida Insurance Company, denied 46.4% </li>
</ul>
Coverage is often denied to conserve cash and avoid bankruptcy.
How We Got Here: While it&#8217;s difficult to attribute any single hurricane directly to climate change, many scientists say that climate change exacerbates the frequency of extreme weather events.
Warmer ocean temperatures, fueled by global warming, provide more energy for storms, making hurricanes such as Helene and Milton more intense.
Rising sea levels also contribute to more severe storm surges. Additionally, changing weather patterns may cause slower-moving storms, leading to more rainfall and prolonged damage in affected areas. Overall, climate change plays a role in the increasing severity of storms.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis <a href="https://www.flgov.com/2024/10/08/governor-ron-desantis-issues-updates-on-state-preparedness-efforts-for-hurricane-milton-3/">declared </a>a state of emergency for 51 Florida counties. So far, he has generally avoided directly linking the increasing intensity of hurricanes in <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/climate-change">Florida to climate change</a>.
Now Read:
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/24/10/41236355/stocks-rally-as-oil-prices-tumble-tech-chipmakers-lead-as-traders-focus-on-ai-winners-before-earnin">Stocks Rally As Oil Prices Tumble; Tech, Chipmakers Lead As Traders Focus On AI Winners Before Earnings Season: What&#8217;s Driving Markets Tuesday?</a></li>
</ul>
Photo: Massive destruction on Fort Myers Beach after Hurricane Ian, 2022, by Felix Mizioznikov via Shutterstock

STFGX

Back-To-Back Hurricanes Batter Florida's Insurance Market: Stocks To Watch

Hurricane Milton is nearing the west coast of Florida and bringing a second powerful storm to the state <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/09/41073069/hurricane-helene-update-28-dead-power-outages-insurance-damages-and-more">within two weeks.</a>
Here's the latest update on the storm, expected to make landfall in the U.S. on Wednesday night.
What Happened: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/10/41209505/hurricane-milton-is-floridas-second-storm-in-two-weeks-how-disney-theme-parks-insurance-companie">Hurricane Milton reached</a> Category 5 status Monday with winds of 180 miles per hour, making the storm one of the strongest in the world in 2024.
The hurricane was downgraded to a Category 4 storm on Tuesday, but could be elevated to Category 5 status once again Tuesday late or on Wednesday.  
"I was just briefed by members of my team who are driving our preparations for Hurricane Milton and recovery efforts for Hurricane Helene," President Joe Biden <a href="https://x.com/POTUS/status/1843709155141452221">tweeted</a>. "I directed this group to do everything we can to save lives and help communities before, during, and after these extreme weather events."
Biden said there are thousands of federal personnel on the ground in the Southeast to help deliver resources as fast as possible.
"My priority is to increase the size and presence of our effort as we prepare for another potentially catastrophic storm making landfall in Florida."
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor cautioned against the spreading of false statements and rumors about government and the state of Florida not working together causing a shortage or response resources, as <a href="https://www.cnn.com/weather/live-news/hurricane-milton-florida-10-08-24/index.html">reported </a>by CNN.
"That could not be further from the truth," Castor said.
Castor said she spoke with Biden about preparations on Monday night. The mayor also spoke with FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell.
"They are working to get us all the resources we need."
Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/10/41231817/hurricane-milton-dire-warning-if-you-choose-to-stay-youre-going-to-die-officials-encourage-writing-n">Hurricane Milton Dire Warning: &#8216;If You Choose To Stay &#8230; You&#8217;re Going To Die,&#8217; Officials Encourage Writing Name On Arm In Permanent Marker For ID</a>
Economic Impact: Hurricane Milton could have a severe impact on the insurance sector, especially with back-to-back hurricanes hitting Florida in a short period.
Insurance stocks like Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BRK#NYSE">BRK</a>)(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BRK#NYSE">BRK</a>), Allstate Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ALL#NYSE">ALL</a>), Chubb Limited (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CB#NYSE">CB</a>), Progressive Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PGR#NYSE">PGR</a>) and Travelers Companies Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TRV#NYSE">TRV</a>) could all be volatile as the financial impact of the hurricane becomes clear.
While insurance and other sectors could get hit, Federal Open Market Committee member Raphael Bostic, who is the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, <a href="https://www.atlantafed.org/news/press-room/media-advisories/2024/10/08/bostic-remarks-atlanta-consular-corps">said </a>the storm could have a big impact on the overall U.S. economy over the next three to six months.
Bostic said changes in storms, like Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton, can impact the supply and demand of housing in different cities. Bostic also said the frequency of impactful hurricanes can hit markets like insurance and food commodities.
Financial firms need to recognize how hurricanes and other catastrophic events change their risks, Bostic added.
Jefferies analyst Yaron Kinar called Hurricane Milton a potential "1-in-100 year event" that could cause damage of over $50 billion and the potential to have a $175 billion impact in a worst-case scenario, as <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2024/10/08/hurricane-milton-could-cause-as-much-as-175-billion-in-damages-according-to-early-estimates.html">reported </a>by CNBC.
Kinder Morgan Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KMI#NYSE">KMI</a>) shut down its Central Florida pipeline system, according to a report from Reuters. The pipeline system delivers gasoline and diesel from Tampa to Orlando. Citgo also shut down a terminal in Tampa ahead of the storm.
Theme parks in Florida remain on watch with Walt Disney Co (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DIS#NYSE">DIS</a>)-owned Disney World and Comcast Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CMCSA#NASDAQ">CMCSA</a>)-owned Universal Orlando remaining open under normal conditions as of the time of writing, as <a href="https://apnews.com/live/hurricane-milton-florida-tracker-updates">reported </a>by the Associated Press. A Goldman Sachs analyst said Tuesday that the hurricane could have a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/entertainment/24/10/41229099/disney-faces-150m-200m-blow-from-hurricane-milton-attendance-set-to-drop-6-says-goldman-sac">$150 million to $200 million </a>negative impact on Disney.
Evacuation Orders: Of the five most populous Florida cities (Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa, Orlando, St. Petersburg), four are located in counties that have evacuation orders in place, with only Jacksonville not on the list. With these highly populated regions and numerous counties on the list, Hurricane Milton is driving the most evacuations in the state since 2017.
Government officials have stressed the importance of evacuations in mandatory areas, with Tampa's mayor saying that failure to evacuate could lead to death.
Biden echoed that sentiment in a tweet.
"I urge everyone in Hurricane Milton's path to listen to local officials and follow all safety instructions. If you are under evacuation orders you should evacuate now while it is still safe to do so. It is a matter of life and death," Biden <a href="https://x.com/POTUS/status/1843696607981670523">tweeted</a>.
The Associated Press said Wednesday that around 5.9 million people are impacted by the 11 counties under mandatory evacuations based on estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Read Next: 
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/10/41145534/hurricane-helene-adds-to-most-active-quarter-for-power-outages-driving-back-up-gene">Hurricane Helene Adds To &#8216;Most Active Quarter&#8217; For Power Outages, Driving Back-Up Generator Demand</a></li>
</ul>
Photo: Shutterstock

Government

Federal Reserve

Hurricane Milton Evacuations 'A Matter Of Life And Death,' Biden Says: Fed's Bostic Says Storm Could Have Significant Economic Impact Over Next 6 Months

The second Category 5 storm of the 2024 <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/24/10/41215820/hurricane-milton-is-floridas-second-storm-in-two-weeks-how-disney-theme-parks-insurance-companies-co">hurricane season named Hurricane Milton </a>is threatening large-scale destruction, as it quickly graduated from Category 1 status and is approaching the state of Florida. The storm is expected to lash over the Tampa Bay on Wednesday.
Milton Vs. Previous Hurricanes: Hurricane Milton gathered maximum sustained wind speeds of 180 miles per hour by Monday night, and in terms of wind speed it only trails a 1980 hurricane, which went by the name Allen and boasted a top wind speed of 190 mph before it made landfall in the U.S.-Mexican border,<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/07/weather/hurricane-milton-forecast-path.html"> said</a> New York Times.
Going by pressure &#8211; which is another measure of a storm&#8217;s intensity, Milton is similar to Hurricane Wilma from the 2005 hurricane season that holds the record for the lowest pressure, the Times said.
The latest<a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCPAT4+shtml/080541.shtml"> update</a> issued by the National Hurricane Center early Tuesday showed Milton weakening to a Category 4 storm with wind speed slowing to 155 mph. The hurricane was moving east at 9 mph and was located 585 miles southwest of Tampa.
Milton is expected to regain Category 5 strength Tuesday morning and maintain this strength through the day, CNN&#8217;s <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/weather/live-news/hurricane-milton-florida-10-08-24/index.html">update </a>showed. It would then fluctuate in intensity before making landfall on Wednesday as a Category 3 storm.
Certified Consulting Meteorologist and NBC 6 South Florida John Morales, while on air, was overwhelmed with emotion as he described the hurricane. &#8220;It&#8217;s just an incredible, incredible, incredible hurricane. It has dropped 50 millibars in 10 hours,&#8221; he said before pausing to suppress his emotion. &#8220;I apologize. This is just horrific,&#8221; he said. Sharing a video clip of this, CNN media analyst Brian Stelter said, &#8220;NBC6&#8217;s @JohnMoralesTV is the longest-tenured TV meteorologist in South Florida. When he gets this serious, this emotional, on the air, viewers pay attention.&#8221;
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">NBC6&#39;s <a href="https://twitter.com/JohnMoralesTV?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JohnMoralesTV</a> is the longest tenured TV meteorologist in south Florida. When he gets this serious, this emotional, on the air, viewers pay attention: <a href="https://t.co/iiECZ8KaHx">pic.twitter.com/iiECZ8KaHx</a>
&mdash; Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) <a href="https://twitter.com/brianstelter/status/1843362454321115138?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<figcaption class="wp-element-caption">See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/best-insurance-stocks">Best Insurance Stocks</a></figcaption></figure>
Florida&#8217;s Preparedness: The Sunshine State is on full alert with multiple teams coordinating to prepare ahead of Milton&#8217;s landfall. At a Monday briefing, Florida&#8217;s emergency management director, Kevin Guthrie called out to people to be prepared, ABC News <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/ahead-hurricane-strike-floridians-plan-supply-kit-heed-114571554">said.</a> &#8220;If they have called an evacuation order, I beg you, I implore you to evacuate,&#8221; he reportedly said.
Jaime Hernandez, the emergency management director in Hollywood, Florida, reportedly asked people to be ready with a plan taking into account the changing forecasts, have an emergency kit and stay informed,
Writing on X, formerly Twitter, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said, &#8220;Evacuations are underway, and we have suspended tolls and opened roadway shoulders to make it easier for Floridians to get to safety.&#8221; He directed people to take evacuate to pet-friendly shelters, special needs shelters, and other options that are safe from storm surges in their own counties.
Stocks To Keep Eye On: 
Insurers: Property and casualty insurance stocks have been under pressure since <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/10/41145534/hurricane-helene-adds-to-most-active-quarter-for-power-outages-driving-back-up-gene">Hurricane Helene </a>that impacted Southeastern U.S. and they fell on Monday amid news concerning Milton. These stocks could be once again on the radar in Tuesday&#8217;s session. These include:
<ul>
<li>Progressive Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PGR#NYSE">PGR</a>)</li>
<li>Chubb Limited (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CB#NYSE">CB</a>)</li>
<li>Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TRV#NYSE">TRV</a>)</li>
<li>Allstate Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ALL#NYSE">ALL</a>)</li>
<li>Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HIG#NYSE">HIG</a>)</li>
<li>Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MKL#NYSE">MKL</a>)</li>
<li>Loews Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/L#NYSE">L</a>)</li>
</ul>
The steepest losses were recorded by Florida-based insurers such as Heritage Insurance Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HRTG#NYSE">HRTG</a>) (down over 23%, American Coastal Insurance Corporation (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/acic#NASDAQ">ACIC</a>) (down over 15%), and HCI Group, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HCI#NYSE">HCI</a>) (down over 17%).
Given the 2024 hurricane season has been very active, insurers would be left saddled with catastrophe-related claims, which will weigh down on their margins and bottom line.
Phosphate Miners: Phosphate mining stocks such as Mosaic Company (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MOS#NYSE">MOS</a>) could be on the radar during a natural disaster. Florida&#8217;s phosphate industry is one of the major suppliers of the mineral internationally, and the U.S. ranks third in terms of phosphate production, after China and Morocco. In the U.S., phosphate mining takes place in Florida, North Carolina, Idaho and Utah, <a href="https://fipr.floridapoly.edu/about-us/phosphate-primer/other-phosphate-deposits.php#:~:text=Currently%20U.S.%20phosphate%20mining%20takes,it%20was%20not%20economically%20practical.">according</a> to the Florida Industrial and Phosphate Research Institute, FIPRI.
The phosphate mineral is a source of phosphorous, a key nutrient for plant growth.
Florida's phosphate is part of a deposit that stretches across the state and up the coast to the Chesapeake Bay.&nbsp;
Florida Phosphate Council <a href="https://floridaphosphate.com/our-industry/">states</a> that the phosphate industry in the state is a major economic driver and supports nearly 8,400 direct jobs. The industry accounts for an estimated $5.03 billion in annual economic output.
Josh Linville, Director of Fertilizer at integrated trading platform StoneX, said the phosphate market could be hurt. In an X post, he said, &#8220;FL is built to withstand hurricanes&#8230;to an extent. This looks bad. This looks really bad,&#8221; he said.
Even if production facilities withstand major damage, they need workers to run the plants, he added.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/phosphate?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#phosphate</a> market, this could hurt. FL is built to withstand hurricanes&#8230;to an extent. This looks bad. This looks really bad. Even if production facilities do not withstand major damage, they need workers to run the plants&#8230;and homesteads may not fare as well. <a href="https://t.co/Qyutb60L95">pic.twitter.com/Qyutb60L95</a>
&mdash; Josh Linville (@JLinvilleFert) <a href="https://twitter.com/JLinvilleFert/status/1843302894009036810?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2024</a></blockquote>
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</figure>
Alico, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ALCO#NASDAQ">ALCO</a>), which is a Florida-based agribusiness and land management company, also saw its shares sink over 8% on Monday. This stock was <a href="https://cupofcoffeecapital.substack.com/p/trade-idea-alert">flagged </a>by a substack writer who issues trading alerts. 
Potential Beneficiaries: Shares of Generac Holdings Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GNRC#NYSE">GNRC</a>), a manufacturer of generators, soared on Monday, potentially due to surging demand for its products in the aftermath of the hurricane.
Batteries are also in great demand during hurricanes, with household battery manufacturers such as Energizer Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ENR#NYSE">ENR</a>) reaping windfall.
Once the hurricane subsides and life returns to normalcy, the havoc caused by it can stimulate reconstruction demand, with home-improvement retailers Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HD#NYSE">HD</a>) and Lowe&#8217;s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LOW#NYSE">LOW</a>) among the potential beneficiaries.
Building products and equipment companies such as Masco Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MAS#NYSE">MAS</a>) and used-car retailers such as Carvana Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CVNA#NYSE">CVNA</a>) and Carmax Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KMX#NYSE">KMX</a>) also stand to gain.
Read Next:
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/10/41216625/generac-stock-powers-up-ahead-of-hurricane-milton">Generac Stock Powers Up Ahead Of Hurricane Milton</a></li>
</ul>
Photo via Shutterstock

Small Cap

Media

ACIC

ALCO

CVNA

GNRC

HRTG

As Florida Prepares For One Of Deadliest Hurricanes, Here Are Some Potential Stock Winners And Losers From Milton Threat

WIIM

CINF

ERIE

FIHL

KNSL

PLMR

SPNT

Shares of insurance companies are trading lower while Floridians experience evacuation orders as Category 5 Hurricane Milton approaches the state. The region is still recovering from damage due to Hurricane Helene.

Florida is bracing for another hurricane to make landfall this week, less than two weeks after <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/09/41073069/hurricane-helene-update-28-dead-power-outages-insurance-damages-and-more">Hurricane Helene.</a>
Here's a look at the forecast and stocks to watch.
Hurricane Milton Intensifies: Less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene hit Florida, Hurricane Milton is intensifying into a potential Category 4 or Category 5 storm, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/10/41198558/after-helene-florida-gears-up-for-another-devastating-hurricane">set to make landfall</a> in the state on Wednesday.
CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/weather/live-news/hurricane-milton-florida-10-07-2024/index.html">reported </a>that the storm has grown in size and is now considered a Category 3 hurricane. According to the report, the storm's growing size could affect a larger area of Florida than the last hurricane.
Milton is expected to hit the Gulf Coast of Florida, with the state already declaring a state of emergency and working on evacuations. Hillsborough County, which includes Tampa, is among the areas expected to call for evacuations Monday.
Several school districts in the state closed school Monday.
Florida Division of Emergency Management director Kevin Guthrie said Sunday the storm could result in the state's largest evacuation since 2017.
"I urge Floridians to finalize your storm preparations now, enact your plan," Guthrie said Sunday.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis cautioned residents on the potential for more power outages in the state than with Helene.
The timing of Milton could create a double whammy for the state of Florida and surrounding regions that are still recovering from Helene. 
"You get hit with a major hurricane, what's going to happen to that debris? It's going to increase the damage dramatically," DeSantis said. 
The existing and additional debris could also make pathways tough for emergency personnel.
Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/10/41145534/hurricane-helene-adds-to-most-active-quarter-for-power-outages-driving-back-up-gene">Hurricane Helene Adds To &#8216;Most Active Quarter&#8217; For Power Outages, Driving Back-Up Generator Demand</a>
Stocks to Watch: While Florida theme parks mostly avoided closures from Helene, the newest hurricane in the region could significantly impact the sector.
Orange County, home to Orlando, is one of the counties in a state of emergency ahead of Hurricane Milton&#8217;s landfall.
Walt Disney World, owned by The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DIS#NYSE">DIS</a>), is among the theme parks that could face closures due to weather, missed revenue opportunities, and refunds. The theme park is open Monday but, as of Sunday, had shut down the ability to make reservations for Tuesday and Wednesday, as <a href="https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/2024/10/07/hurricane-milton-disney-orlando-florida-theme-parks-universal-busch/75543794007/">reported </a>by Florida Today.
Disney World has closed for several hurricanes in the past, most recently for Hurricane Ian in 2022. The theme park was able to escape Helene with minimal impact on some outdoor activities and night entertainment events that were canceled.
Universal Studios in Orlando, which is owned by Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CMCSA#NASDAQ">CMCSA</a>), could also face closures and cancellations due to the storm's current path.
Power companies like Duke Energy (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DUK#NYSE">DUK</a>) and Southern Company (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SO#NYSE">SO</a>) are among utilities that could see large numbers of customer outages. The companies could face increased labor costs and additional costs to repair infrastructure after the storm.
While theme park stocks could see a negative impact from Hurricane Milton, several other stocks and sectors could benefit from the storm and the pending damage.
Home improvement retailers like Home Depot (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HD#NYSE">HD</a>) and Lowe's Companies (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LOW#NYSE">LOW</a>) traditionally gain from hurricane restoration efforts. With the potential for increased damage due to the back-to-back hurricanes, home improvement retailers could see a surge in demand in the regions hit by the storm.
Generac Holdings (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GNRC#NYSE">GNRC</a>) is another company that could benefit from the hurricanes as demand for generators increases. On Monday, Generac shares hit new 52-week highs in anticipation of Hurricane Milton.
One sector facing uncertainty is insurance, as severe damage from the hurricane could hurt profits, but a weaker impact could boost earnings with fewer claims. Companies like Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BRK#NYSE">BRK</a>) (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BRK#NYSE">BRK</a>), Allstate Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ALL#NYSE">ALL</a>) and Travelers Companies (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TRV#NYSE">TRV</a>) are among the publicly traded companies that could be impacted by insurance claims from the hurricane.
When Hurricane Helene initially struck, insurance companies expected minimal impact. However, as damage estimates rise, concerns grow. After a relatively mild hurricane season, the successive blows from Helene and Milton could pose challenges for insurers offering home, hurricane, and flood coverage.
Read Next: 
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/10/41195370/elon-musk-said-his-blood-was-boiling-after-fema-allegedly-didnt-allow-spacex-engineers-to-deliver-st">Elon Musk Said His Blood Was &#8216;Boiling&#8217; After FEMA Allegedly Didn&#8217;t Allow SpaceX Engineers To Deliver Starlink Terminals And Supplies To Hurricane Helene Victims, But Now They&#8217;ve Received Approval</a></li>
</ul>
Image created using artificial intelligence via Midjourney.

Hurricane Milton Is Florida's Second Storm In Two Weeks: How Disney, Theme Parks, Insurance Companies Could Be Impacted

Hurricane Helene and the aftermath of the Category 4 storm have left over 100 people dead, millions without power and destruction not seen in decades in several states since making<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/09/41073069/hurricane-helene-update-28-dead-power-outages-insurance-damages-and-more"> landfall Thursday night.</a>
What Happened: The hurricane, which shut down airports, roads and bridges, theme parks and sporting contests<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/sports/24/09/41053573/hurricane-helene-disrupts-flights-sports-events-disney-operations-affected-regions-stocks-to-watch"> ahead of the storm&#8217;s landfall,</a> further devastated the states in its path after making landfall.
At least 102 people are dead across the states of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and Virginia, as reported by <a href="https://www.cnn.com/weather/live-news/hurricane-helene-florida-north-carolina-georgia-09-30-24/index.html">CNN</a>.
With more than 100 dead, Hurricane Helene now ranks as one of the deadliest hurricanes to hit the U.S. in the last 50 years. Hurricane Katrina had 1,833 fatalities and remains the worst storm in the last 50 years. Helene ranks third behind Katrina and Hurricane Ian, which caused 150 deaths.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said Hurricane Helene "spared no one" when it came to the storm path.
"It looks like a tornado went off, it looks like a bomb went off," Kemp said.
Regions in North Carolina and South Carolina received four to five months worth of rain over a three-day period.
The federal government has declared a public health emergency for Florida, Georgia and North Carolina. Federal disaster declarations have been made for Florida, Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.
President Joe Biden is set to visit some of the impacted areas later this week "as soon as it will not disrupt emergency response operations," the White House said. Former President Donald Trump is set to visit areas impacted by the hurricane on Monday.
Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/09/41082452/hurricane-helene-exposes-vulnerability-of-floridas-home-insurance-market">Hurricane Helene Exposes Vulnerability Of Florida&#8217;s Home Insurance Market</a>
North Carolina Hit Hard: Among the states most affected by Hurricane Helene is North Carolina, with Buncombe County, home of the city of Asheville, accounting for at least 40 of the storm fatalities. 
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper called Hurricane Helene "one of the worst storms in modern history."
Over 200 roads are closed in North Carolina as of Monday, with many people still unaccounted for, meaning the fatality count could rise in the coming days.
The hurricane damage in North Carolina could impact several key <a href="https://www.commerce.nc.gov/business/key-industries-north-carolina">industries</a>, with the state&#8217;s plastics/chemical workforce being one of the country&#8217;s largest, as well as North Carolina being a large employer in the automotive sector, the home of several large financial companies, the second largest turbine manufacturer and a key semiconductor manufacturer.
The state is one of the largest textile manufacturers in the country and is the home of Hanesbrands Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HBI#NYSE">HBI</a>).
Fourteen of the Fortune 500 companies call North Carolina home, including Bank of America (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BAC#NYSE">BAC</a>) and Lowe's Companies (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LOW#NYSE">LOW</a>).
Lowe's and peer home improvement company Home Depot (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HD#NYSE">HD</a>) are among the companies that could benefit from the restoration efforts in the region and the home repairs and rebuilds needed in the coming months.
Power Outages: Over 4 million homes had no power as of Friday across Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.
As of Monday morning, 2 million homes and businesses remain without power.
Duke Energy (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DUK#NYSE">DUK</a>), which is headquartered in North Carolina, offers utilities to several of the states impacted by the storm. The company <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/duke-energys-hurricane-helene-recovery-restores-power-to-more-than-1-1-million-in-south-and-north-carolina-downed-trees-blocked-roadways-damaged-and-destroyed-power-equipment-impeding-efforts-in-the-sc-upstate-region-and-nc-302261927.html">said </a>it has restored power to more than 1.1 million people in North Carolina and South Carolina with over 900,000 customers still without power as of Sunday night, primarily in the Carolinas. 
Helen&#8217;s aftermath could be a long process for Duke Energy, which is a publicly traded company.
"Based on what we can see on the ground, from helicopter and by drone, there are lots of areas across the South Carolina Upstate and North Carolina mountains where we're going to have to completely rebuild parts of our system, not just repair it," Duke Energy storm director for the Carolinas Jason Hollifield said.
Georgia Power, which is a unit of Southern Company (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SO#NYSE">SO</a>), is another utility company that <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/georgia-power-releases-key-estimated-damage-statistics-from-hurricane-helene-as-restoration-progress-continues-302261899.html">faced </a>heavy power outages. The company said Sunday that it had restored power for around 690,000 customers and around 425,000 are still without power.
The utility company said Hurricane Helene was the "most destructive hurricane" in company history. The company estimates it will have to replace or repair over 5,000 power poles, over 9,000 spans of wire and over 500 transformers.
Generator company Generac Holdings (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GNRC#NYSE">GNRC</a>) could see a lift in the current quarter with heavy purchases likely to have been made ahead of the storm.
Insurance Impact: After the hurricane hit an area of Florida with a lower population than other regions, a report from the Miami Herald said the losses from the storm could be modest for the state's insurance market and smaller than Hurricane Ian (2022) and Hurricane Michael (2018).
Ahead of the storm, a report from reinsurance company Gallagher Re, which is a unit of Arthur J. Gallagher &amp; Co (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AJG#NYSE">AJG</a>), said private insurers' losses could come in a range of $3 billion to $6 billion across multiple states.
Berkshire Hathaway Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BRK#NYSE">BRK</a>)(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BRK#NYSE">BRK</a>), Allstate Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ALL#NYSE">ALL</a>) and Travelers Companies (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TRV#NYSE">TRV</a>) are among the publicly traded companies that could be impacted by the insurance claims from the hurricane.
 A new report from AccuWeather, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/weather/live-blog/helene-deadly-storm-live-updates-rcna173203">shared </a>by NBC News, says the total damage from the storm and the economic loss could total a range of $145 billion to $160 billion. The previous AccuWeather estimate was a range of $95 billion to $100 billion.
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Photo via Shutterstock.

Hurricane Helene: 102 Dead, 2 Million Without Power After Storm Destruction In 6 States

At least 28 people are reportedly dead in three states after <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/09/41028566/tropical-storm-helene-set-to-become-hurricane-generac-duke-energy-stocks-react-as-florida-braces">Hurricane Helene made landfall</a>.
What Happened: Hurricane Helene was classified as <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/hurricane">a Category 4 storm</a> when it made landfall Thursday night in Florida. It brought heavy rain and winds of over 100 miles per hour.
By Friday, the storm was downgraded to a tropical storm. It continued to make its path north to Georgia and South Carolina, as <a href="https://apnews.com/live/hurricane-helene-tracker-maps-updates">reported </a>by the Associated Press.
At last check, the casualties from Hurricane Helene, according to the <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/hurricane-helene-landfall-florida-tracker-death-toll-b2619842.html">Independent</a>, total 28. 
Among the hardest hit areas of Hurricane Helene was the Big Bend region of Florida. This is the third hurricane in more than a year to hit the area. 
Hurricane Helene is also expected to cause more damage than the combined damage from Hurricane Idalia (August 2023) and Hurricane Debby (August 2024).
"To have something that was even bigger than those two storms causing a lot of damage, I think it's a sense of trauma for the community," Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said Friday.
Storm cleanup and recovery efforts Friday included trying to open airports in Florida that were previously closed to prepare for the storm and to get bridges and roads back open that had been shut down ahead of the storm.
Here's an update on the storm's impact on the power outages, the insurance market, and the stocks investors <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/sports/24/09/41053573/hurricane-helene-disrupts-flights-sports-events-disney-operations-affected-regions-stocks-to-watch">are likely watching.</a>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Power Outages</h2>
Over four million homes remain without power as of Friday across the areas hit the hardest like Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.
Hundreds of thousands of people in Florida had lost power in the hours before the hurricane made landfall.
Investors will closely be monitoring Duke Energy (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DUK#NYSE">DUK</a>) — one of the largest power companies in Florida.
With the anticipated power outages and storm damages from the storm, investors will be closely watching generator company Generac Holdings (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GNRC#NYSE">GNRC</a>) to see if the company gets a boost in its financials in the current quarter from the storm's impact.
Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/09/41028566/tropical-storm-helene-set-to-become-hurricane-generac-duke-energy-stocks-react-as-florida-braces">Tropical Storm Helene Set To Become Hurricane: Generac, Duke Energy Stocks React As Florida Braces</a>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Storm Damage, Insurance Impact</h2>
A <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article293117729.html">report </a>from the Miami Herald said the losses from the storm could be modest for Florida's insurance market and smaller than Hurricane Ian (2022) and Hurricane Michael (2018).
"This looks like it will not be a large loss event for Florida insurers," Insurance Information Institute spokesperson Mark Friedlander said.
Friedlander said it could be "a manageable event," which could be due to the hurricane hitting an area of Florida that is not as populated as other parts of the state.
A report from reinsurance company Gallagher Re, which is a unit of Arthur J. Gallagher &amp; Co (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AJG#NYSE">AJG</a>), said Wednesday that private insurers' losses could come in a range of $3 billion to $6 billion across the multiple states impacted.
For comparison, Hurricane Michael, which was a Category 5 storm that hit Florida, caused $9 billion in losses. Hurricane Irma represented around one million claims and $20 billion in losses.
Berkshire Hathaway Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BRK#NYSE">BRK</a>)(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BRK#NYSE">BRK</a>), Allstate Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ALL#NYSE">ALL</a>) and Travelers Companies (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TRV#NYSE">TRV</a>) are among the publicly traded companies that could be impacted by the insurance claims from the hurricane.
The Aftermath: The death toll from Hurricane Helene is likely to rise as search and rescue missions are underway across several states. Power outages could persist for days and the damage done from the storm will take months to years to recover from for businesses and residents.
Home improvement retailers Home Depot (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HD#NYSE">HD</a>) and Lowe's Companies (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LOW#NYSE">LOW</a>) are other stocks often linked to hurricanes due to the damage done to homes and repair efforts that are needed.
With hurricane season still active until late November, the areas impacted by Hurricane Helene will be hoping that more large storms don't make landfall in the coming months.
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Image: Shutterstock

Hurricane Helene Update: 28 Dead, Power Outages, Insurance Damages And More

Hurricane Helene is on track to hit Florida and the Gulf Coast region Thursday night in what could be one of the most powerful storms to strike the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/hurricane">regions in decades.</a>
Here's a look at the regions most affected, and how the hurricane is impacting travel, sports, and key stocks to watch.
Hurricane Path: Hurricane Helene <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/09/41028566/tropical-storm-helene-set-to-become-hurricane-generac-duke-energy-stocks-react-as-florida-braces">could hit and impact</a> several major cities in Florida and the nearby states, including Tampa, Tallahassee and Atlanta.
Currently a Category 2 hurricane, the storm could be elevated to a Category 3 or Category 4 storm in the coming hours and days. The hurricane is expected to be one of the largest storms in the region over the last century, as <a href="https://www.cnn.com/weather/live-news/hurricane-helene-florida-09-26-24/index.html">reported </a>by CNN.
Over three million people in Florida and Georgia are currently under a Tornado Watch until 10 p.m. ET Thursday night.
A CNN meteorologist predicts that peak wind could reach over 100 mph in some regions Thursday and Friday, with rainfall of up to 12 inches in certain areas.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis warned of the potential that Hurricane Helene could shift its path and could hit Tallahassee, the state's capital. Tallahassee has never been directly hit by a Category 3 hurricane.
"This area has not had a major hurricane hit in quite some time, and certainly nobody in recent memory has seen a storm of this magnitude that has hit," DeSantis said, as reported by CNN.
While the worst of the storm will likely be felt in Florida and Georgia, the storm's path, which could increase in size, is expected to travel through portions of Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, and Illinois, with the non-Florida states getting hit on Friday and Saturday.
Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/esg/24/05/39012013/noaa-meteorologists-predict-aggressive-hurricane-season-what-it-means-for-home-depot-generac-other-s">NOAA Meteorologists Predict Aggressive Hurricane Season: What It Means For Home Depot, Generac, Other Storm-Related Stocks</a>
Stocks to Watch: Among the sectors that could be hit by the hurricane is the airline industry, with over 1,000 flights canceled Thursday at several Florida airports.
Southwest Airlines (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LUV#NYSE">LUV</a>) was listed as the airline with the most impact on the region by CNN, with the potential for its flights to resume Friday morning. The company has waived change fees for flights to other regions and airports to help travelers.
Florida is a key region for many theme parks, including Disney World, the popular theme park from The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DIS#NYSE">DIS</a>). Disney World has announced some park experiences have been closed due to the hurricane, but the theme park remains open. Disney World has closed for several hurricanes over the years, as <a href="https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/2024/09/26/hurricane-helene-florida-theme-parks-closed-open-disney-universal-orlando/75389447007/">reported </a>by Tallahassee Democrat. Hurricane Ian in September 2022 was the last time Disney World fully closed.
United Parks &amp; Resorts (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PRKS#NYSE">PRKS</a>) closed Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and several water parks it owns in the region, while SeaWorld Orlando remains open Thursday.
Insurance stocks will likely be on watch, with the damage from the storm causing potential billions of dollars in damage. Stocks like Berkshire Hathaway Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BRK#NYSE">BRK</a>)(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BRK#NYSE">BRK</a>), Allstate Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ALL#NYSE">ALL</a>) and Travelers Companies (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TRV#NYSE">TRV</a>) could see heavy claims from customers after the storm.
Duke Energy (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DUK#NYSE">DUK</a>) is a larger operator in Florida and could see interest from investors as the storm damage and power outages are assessed.
While the stocks above could be negatively affected by the hurricane, several stocks could be viewed as winners from storm damage and prolonged power outages.
Generac Holdings (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GNRC#NYSE">GNRC</a>) is often viewed as a hurricane stock thanks to its sale of generators and power equipment. Generac shares are up 7% in the last five days, in possible anticipation of the impact of Hurricane Helene.
Home improvement retailers Home Depot (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HD#NYSE">HD</a>) and Lowe's Companies (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LOW#NYSE">LOW</a>) could see a positive impact from repairs needed to homes in the region and see their quarterly results reflect the increased sales, depending on the storm&#8217;s size.
Sports Impact: The early impact of the storm was witnessed in the sports world Wednesday, with Major League Baseball cancelling the Atlanta Braves (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BATRA#NASDAQ">BATRA</a>) and New York Mets contests set for Wednesday and Thursday. The games will now be played in a doubleheader Monday, <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/41442218/mets-braves-games-wednesday-thursday-postponed-monday-doubleheader">extending </a>the MLB regular season.
The games are pivotal in the current fight for the National League Wild Card race to secure a postseason berth. The Mets (87-70) currently lead the Braves (86-71) in the Wild Card race. It's possible that Monday's games could decide which team makes it into the MLB Playoffs. For the Mets, the team could see a tough travel schedule if they do make the playoffs, flying into Atlanta on Monday and then flying to Milwaukee or the West Coast for a first-round matchup that would start on Tuesday.
Several NCAA Football games could be <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2024/09/24/hurricane-helene-college-football-schedule-impact/75369720007/">impacted </a>by the hurricane over the weekend. The Miami Hurricanes&#8217; home game on Friday could be postponed. UCF&#8217;s home game on Saturday will also be monitored. The highly anticipated Alabama and Georgia game set to play in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on Saturday could also be impacted by heavy rain and winds.
The National Football League is also monitoring the storm and its impact on games scheduled for Sunday and Monday. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons, and Carolina Panthers are currently set to host home games at 1 p.m. ET Sunday. The Miami Dolphins host a Monday Night Football game that is also being monitored.
Read Next: 
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cannabis/24/09/41028495/will-hurricane-helene-disrupt-floridas-cannabis-industry-trulieve-ceo-says-co-is-locked-and-load">Will Hurricane Helene Disrupt Florida&#8217;s Cannabis Industry? Trulieve CEO Says Co. Is &#8216;Locked And Loaded, Not Our First Storm Rodeo&#8217;</a></li>
</ul>
Image created using artificial intelligence via Midjourney.

Sports

BATRA

PRKS

Hurricane Helene Disrupts Flights, Sports Events, Disney Operations: Affected Regions, Stocks To Watch

Travelers Companies (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TRV#NYSE">TRV</a>) has outperformed the market over the past 20 years by 1.85% on an annualized basis producing an average annual return of 10.23%. Currently, Travelers Companies has a market capitalization of $53.86 billion. 
Buying $1000 In TRV: If an investor had bought $1000 of TRV stock 20 years ago, it would be worth $7,052.22 today based on a price of $236.32 for TRV at the time of writing.
<h3>Travelers Companies's Performance Over Last 20 Years</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2024/1727298016_0.png" alt="comp_fig" />
Finally -- what's the point of all this? The key insight to take from this article is to note how much of a difference compounded returns can make in your cash growth over a period of time.
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

Here's How Much $1000 Invested In Travelers Companies 20 Years Ago Would Be Worth Today

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ABBNY

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