Fortegra Financial Corp Stock Downgraded (FRF)

Editor's Note: TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Fortegra Financial (NYSE:FRF) has been downgraded by TheStreet Ratings from hold to sell. Among the areas we feel are negative, one of the most important has been poor profit margins.

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Highlights from the ratings report include:

• The gross profit margin for FORTEGRA FINANCIAL CORP is rather low; currently it is at 16.90%. Regardless of FRF's low profit margin, it has managed to increase from the same period last year. Despite the mixed results of the gross profit margin, the net profit margin of 6.80% trails the industry average.
• FRF's debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81 is somewhat low overall, but it is high when compared to the industry average, implying that the management of the debt levels should be evaluated further.
• The return on equity has improved slightly when compared to the same quarter one year prior. This can be construed as a modest strength in the organization. Compared to other companies in the Insurance industry and the overall market on the basis of return on equity, FORTEGRA FINANCIAL CORP has outperformed in comparison with the industry average, but has underperformed when compared to that of the S&P 500.
• Net operating cash flow has significantly increased by 597.05% to $17.58 million when compared to the same quarter last year. In addition, FORTEGRA FINANCIAL CORP has also vastly surpassed the industry average cash flow growth rate of -25.01%.

Fortegra Financial Corporation, an insurance services company, provides distribution and administration services primarily in the United States. The company has a P/E ratio of 10.1, below the average insurance industry P/E ratio of 10.4 and below the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Fortegra Financial has a market cap of $161.6 million and is part of the financial sector and insurance industry. Shares are up 20.2% year to date as of the close of trading on Friday.

You can view the full Fortegra Financial Ratings Report or get investment ideas from our investment research center.

-- Written by a member of TheStreet Ratings Staff

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