5 Stocks Pushing The Financial Sector Higher

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

All three major indices are trading down today with the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) trading down 28 points (-0.2%) at 13,217 as of Thursday, Dec. 13, 2012, 12:05 PM ET. The NYSE advances/declines ratio sits at 1,125 issues advancing vs. 1,742 declining with 157 unchanged.

The Financial sector currently is unchanged today versus the S&P 500, which is down 0.3%. Top gainers within the sector include MBIA (MBI), up 7.7%, KB Financial Group (KB), up 2.2%, Shinhan Financial Group (SHG), up 2.0%, Nomura Holdings (NMR), up 1.6% and Aegon (AEG), up 1.3%. On the negative front, top decliners within the sector include Deutsche Bank (DB), down 2.1%, General Growth Properties (GGP), down 1.6%, Blackstone Group (BX), down 1.5%, Discover Financial Services (DFS), down 1.4% and HCP (HCP), down 1.1%.

TheStreet Ratings group would like to highlight 5 stocks pushing the sector higher today:

5. Proassurance Corporation (PRA) is one of the companies pushing the Financial sector higher today. As of noon trading, Proassurance Corporation is up $5.54 (6.8%) to $87.18 on average volume Thus far, 48,901 shares of Proassurance Corporation exchanged hands as compared to its average daily volume of 109,200 shares. The stock has ranged in price between $85.95-$87.38 after having opened the day at $87.38 as compared to the previous trading day's close of $81.64.

ProAssurance Corporation operates as a specialty insurer offering professional liability insurance products primarily to physicians, dentists, chiropractors, optometrists, and allied health professionals. Proassurance Corporation has a market cap of $2.8 billion and is part of the insurance industry. The company has a P/E ratio of 9.0, below the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Shares are up 15.4% year to date as of the close of trading on Wednesday. Currently there are 5 analysts that rate Proassurance Corporation a buy, no analysts rate it a sell, and 1 rates it a hold.

TheStreet Ratings rates Proassurance Corporation as a buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its solid stock price performance, revenue growth, largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures, attractive valuation levels and expanding profit margins. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company shows weak operating cash flow. Get the full Proassurance Corporation Ratings Report now.

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