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Kingstone (KINS)
NASDAQ:KINS
US Market

Kingstone Companies (KINS) AI Stock Analysis

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KINS

Kingstone Companies

(NASDAQ:KINS)

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Neutral 67 (OpenAI - 5.2)
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Neutral 67 (OpenAI - 5.2)
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Neutral 67 (OpenAI - 5.2)
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Neutral 67 (OpenAI - 5.2)
Rating:67Neutral
Price Target:
$17.00
▲(11.48% Upside)
Action:ReiteratedDate:03/17/26
The score is driven primarily by improving (but still uneven) financial performance and very attractive valuation (low P/E). These positives are tempered by only neutral-to-weak technical momentum and earnings-call guidance that bakes in higher catastrophe losses, limiting near-term headline earnings upside.
Positive Factors
Underwriting and margin improvement
Sustained improvement in underlying loss and combined ratios reflects better risk selection, claims handling and product mix (Select book). These structural underwriting gains support margin durability, reduce frequency of attritional losses, and form a repeatable profit engine over multiple underwriting cycles.
Low leverage and capital strength
Very low leverage and materially stronger equity provide durable financial flexibility for underwriting, reinsurance buy-downs, and measured geographic expansion. A stronger capital base lowers insolvency risk, supports dividend payments and quota-share reductions, and underpins multi-year growth plans.
Strong cash generation & investment income
Consistent cash conversion and a growing, higher-yielding investment portfolio create a durable funding source for underwriting float, dividend payouts, and capital deployment. Reliable cashflow coverage of earnings reduces refinancing needs and supports sustained operating improvements over time.
Negative Factors
Large 2025 revenue contraction
A pronounced one-year revenue drop raises durable concerns about premium recognition quality, channel stability or one-off adjustments. Even with margin improvement, a weakened top line can limit scalability, slow reserve build patterns and complicate achieving management's multi-year premium targets.
Elevated catastrophe exposure
Management's higher cat assumption materially widens earnings volatility and compresses headline combined ratios and EPS. Property insurers are inherently weather-sensitive; persistent or larger-than-anticipated catastrophe loads can erode capital, drive higher reinsurance costs, and reduce return consistency over several years.
California expansion execution risk
Entering California E&S exposes the company to complex wildfire modeling, regulatory scrutiny and unfamiliar loss patterns. Management's cautious start limits near-term upside, but execution missteps, model error or regulatory constraints could impair profitability and slow the anticipated diversification benefits over multiple years.

Kingstone Companies (KINS) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

Kingstone Companies Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company DescriptionKingstone Companies, Inc., through its subsidiary, Kingstone Insurance Company, underwrites property and casualty insurance products to individuals in New York. The company offers personal line of insurance products, including homeowners and dwelling fire multi-peril, cooperative/condominiums, renters, and personal umbrella policies. It also provides for-hire vehicle physical damage only policies for livery and car service vehicles and taxicabs; and canine legal liability policies, as well as reinsurance products. It sells its products through retail and wholesale agents and brokers. The company was formerly known as DCAP Group, Inc. and changed its name to Kingstone Companies, Inc. in July 2009. Kingstone Companies, Inc. was founded in 1886 and is headquartered in Kingston, New York.
How the Company Makes MoneyKingstone makes money primarily through its insurance operations. The core revenue stream is net earned premiums: policyholders pay premiums for property insurance coverage, and the company recognizes those premiums as revenue over the policy term, net of reinsurance and any premium-related adjustments. A second major earnings driver is underwriting results—the difference between premiums earned and the costs to service and settle policies (claims and loss adjustment expenses), plus operating expenses (e.g., acquisition costs such as commissions, underwriting and policy administration). Because property insurance can produce volatile catastrophe losses, the company uses reinsurance; reinsurance can reduce net exposure and net losses but also reduces net premium retained and adds ceded premium cost. In addition to underwriting income (or loss), Kingstone generates investment income and investment gains/losses from investing its insurance float (premiums collected before claims are paid) in an investment portfolio; the yield and market performance of that portfolio can materially affect overall profitability. Specific material partnerships, distribution channel mix, or named counterparties are not available from the provided context and are therefore null.

Kingstone Companies Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:Mar 05, 2026
(Q4-2025)
|
% Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:May 07, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Positive
The call presents a strongly positive underlying operating performance: record profitability, substantial premium and earned premium growth, marked improvement in expense and loss ratios, stronger investment income and capital metrics, and a disciplined, measured expansion strategy (California). The primary near-term headwinds are weather-driven: management is prudently assuming a higher-than-average catastrophe load for 2026 (7–10 points), which depresses headline combined ratio and EPS guidance despite healthy underlying metrics. Regulatory uncertainty in New York and execution risk for California are noted but framed as manageable. Overall, the highlights substantially outweigh the lowlights.
Q4-2025 Updates
Positive Updates
Record Quarterly and Annual Profitability
Q4 net income of $14.8 million; full-year net income of $40.8 million (more than doubled year-over-year). Full-year diluted EPS increased 95% to $2.88 and annual return on equity was 43%.
Exceptionally Strong Q4 Underwriting Performance
Q4 GAAP net combined ratio of 64.2% and underlying loss ratio of 34.7% (improved by over 14 points versus prior-year quarter), driven by materially lower claims frequency and improved claims operations.
Sustained Improvement in Underlying Operating Metrics
Full-year underlying combined ratio of 74.4% in 2025, a 5.1-point improvement from 79.5% in 2024; full-year underlying loss ratio improved nearly 4 points to 44.4%.
Premium Growth and Strong Earned Premium Tailwind
Direct premiums written grew 14% in Q4 to $82.8 million and 15% for the full year to $277.8 million. Net premiums earned increased 38% in Q4 and 46% for the full year, aided by reduced quota share retention.
Select Product Adoption and Risk Selection
Select product now represents 57% of policies in force (up from 45% a year ago), improving risk selection and lowering frequency of attritional claims.
Expense Efficiency Progress
Net expense (operating) ratio improved to 30% in 2025 from 41% in 2021 (11-point reduction). Reached a milestone 30% expense ratio with potential further modest improvement to ~29%–30% run-rate.
Capital Strength and Shareholder Metrics
No debt at the holding company; shareholder equity increased 84% to $122.7 million; book value per diluted share rose 75% to $8.28 (book value ex-AOCI up 56% to $8.69). Declared the third consecutive quarterly dividend.
Improved Investment Income and Portfolio Scale
Net investment income increased 55% in Q4 to $3.0 million and 44% for the year to $9.8 million. Investment portfolio grew to $309.7 million; fixed-income yield 4.3% (up 60 bps year-over-year) and effective duration 4.4 years.
Prudent Reinsurance & Quota Share Strategy
Reduced quota share cession from 27% to 16% (2025 treaty) and planned reduction to 5% (2026 treaty), actions expected to increase projected EPS by ~$0.25 for 2025 and ~$0.20 for 2026 and reflect confidence in underwriting quality.
Measured Growth Roadmap — California Expansion
Announced disciplined entry into California E&S in 2026 (initial contribution <5% of 2026 premium) leveraging Select product, wildfire modeling, real-time accumulation management, and an initial 30% quota share on CA business to limit first-year risk.
Negative Updates
Higher Catastrophe Assumption for 2026
2026 guidance assumes a catastrophe loss ratio of 7 to 10 points (at or above six-year historical average of 7.1 points), driving a net combined ratio guidance of 81% to 86% and pressuring year-over-year headline results despite stable underlying performance.
EPS Guidance Impacted by Cat Normalization
2026 diluted EPS guidance of $2.20 to $2.90 (midpoint $2.55) is below the 2025 EPS of $2.88 on a reported basis; management notes headline EPS and ROE changes are driven largely by assumed higher catastrophe load rather than deterioration in the controllable business.
Near-Term Weather and Catastrophe Activity
Elevated winter storm activity in early 2026 with seven catastrophe events declared since January 23; management included these losses in 2026 guidance and warned weather unpredictability could further affect results.
Regulatory and Competitive Risks in New York
Ongoing New York regulatory proposals on homeowner insurer profitability could affect pricing and capacity; management is monitoring and engaging but acknowledges the need for any final legislation to account for catastrophe volatility. Management also noted some competitors are planning entries into the state.
California Expansion Execution Risks
While an attractive opportunity, California E&S entry carries wildfire/regulatory/modeling risk and will be started small (<5% of 2026 premium) with an initial 30% quota share—indicating cautious exposure management but also limited near-term contribution.
Inconsistency in Reported Q4 EPS Figures
Transcript shows a discrepancy between CEO and CFO on Q4 diluted EPS (CEO cited $1.30; CFO cited $1.03), which could create short-term confusion for investors and warrants reconciliation in the formal disclosures.
Company Guidance
Kingstone’s 2026 guidance calls for direct premiums written growth of 16–20% (supporting its $500M direct premium target by year‑end 2029), an underlying combined ratio (excluding catastrophes and prior‑year development) of 74–76% (versus 74.4% in 2025, comprised of a 44.4% underlying loss ratio and a 30% expense ratio), a catastrophe loss assumption of 7–10 points (vs. a 1.2‑point cat loss in 2025 and a 2019–24 six‑year average of 7.1 points), a net combined ratio of 81–86%, and diluted EPS of $2.20–$2.90 (midpoint $2.55); management also said each 1 point of catastrophe ≈ $0.13 of EPS, that EPS would be roughly $3.53 at 2025’s 1.2‑point cat level (~23% YoY), expects quota‑share cessions to fall (27%→16% in 2025, 16%→5% in 2026) adding about $0.25 of EPS in 2025 and ~$0.20 in 2026, and noted reinsurance limits first‑event loss to $5M pretax (≈ $0.27 per share after tax).

Kingstone Companies Financial Statement Overview

Summary
Financials show a clear turnaround to strong profitability and solid cash conversion in 2024–2025, plus improved leverage (very low debt-to-equity in 2025). Offsetting that, results have been historically volatile and the reported 2025 revenue contraction is a material durability risk despite better margins.
Income Statement
62
Positive
Profitability has improved meaningfully versus the 2021–2023 loss years, with 2024 and 2025 showing solid earnings and materially stronger margins (2025 net margin ~20% vs. 2024 ~12%). That said, the 2025 annual report shows a very large revenue decline (about -68% year over year), which raises questions about the durability and quality of the growth trajectory despite the margin expansion.
Balance Sheet
56
Neutral
Leverage looks manageable in the latest year, with low debt relative to equity in 2025 (debt-to-equity ~0.04) and improved balance-sheet positioning versus 2022–2023 when leverage was much higher (~0.70+). However, returns to shareholders are inconsistent across the period (negative in 2021–2023 and extremely low in 2025), suggesting earnings power and capital efficiency have been volatile.
Cash Flow
70
Positive
Cash generation is strong relative to reported earnings in the profitable years: free cash flow closely tracks net income in 2024–2025 (near 1:1), and cash flow coverage of earnings is robust. The main weakness is historical volatility—cash flow was negative in 2020 and 2022–2023—indicating the business has not produced consistently stable cash generation across the full period.
BreakdownDec 2025Dec 2024Dec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021
Income Statement
Total Revenue199.19M155.14M144.19M130.16M161.23M
Gross Profit114.93M58.58M27.98M7.19M26.14M
EBITDA51.49M29.25M-389.56K-22.62M-4.29M
Net Income40.77M18.36M-6.17M-22.52M-7.38M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets453.43B374.92M317.63M320.33M331.31M
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments301.22B28.67M157.90M166.67M182.37M
Total Debt4.44B11.17M25.24M25.16M29.82M
Total Liabilities330.69B308.21M283.13M284.16M255.64M
Stockholders Equity122.73B66.71M34.50M36.17M75.67M
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow75.86B55.61M-13.15M-5.47M19.85M
Operating Cash Flow75.86B57.95M-11.33M-915.52K24.35M
Investing Cash Flow-92.86B-35.26M9.46M-5.91M-15.95M
Financing Cash Flow506.07M-2.99M-1.12M-5.51M-3.57M

Kingstone Companies Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Negative
Last Price15.25
Price Trends
50DMA
15.92
Negative
100DMA
15.63
Negative
200DMA
15.15
Positive
Market Momentum
MACD
-0.18
Positive
RSI
44.80
Neutral
STOCH
39.45
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For KINS, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 15.25 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 15.88, below the 50-day MA of 15.92, and above the 200-day MA of 15.15, indicating a neutral trend. The MACD of -0.18 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 44.80 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 39.45 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for KINS.

Kingstone Companies Risk Analysis

Kingstone Companies disclosed 31 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Kingstone Companies reported the most risks in the "Finance & Corporate" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks

Kingstone Companies Peers Comparison

Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (68)
Financial Indicators
Name
Overall Rating
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
ROE
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
70
Outperform
$555.65M5.7335.67%16.34%-1.26%
69
Neutral
$631.13M7.7412.91%3.51%0.93%224.95%
68
Neutral
$18.00B11.429.92%3.81%9.73%1.22%
67
Neutral
$223.81M5.750.13%0.57%39.32%61.45%
67
Neutral
$411.44M15.900.01%5.01%-0.04%-33.45%
48
Neutral
$270.07M-26.811.07%-17.81%38.09%
* Financial Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
KINS
Kingstone Companies
15.46
0.17
1.12%
DGICA
Donegal Group
17.31
-0.40
-2.28%
GBLI
Global Indemnity
28.67
-6.23
-17.85%
ACIC
American Coastal Insurance
11.42
0.09
0.76%
NODK
NI Holdings
13.15
-1.01
-7.13%

Kingstone Companies Corporate Events

Business Operations and StrategyFinancial Disclosures
Kingstone Posts Record 2025 Results, Raises 2026 Outlook
Positive
Mar 5, 2026

Kingstone reported record financial results for the fourth quarter and full year 2025 on March 5, 2026, posting its strongest quarterly and annual performance in company history, including a Q4 net combined ratio of 64.2%, diluted EPS of $1.03, annualized ROE of 51.3%, and full-year net income of $40.8 million, up 122% year on year. Net premiums earned grew 46% for 2025 and direct premiums written rose 14.8%, aided by improved underwriting through its Select book, a lower expense ratio, and higher investment income, while management updated 2026 guidance to reflect planned double‑digit premium growth, a higher assumed catastrophe load, continued profitability, and a multi‑year growth plan targeting $500 million in direct premiums written by 2029 and entry into California in the second quarter of 2026.

Chief executive Meryl Golden highlighted that 2025 marked Kingstone’s ninth consecutive profitable quarter and a roughly 30‑point improvement in its combined ratio since 2023, describing the gains as structural rather than weather‑driven and emphasizing the company’s scalable infrastructure and capital discipline. For 2026, Kingstone projects direct premiums written growth of 16% to 20%, an underlying combined ratio of 74% to 76%, and a return on equity between 24% and 30%, with guidance explicitly incorporating higher expected catastrophe losses and underscoring sensitivity of earnings to cat activity.

The most recent analyst rating on (KINS) stock is a Hold with a $16.50 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Kingstone Companies stock, see the KINS Stock Forecast page.

Business Operations and StrategyFinancial Disclosures
Kingstone Reports Record Profitability and Strong Premium Growth
Positive
Feb 4, 2026

On February 4, 2026, Kingstone reported estimated fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 results showing record profitability, highlighted by Q4 direct premiums written of $83 million, a combined ratio between 64% and 66%, operating EPS of $1.03 to $1.08, and return on equity near 50%, while full-year premiums rose 15% to $278 million with operating EPS approaching $2.79 and ROE surpassing 40%. Management credited improved risk selection, low catastrophe losses, and faster claims resolution for the performance and said the Select product now accounts for 57% of policies, positioning the carrier to sustain profitable growth in New York and pursue targeted market extensions toward a $500 million premium goal by 2029, with more details promised on a March 6 earnings call.

The most recent analyst rating on (KINS) stock is a Hold with a $16.50 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Kingstone Companies stock, see the KINS Stock Forecast page.

Dividends
Kingstone Companies Declares Quarterly Cash Dividend to Shareholders
Positive
Jan 30, 2026

On January 30, 2026, Kingstone Companies, Inc. announced that its Board of Directors had declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.05 per share of common stock, reflecting the company’s ongoing practice of returning capital to shareholders. The dividend was scheduled to be paid on February 26, 2026, to stockholders of record as of the close of business on February 11, 2026, signaling continued confidence in Kingstone’s financial position and providing income stability for its investor base.

The most recent analyst rating on (KINS) stock is a Buy with a $17.50 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Kingstone Companies stock, see the KINS Stock Forecast page.

Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Disclaimer

This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.Date of analysis: Mar 17, 2026