Analyst Ratings February 17, 2026

BofA Reinstates Verisk Coverage at Neutral, Flags Growth Uncertainty Amid Weather-Driven Slowdown

Analyst action aligns with fair-value assessment as peers take differing stances; investors eye earnings, premium trends and modernization timing

By Jordan Park VRSK
BofA Reinstates Verisk Coverage at Neutral, Flags Growth Uncertainty Amid Weather-Driven Slowdown
VRSK

BofA Securities has resumed coverage of Verisk Analytics Inc. (VRSK) with a Neutral rating and a $205.00 price target, a view that roughly matches InvestingPro’s fair-value estimate. The call comes as the stock has dropped about 32% over the past six months and after Verisk reported slower organic revenue growth linked to a milder extreme-weather period. While the firm underscores Verisk’s defensible data assets, recurring revenue model and strong margins, it highlights near-term risks tied to premium growth trends and the uncertain cadence of revenue reacceleration from modernization initiatives.

Key Points

  • BofA Securities reinstated coverage of Verisk with a Neutral rating and a $205.00 price target; the stock has fallen about 32% in the past six months.
  • Verisk’s business is centered on ISO’s proprietary contributory datasets and regulatory workflows, supporting high gross profit margins (69.6%) and seven consecutive years of dividend increases - features BofA says limit disruption risk from AI.
  • Analysts cite slowed organic revenue growth (5.5% in Q3 2025 versus 7.9% in 1H 2025) and likely weak net written premium growth through 2026 as near-term headwinds; modernization under Core Lines Reimagined offers upside but with uncertain timing and magnitude.

BofA Securities has reinstated coverage on Verisk Analytics Inc. (NASDAQ:VRSK), assigning a Neutral rating and establishing a $205.00 price target. The move comes against a backdrop of substantial share-price weakness - the stock has declined roughly 32% over the last six months.

Verisk operates as a primary provider of data and analytics to the U.S. property and casualty insurance market. The company’s offering is built around ISO’s contributory proprietary datasets and deeply integrated regulatory workflows. Those assets support a business profile that, according to InvestingPro data cited in the research, produces gross profit margins of 69.6% and has coincided with seven consecutive years of dividend increases.

BofA’s analysts characterized these elements as meaningful defenses against potential disruption from artificial intelligence. The bank highlighted Verisk’s recurring revenue base, elevated customer retention and broad penetration among major carriers as advantages that buffer competitive pressure.

Despite these structural strengths, BofA noted a material deceleration in organic revenue growth. Organic revenue rose 5.5% in the third quarter of 2025, down from 7.9% recorded in the first half of 2025. The firm attributed this slowdown in part to a period with fewer extreme-weather events, and said the result raises questions about the durability of Verisk’s medium-term revenue growth targets of 6% to 8%.

Looking further out, management’s modernization program - branded Core Lines Reimagined - is viewed by analysts as a source of potential long-term upside. However, BofA emphasized that the timing and magnitude of any reacceleration tied to that effort remain uncertain, and therefore are key variables for future performance.

Another factor flagged by the bank is a likely headwind from slowing net written premium growth, which BofA expects to persist through 2026. Investors should also note the company’s next scheduled earnings release on February 18. On valuation, the stock is trading at a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.9, a level that InvestingPro describes as elevated relative to expected near-term earnings growth.


Corporate developments at Verisk include the appointment of Steven Kauderer as president of the Claims Solutions business. Kauderer, who brings more than three decades of experience advising global insurers and brokers, will report to Verisk president and CEO Lee Shavel.

Weather exposure remains a material business dynamic for the company. Verisk estimated that Winter Storm Fern could generate up to $4 billion in insured industry losses and projected the event could become the third costliest U.S. winter storm on record.

Outside of BofA’s action, other brokerages have taken different stances. BMO Capital upgraded Verisk from Market Perform to Outperform while keeping a $233.00 price target. BMO analyst Jeffrey M. Silber pointed to what he sees as an attractive entry point, referencing the company’s valuation on an enterprise-value to next-twelve-months adjusted EBITDA basis.

RBC Capital Markets also weighed in, viewing the recent GenAI-driven selloff across Information Services and Exchanges stocks - a group that includes Verisk - as a potential buying opportunity. RBC emphasized that Verisk’s proprietary data and embedded client workflows limit its exposure to disruption, a dynamic the firm said supports the stock’s longer-term case.

For investors, the near-term picture frames a set of watch points: the upcoming earnings print, trends in net written premium growth, the cadence of product modernization and weather variability that can materially affect revenue. Those factors will interact with current valuation metrics as market participants assess whether the recent selloff represents a re-rating or a correction tied to operational headwinds.

In sum, BofA’s Neutral reinstatement underscores a balance - the firm recognizes durable competitive characteristics but remains cautious about growth momentum and timing-related execution risks. Peer analyst upgrades and differing valuation views mean the stock’s immediate trajectory will likely depend on forthcoming operational data and broader market sentiment around information services and insurance-exposed equities.

Risks

  • Near-term revenue deceleration tied to fewer extreme-weather events, which has already contributed to slower organic growth - primarily affects P&C insurance revenues and information services tied to weather-sensitive analytics.
  • A projected slowdown in net written premium growth through 2026 could pressure demand for Verisk’s insurance analytics offerings and weigh on revenue - impacting insurance-sector earnings and related market valuations.
  • Uncertainty around the timing and scale of revenue reacceleration from the Core Lines Reimagined modernization program creates execution risk that could influence investor expectations for growth and valuation in the information services sector.

More from Analyst Ratings

DA Davidson Cuts Uber Price Target Citing Elevated Investment; Buy Rating Intact Feb 20, 2026 Freedom Capital Markets Raises Freeport-McMoRan to Buy, Cites Copper Supply Tightness Feb 20, 2026 BofA Lifts CF Industries Price Target After Strong Q4 EBITDA; Maintains Underperform Rating Feb 20, 2026 Truist Lifts Tandem Diabetes Price Target as Company Shifts Toward Pharmacy Model Feb 20, 2026 BWS Financial Boosts A10 Networks Price Target Citing AI-Driven Network Traffic Feb 20, 2026