Skip to main content
TipRanks
Go Ultimate75% OFF

Mercury General (MCY) AI Stock Analysis

291 Followers
MCY

Mercury General

(NYSE:MCY)

Select Model
Rating:69Neutral
Price Target:$97.00▲(12.26% Upside)
Action:downgraded
Date:11/05/26

The overall score of 69 reflects a company with excellent financial health and a very attractive valuation that is being weighed down by poor near-term technical momentum. The company's robust profitability, fortress-like balance sheet, and powerful cash flow are significant strengths. However, the stock is in a clear downtrend with bearish technical indicators, creating a tension between strong fundamentals and weak market sentiment. The recent leadership transition adds a layer of uncertainty but appears well-managed. The most significant factor is the disconnect between the company's strong intrinsic performance and its current out-of-favor market position.

Positive Factors
Profitability recoveryMercury has achieved a substantial profitability recovery from the 2022 loss year, with net income and margins improving through the TTM period. This stronger earnings base can support capital retention, policyholder obligations, and continued investment in underwriting capabilities over the next several quarters.
Negative Factors
Cooling revenue momentumThe recent top-line contraction indicates that Mercury’s growth has cooled after several stronger years. Although profitability remains elevated, slower revenue expansion can limit operating scale and make future earnings more dependent on maintaining pricing discipline, retention, and underwriting performance rather than expanding premium volume.

Mercury General Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Revenue by SegmentBreaks down Mercury’s revenue across its business lines (for example personal auto, commercial auto, homeowners), revealing where earnings are concentrated and how diversified the company is. Heavy reliance on one segment, like personal auto, increases exposure to state-specific accident trends, regulatory changes, and competitive pricing; a more balanced mix reduces single-market risk and highlights multiple growth levers. Investors use segment trends to identify which lines are driving growth and which may pressure margins or require capital.

-$500.00M$0.00$500.00M$1.00B$1.50BMar 21Jun 21Sep 21Dec 21Mar 22Jun 22Sep 22Dec 22Mar 23Jun 23Sep 23Dec 23Mar 24Jun 24Sep 24Dec 24Mar 25Jun 25Sep 25Dec 25Mar 26Jun 26Sep 26
Chart Insights

Core insurance revenue (net premiums earned) shows consistent, multi-year growth, signaling successful rate/volume execution and a strengthening underwriting base. By contrast, investment lines—steady net investment income but highly erratic realized gains and a wildly fluctuating “Other”—drive most quarter-to-quarter earnings volatility. For investors that means underlying business momentum is improving, but headline profits remain exposed to timing of asset sales and one-offs; focus on recurring NPE and NII trends and management’s strategy to smooth or monetize volatile investment items.

Data provided by:The Fly

Mercury General (MCY) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

-10%-5%0%5%10%15%20%25%30%MCY-1.66%SPY+14.97%Dec '25Jan '26Feb '26Mar '26Apr '26May '26Jun '26Jul '26Aug '26Sep '26Oct '26Nov '26
Market Cap
$4.79B
Dividend Yield
1.47%
Average Volume (3M)
307.76K
Price to Earnings (P/E)
7.5
Beta (1Y)
0.89
Revenue Growth
5.42%
EPS Growth
46.21%
Country
US
Employees
4,380
Sector
Financial
Sector Strength
68
Industry
Insurance - Property & Casualty

Mercury General Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company Description

Mercury General Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in writing personal automobile insurance in the United States. It also writes homeowners, commercial automobile, commercial property, mechanical protection, and umbrella insurance p...

How the Company Makes Money

Mercury General makes money primarily through (1) underwriting income and (2) investment income, with other ancillary income streams related to its insurance operations. 1) Underwriting (insurance) revenue and profitability - Premiums earned: The com...

Mercury General Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:Feb 11, 2025(Q4-2024)|% Change Since:77.44%|Next Earnings Date:Feb 16, 2027
Earnings Call SentimentNeutral

The earnings call highlighted strong financial performance in terms of record operating income, improved combined ratios, and significant premium growth. However, these positive results are overshadowed by the substantial impact of catastrophe losses from wildfires and the expected increase in reinsurance costs, leading to concerns about future financial stability.

Positive Updates

Record After-Tax Operating Income
The company reported a fourth quarter after-tax operating income of $98 million, the highest in the company's history.

Negative Updates

Catastrophe Losses Impact
Catastrophe losses were $41 million for the quarter, adding 3 points to the combined ratio. Full-year catastrophe losses added 5.5 points to the combined ratio.

Company Guidance

During Mercury General Corporation's fourth quarter 2024 conference call, the company reported its highest-ever after-tax operating income of $98 million, driven by rate increases and moderating inflation, which reduced the combined ratio to 91.4% for the quarter and 96% for the year. Catastrophe losses totaled $41 million, impacting the full-year combined ratio by 5.5 points, and excluding these losses, the combined ratio was 88.3% for the quarter and 90.5% for the year. Investment income after tax rose by 15% in the fourth quarter to $61.5 million, spurred by a 16% increase in average investment balances. Net premiums written grew by 16% in the quarter and 20.5% for the full year, reaching $1.3 billion and $5.4 billion, respectively. Looking forward to 2025, the company expects core underlying earnings to offset wildfire-related catastrophe losses, with investment income anticipated to remain near 2024 levels. The company estimates gross catastrophe losses from January wildfires at $1.6 billion and pretax net losses between $155 million and $325 million, with reinstatement premiums of $80 million to $101 million.

Mercury General Financial Statement Overview

Summary

Financial performance is strong, driven by a remarkable earnings recovery, a 10.5% TTM net profit margin, and exceptional cash flow generation with a 95% free cash flow conversion rate. The balance sheet is solid with a conservative 0.20x debt-to-equity ratio and a 37.2% return on equity. The primary concern is the recent TTM revenue decline of 3.2% and a moderation in free cash flow growth, which slightly temper an otherwise excellent profile.

Income Statement

82Very Positive

Balance Sheet

78Positive

Cash Flow

85Very Positive
Financial statement breakdown
BreakdownTTMDec 2025Dec 2024Dec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021
Income Statement
Total Revenue6.14B5.99B5.48B4.63B3.64B3.99B
Gross Profit2.74B2.03B932.86M403.25M-373.76M599.82M
EBITDA903.56M767.26M679.14M195.84M-571.09M395.48M
Net Income642.78M541.09M467.95M96.34M-512.67M247.94M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets10.35B9.56B8.31B7.10B6.51B6.77B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments8.53B1.65B1.00B729.39M412.71M475.68M
Total Debt586.96M586.86M587.71M587.96M420.25M407.51M
Total Liabilities7.54B7.14B6.36B5.56B4.99B4.63B
Stockholders Equity2.80B2.42B1.95B1.55B1.52B2.14B
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow1.16B1.03B990.98M416.18M317.08M460.14M
Operating Cash Flow1.22B1.09B1.04B452.99M352.59M501.58M
Investing Cash Flow-1.09B-420.16M-796.66M-295.44M-316.38M-373.67M
Financing Cash Flow-77.49M-71.72M-71.11M103.58M-81.99M-140.84M

Mercury General Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis SentimentNegative
Last Price86.41

Price Trends

50DMA99.60Negative
100DMA102.94Negative
200DMA98.28Negative

Market Momentum

MACD-4.70Positive
RSI31.63Neutral
STOCH17.07Positive

Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For MCY, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 86.41 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 96.84, below the 50-day MA of 99.60, and below the 200-day MA of 98.28, indicating a bearish trend. The MACD of -4.70 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 31.63 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 17.07 is Positive, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for MCY.

Mercury General Risk Analysis

Mercury General disclosed 44 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Mercury General reported the most risks in the "Finance & Corporate" category.

Higher RiskSector Avg.Lower RiskFinance & CorporateTech & InnovationLegal & RegulatoryProductionAbility to SellMacro & Political
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy

Latest Risks Added

1 New Risk
1.There is uncertainty involved in the collectability of subrogation recoverable.Q4, 2025

Mercury General Peers Comparison

Overall Rating

UnderperformOutperform
Sector (68)

Financial Indicators

MCY against its peers
NameOverall RatingMarket CapP/E RatioROEDividend YieldRevenue GrowthEPS Growth
ALLALL84Outperform$64.88B5.9636.32%1.59%5.06%42.48%
PGRPGR83Outperform$135.30B11.8935.44%5.90%7.65%8.90%
THGTHG83Outperform$8.54B11.7421.03%1.53%5.04%21.26%
SAFTSAFT76Outperform$1.53B21.638.08%3.53%4.62%-18.49%
MCYMCY69Neutral$4.78B7.4824.15%1.47%5.42%46.21%
Sector *68Neutral$18.00B11.429.92%3.81%9.73%1.22%
KMPRKMPR55Neutral$2.05B-4.82-17.43%3.73%-8.20%-284.85%

* Financial Sector Average

Performance Comparison

-20%0%20%40%MCYALLPGRSAFTTHGKMPRDec '25Jan '26Feb '26Mar '26Apr '26May '26Jun '26Jul '26Aug '26Sep '26Oct '26Nov '26
MCY and its peers over the selected period
Show on chartTickerCompany NamePriceChange% Change
MCYMercury General86.41-0.90-1.03%
ALLAllstate Corp266.6961.4529.94%
PGRThe Progressive Corporation235.4923.9111.30%
SAFTSafety Insurance104.3431.6543.55%
THGThe Hanover Insurance247.9972.9341.66%
KMPRKemper Corp34.30-1.00-2.82%

Mercury General Corporate Events

Business Operations and StrategyExecutive/Board Changes

Mercury General Announces Leadership Transition After Founder’s Passing

Negative
Aug 26, 2026

On August 26, 2026, Mercury General announced the passing of its founder and longtime chairman George Joseph at age 104, marking the end of an era for the insurer that he built from a six-person California operation into the state’s largest independe...

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: Nov 05, 2026