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ACIC vs UVE
Which Stock Would AI Choose? American Coastal Insurance Corporation (ACIC) vs. Universal Insurance Holdings (UVE) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- ACIC and UVE are both Florida-centric property and casualty insurers, but they serve distinctly different segments: ACIC focuses on commercial residential properties, while UVE targets personal residential homeowners.
- ACIC recently received a credit rating upgrade from KBRA (Kroll Bond Rating Agency), with its insurance financial strength rating raised to A from A-, reflecting fortified capitalization and disciplined underwriting.
- UVE posted standout Q2 2026 results, with adjusted earnings per share of $1.84 beating consensus estimates by $0.27 and a net loss ratio improving 7.5 percentage points year-over-year, driven by Florida's legislative reforms.
- ACIC trades at a noticeably lower valuation multiple but operates in a softening commercial property market, while UVE benefits from a hardening personal lines environment and multi-state diversification.
- Both companies return capital to shareholders—ACIC via special dividends and buybacks from excess capital, UVE through a regular quarterly dividend and ongoing share repurchases.
- Market sentiment currently favors UVE's momentum, but ACIC's deep-value metrics and strong insider ownership present a contrasting opportunity for patient investors.
Introduction
Comparing ACIC and UVE offers investors a window into two divergent plays on Florida's evolving property insurance market. Both companies are deeply rooted in the Sunshine State, yet they address different corners of the risk spectrum—one focused on condominium associations and commercial residential properties, the other on single-family homeowners. With Florida's legislative reforms reshaping claims and litigation dynamics, both insurers are reporting improved underwriting results. However, their growth trajectories, valuation profiles, and exposure to market cycles differ meaningfully. This stock comparison examines how these two insurers stack up across recent performance, business fundamentals, and market positioning, offering a balanced view for traders and investors weighing allocation decisions in the property and casualty sector.
ACIC Overview and Recent Performance
American Coastal Insurance Corporation (ACIC), headquartered in St. Petersburg, Florida, is a specialty property and casualty insurer that dominates the commercial residential property segment in Florida—underwriting policies for condominium associations, homeowner associations (HOAs), and apartment complexes. The company operates through its carrier subsidiary, American Coastal Insurance Company, which maintains an exclusive distribution partnership with AmRisc Group, one of the nation's largest managing general agents specializing in hurricane-exposed properties.
In recent weeks, ACIC has drawn attention following a notable credit rating upgrade from KBRA, which raised its insurance financial strength rating to A from A- and its issuer rating to BBB from BBB-, with a Stable outlook. The upgrade reflects sustained strengthening of the company's financial profile: policyholder surplus has grown from approximately $77 million at year-end 2022 to roughly $317 million at year-end 2025, and the statutory risk-based capital (RBC) ratio—a key measure of an insurer's capital adequacy—reached 1,757%, providing substantial capacity to absorb catastrophe losses.
On the earnings front, ACIC's Q1 2026 results showed the effects of a softening commercial property market. The company reported earnings per share of $0.39 on revenue of $71.22 million, both figures coming in slightly below consensus estimates. Management has acknowledged competitive pricing pressure, particularly from new entrants bidding aggressively on large accounts, but stressed that policy counts and overall risk exposure have remained stable. The company's combined ratio—a measure of underwriting profitability where a figure below 100% indicates profitable underwriting—stood at 66% in Q1 2026, underscoring continued underwriting discipline. ACIC is pursuing growth through an expanded Excess & Surplus (E&S) lines partnership and the launch of a new specialty carrier, Skyway, though meaningful premium contribution from these initiatives is expected to materialize more fully in 2027.
UVE Overview and Recent Performance
Universal Insurance Holdings, Inc. (UVE), based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is a property and casualty insurance holding company that underwrites personal residential homeowners insurance across multiple states, with Florida remaining its core market. The company distributes policies through a network of independent agents as well as its direct online channel, Clovered.com, and also provides commercial property coverage for small businesses.
UVE has delivered a strong run of performance in recent quarters, with its Q2 2026 results serving as a standout. The company reported adjusted diluted earnings per share of $1.84, surpassing the consensus estimate of $1.57 by a wide margin. Direct premiums written grew 4.1% year-over-year to $621.3 million, with Florida contributing 0.8% growth and other states growing by an impressive 14.4%. The net loss ratio improved by 7.5 percentage points to 64.8%, and the combined ratio fell 6.2 points to 91.6%—both indicators of significantly improved underwriting profitability.
CEO Stephen J. Donaghy attributed the favorable trends directly to Florida's 2022-2023 legislative reforms, which have dramatically reduced litigation volumes in the state's homeowners insurance market. Independent data corroborates this narrative: Florida's share of nationwide homeowners insurance lawsuits dropped from 79% in 2020 to 41% in 2025, according to the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation. UVE's book value per share has surged 39.7% year-over-year to $22.89, and the annualized adjusted return on common equity (ROCE)—a gauge of how efficiently a company generates profits from shareholder capital—reached 33.2% in Q2 2026. The company also recently completed its 2026-2027 reinsurance program on favorable terms, with its ceded premium ratio declining to 30.8% from 31.2%.
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Head-to-Head Comparison
While both ACIC and UVE operate in Florida's property insurance market, their business models diverge in ways that create distinct risk-return profiles. ACIC is a commercial residential specialist, insuring condominium and HOA properties almost exclusively in Florida. This concentrated exposure gives ACIC dominant market share in its niche but also ties its fortunes closely to a single state and a single property type. UVE, by contrast, operates across multiple states with a growing footprint outside Florida, writing personal residential homeowners policies that span single-family homes, condos, and rental properties. UVE's 14.4% out-of-state premium growth in Q2 2026 highlights a diversification advantage that ACIC does not yet possess.
On valuation, the contrast is stark. ACIC trades at a trailing price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of approximately 5 and a price-to-book multiple near 1.6, reflecting the market's cautious view of its softening commercial pricing environment and single-state concentration. UVE trades at a higher P/E ratio of roughly 8-9 and a price-to-book multiple around 1.8, supported by stronger recent earnings momentum and multi-state growth. UVE also offers a regular quarterly dividend yielding about 1.5%, while ACIC has favored special dividends—most recently a $0.75-per-share payout—as its primary mechanism for returning excess capital.
Risk factors differ materially. ACIC's concentrated commercial residential book means a single severe hurricane season in Florida could have outsized impact, though the company's robust reinsurance program and high RBC ratio provide meaningful buffers. UVE's personal lines portfolio is more geographically diversified, and the Florida legislative reforms have structurally reduced its litigation risk. However, UVE faces competitive pressure from a stabilizing Florida market that is attracting new entrants. On growth catalysts, ACIC is betting on E&S lines expansion and geographic diversification as longer-term drivers, while UVE's near-term catalyst is the continued flow-through of reform-driven margin improvement across its existing book. Market sentiment, as reflected in recent price action, has rewarded UVE's earnings momentum while ACIC trades nearer to the lower end of its 52-week range.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Based on observable market factors, Tickeron's AI-driven analytical framework would likely favor UVE in the current environment, though the assessment comes with important nuance. UVE's trend consistency has been notably stronger in recent months, with the stock surging roughly 65% in 2025 and posting an additional double-digit gain in 2026, supported by tangible fundamental catalysts: declining loss ratios, growing multi-state premiums, and a favorable reinsurance renewal. The company's earnings momentum—beating consensus estimates by wide margins—combined with a structurally improved Florida litigation environment provides a visible runway for continued profitability. ACIC, while statistically cheaper on virtually every valuation metric, faces headwinds from a softening commercial property pricing cycle that could pressure top-line growth in the near term. That said, ACIC's fortified balance sheet, strong insider ownership, and credit rating upgrade suggest the company is fundamentally sound and may present a compelling value opportunity for investors with a longer time horizon. The AI verdict tilts toward UVE for trend-following and momentum-oriented strategies, while ACIC's deep-value characteristics could appeal to strategies focused on mean reversion and capital return.
Disclaimer
The information on this webpage is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice, a recommendation to purchase or sell any security, or an offer or solicitation related to investments. It does not consider your personal financial situation, goals, or risk profile, and all investing carries inherent risks, including the possibility of losing your entire investment. For more details, please review our full disclaimer.
To compare these two companies we present long-term analysis, their fundamental ratings and make comparative short-term technical analysis which are presented below. The conclusion is ACIC is a Hold and UVE is a Buy.
Long-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a long-term outlook for a ticker by using Fundamental Analysis (FA) ratings. The rating of 1 to 100, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, is divided into thirds. The first third (a green rating of 1-33) indicates that the ticker is undervalued; the second third (a grey number between 34 and 66) means that the ticker is valued fairly; and the last third (red number of 67 to 100) reflects that the ticker is undervalued. We use an FA Score to show how many ratings show the ticker to be undervalued (green) or overvalued (red).
ACIC’s FA Score shows that 1 FA rating(s) are green whileUVE’s FA Score has 3 green FA rating(s).
- ACIC’s FA Score: 1 green, 4 red.
- UVE’s FA Score: 3 green, 2 red.
Short-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a short-term outlook for a ticker by using Technical Analysis (TA) indicators. We use Odds of Success as the percentage of outcomes which confirm successful trade signals in the past.
If the Odds of Success (the likelihood of the continuation of a trend) for each indicator are greater than 50%, then the generated signal is confirmed. A green percentage from 90% to 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bullish trend. A red percentage from 90% - 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bearish trend. All grey percentages are below 50% and are considered not to confirm the trend signal.
ACIC’s TA Score shows that 5 TA indicator(s) are bullish while UVE’s TA Score has 6 bullish TA indicator(s).
- ACIC’s TA Score: 5 bullish, 5 bearish.
- UVE’s TA Score: 6 bullish, 3 bearish.
Price Growth
ACIC (@Property/Casualty Insurance) experienced а +3.31% price change this week, while UVE (@Property/Casualty Insurance) price change was +5.43% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Property/Casualty Insurance industry was +0.46%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was +0.62%, and the average quarterly price growth was +12.92%.
Reported Earning Dates
ACIC is expected to report earnings on Aug 12, 2026.
UVE is expected to report earnings on Oct 22, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Property/Casualty Insurance (+0.46% weekly)Property and casualty companies insure against accidents of non-physical harm, such as lawsuits, damage to personal assets, car crashes and more. Progressive Corporation, Travelers Companies, Inc. and Allstate Corporation are some of the biggest providers of such products.
| ACIC | UVE | ACIC / UVE | |
| Capitalization | 515M | 1.22B | 42% |
| EBITDA | N/A | N/A | - |
| Gain YTD | -10.606 | 30.898 | -34% |
| P/E Ratio | 4.96 | 5.74 | 86% |
| Revenue | 334M | 1.63B | 20% |
| Total Cash | 229M | 704M | 33% |
| Total Debt | 153M | 97.9M | 156% |
ACIC | UVE | ||
|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 50 | 33 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 64 Fair valued | 28 Undervalued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 39 | 5 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 28 | 25 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 60 | 38 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 82 | 93 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | n/a | 32 |
Tickeron ratings are formulated such that a rating of 1 designates the most successful stocks in a given industry, while a rating of 100 points to the least successful stocks for that industry.
UVE's Valuation (28) in the Property Or Casualty Insurance industry is somewhat better than the same rating for ACIC (64) in the null industry. This means that UVE’s stock grew somewhat faster than ACIC’s over the last 12 months.
UVE's Profit vs Risk Rating (5) in the Property Or Casualty Insurance industry is somewhat better than the same rating for ACIC (39) in the null industry. This means that UVE’s stock grew somewhat faster than ACIC’s over the last 12 months.
UVE's SMR Rating (25) in the Property Or Casualty Insurance industry is in the same range as ACIC (28) in the null industry. This means that UVE’s stock grew similarly to ACIC’s over the last 12 months.
UVE's Price Growth Rating (38) in the Property Or Casualty Insurance industry is in the same range as ACIC (60) in the null industry. This means that UVE’s stock grew similarly to ACIC’s over the last 12 months.
ACIC's P/E Growth Rating (82) in the null industry is in the same range as UVE (93) in the Property Or Casualty Insurance industry. This means that ACIC’s stock grew similarly to UVE’s over the last 12 months.
| ACIC | UVE | |
|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 75% | 4 days ago 50% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 76% | 4 days ago 52% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 78% | 4 days ago 81% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 77% | 4 days ago 72% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 75% | 4 days ago 77% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 79% | 4 days ago 73% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 6 days ago 77% | 6 days ago 77% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 13 days ago 80% | 4 days ago 59% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 88% | 4 days ago 79% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 80% | 4 days ago 74% |
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ACIC and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, ACIC has been loosely correlated with UVE. These tickers have moved in lockstep 51% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if ACIC jumps, then UVE could also see price increases.
| Ticker / NAME | Correlation To ACIC | 1D Price Change % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACIC | 100% | N/A | ||
| UVE - ACIC | 51% Loosely correlated | -0.27% | ||
| DGICA - ACIC | 50% Loosely correlated | +0.88% | ||
| MCY - ACIC | 50% Loosely correlated | +0.37% | ||
| BOW - ACIC | 49% Loosely correlated | +0.46% | ||
| SKWD - ACIC | 49% Loosely correlated | +0.13% | ||
More | ||||
UVE and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, UVE has been loosely correlated with HRTG. These tickers have moved in lockstep 55% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if UVE jumps, then HRTG could also see price increases.