Top Heal Care Companies To Own For 2015

Top Heal Care Companies To Own For 2015: Allstate Corp (ALL)

The Allstate Corporation (Allstate), November 5, 1992, is a holding company for Allstate Insurance Company. The Companys business is conducted principally through Allstate Insurance Company, Allstate Life Insurance Company and their affiliates. It is engaged, principally in the United States, in the property-liability insurance, life insurance, retirement and investment product business. Allstate's primary business is the sale of private passenger auto and homeowners insurance. The Company also sells several other personal property and casualty insurance products, select commercial property and casualty coverages, life insurance, annuities, voluntary accident and health insurance and funding agreements. Allstate primarily distributes its products through exclusive agencies, financial specialists, independent agencies, call centers and the Internet. It conducts its business primarily in the United States. Allstate has four business segments: Allstate Protection, Allstate Financial, Discontinued Lines and Coverages and Corporate and Other. The Company is a personal lines insurer in the United States. Customers can access Allstate products and services, such as auto insurance and homeowners insurance through nearly 12,000 exclusive Allstate agencies and financial representatives in the United States and Canada. In October 2011, the Company acquired Esurance and Answer Financial from White Mountains Insurance Group.

ALLSTATE PROTECTION SEGMENT

In this segment, the Company principally sells private passenger auto and homeowners insurance through agencies and directly through call centers and the Internet. These products are marketed under the Allstate, Encompass and Esurance brand names. The Allstate Protection segment also includes a separate organization called Emerging Businesses, which comprises Business Insurance (commercial products for small business owners), Consumer Household (specialty products incl! uding moto rcycle, boat, renters and condominium insurance policies), A! llstate Dealer Services (insurance and non-insurance products sold primarily to auto dealers), Allstate Roadside Services (retail and wholesale roadside assistance products) and Ivantage (insurance agency). The Company also participates in the involuntary or shared private passenger auto insurance business in order to maintain its licenses to do business in many states. In some states, Allstate exclusive agencies offer non-proprietary property insurance products. Allstate brand auto and homeowners insurance products are sold primarily through Allstate exclusive agencies and serve customers who prefer local personal advice and service and are brand-sensitive. In most states, customers can also purchase certain Allstate brand personal insurance products, and obtain service, directly through call centers and the Internet.

During the year ended December 31, 2011, total Allstate Protection premiums written were $25.98 billion. Its broad-based network of approximately 10,000 Allstate exclusive agencies in approximately 9,700 locations in the United States produced approximately 86% of the Allstate Protection segment's written premiums in 2011. It provides personal property and casualty insurance products through independent agencies in the United States. Additionally, Allstate distribution, through brokering arrangements, offers non-proprietary products to consumers when an Allstate product is not available.

ALLSTATE FINANCIAL SEGMENT

Allstate Financial segment provides life insurance, retirement and investment products, and voluntary accident and health insurance products. Its principal products are interest-sensitive, traditional and variable life insurance; fixed annuities, including deferred and immediate; and voluntary accident and health insurance. Its institutional products consist of funding agreements sold to unaffiliated trusts that use them to back medium-term notes issued to institut! ional and! individ ual investors. Banking products and services were offered to! customer! s through the Allstate Bank through September 2011. In 2011, after receiving regulatory approval to voluntarily dissolve, Allstate Bank ceased operations.

The Company sells Allstate Financial products to individuals through multiple intermediary distribution channels, including Allstate exclusive agencies and exclusive financial specialists, independent agents, specialized structured settlement brokers and directly through call centers and the Internet. The Company sells products through independent agents affiliated with approximately 125 master brokerage agencies. Independent workplace enrolling agents and Allstate exclusive agencies also sell its voluntary accident and health insurance products primarily to employees of unaffiliated businesses. Its mortgage loan portfolio, which is primarily held in the Allstate Financial portfolio, totaled $7.14 billion as of December 31, 2011

Allstate Financial, through several companies, is authorized to sell life insurance and retirement products in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States, Virgin Islands and Guam. Allstate Financial distributes its products to individuals through multiple distribution channels, including Allstate exclusive agencies and exclusive financial specialists, independent agents (including master brokerage agencies and workplace enrolling agents), specialized structured settlement brokers and directly through call centers and the Internet.

OTHER BUSINESS SEGMENTS

The Companys Corporate and Other segment consistsof holding company activities and certain non-insurance operations. Its Discontinued Lines and Coverages segment includes results from insurance coverage that it no longer writes and results for certain commercial and other businesses in run-off. Its exposure to asbestos, environmental and other discontinued lines claims is presented in the segment. The segment a! lso inclu! des the hist orical results of the commercial and reinsurance businesses ! sold in 1! 996.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jessica Alling]

  If the first quarter, insurers reported increases in their insurance premiums as a means to offset some losses from higher claims. American International Group (NYSE: AIG  ) reported a 6% increase in their commercial lines alone, while Allstate (NYSE: ALL  ) reported a 2.5% growth in written premiums due in part to higher rates. But should investors be happy that insurers are increasing their premiums?

• [By Shauna O'Brien]

  Credit Suisse reported on Thursday that it has raised its estimates on insurance company The Allstate Corporation (ALL).

  The firm has raised its price target on ALL to $62. This price target suggests a 16% upside from the stock’s current price of $52.23. Analysts currently have an “Outperform” rating on ALL.

  Credit Suisse has also boosted estimates on ALL as its management is increasing returns.

  Allstate shares were up 32 cents, or 0.62%, during Thursday morning trading. The stock is up 30% YTD.

• [By Rich Duprey]

  With the ability to monitor mileage, braking, speed, and time of day when a customer is driving, insurance giant Allstate (NYSE: ALL  ) added six more states to its telematics technology program that rewards drivers it deems safe with insurance discounts. There will now be 16 states in the program.

• [By Michael Flannelly]

  Wells Fargo analysts see a number of upside catalysts for The Allstate Corporation (ALL), plus a positive trend for automobile insurers as a whole. As such, the analysts upgraded the insurance provider on Thursday.

  The analysts upgraded ALL from “Market Perform” to “Outperform” and boosted its valuation range from $48-$52 to $58-$62. This new valuation range suggests a 16% to 24% upside to the stock’s Wednesday clos! ing price! of $50.11.

  “We are upgrading the shares of Allstate to Outperform from Market Perform on the basis of several fundamental reasons unique to the company as well as several positive, emerging structural trends for auto insurers in general,” Wells Fargo analyst John Hall stated. “We do not believe that the market has yet paid for potential unit growth within Allstate’s branded standard book of auto insurance, something we envision occurring over the next 6-12 months.”

  As for some of the positive personal auto insurance sector trends, Hall noted, “These would include shifting demographics toward a safer driving population mix (more old drivers and fewer young drivers), changing driving habits particularly among millennials, a safer U.S. personal auto fleet, rising car sales pointing to positive symbol shift as well as industry conditions encouraging market share consolidation.”

  Wells Fargo boosted Allstate’s 2013 EPS estimates from $4.62 to $4.85 and 2014 EPS estimates from $4.85 to $5.20.

  Allstate shares were mostly flat during pre-market trading on Thursday. The stock is up 24.74% year-to-date.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/top-heal-care-companies-to-own-for-2015.html