Verisk Analytics, Inc. (VRSK) Stock Price & How to Invest

Verisk Analytics traces back to 1971 as the Insurance Services Office (ISO), a non-profit ratings and data cooperative for property and casualty insurers, and it has since become a for-profit data-and-analytics company that sells almost exclusively into insurance. It operates through two main lines, Underwriting solutions (the larger piece, around $552 million in Q1 2026) and Claims solutions (around $231 million), providing risk-scoring data, policy-language standards, catastrophe and property analytics, fraud detection, and claims-estimating tools. Roughly 83% of revenue is recurring subscription-style, client retention runs above 95%, and the company generates ~$3.14 billion in trailing annual revenue at very high margins (~45% operating, ~28% net).

The investment picture is one of quality and predictability rather than explosive growth. Verisk targets 6 to 8 percent annual revenue growth with steady margin expansion and returns capital through dividends and large buybacks (it launched a $1.5 billion accelerated repurchase in 2026 and raised its dividend about 11 percent). The debate centers on whether mid-single-digit organic growth (around 4.7% organic constant-currency in Q1 2026) justifies a premium multiple, and whether AI both threatens and augments its proprietary-data moat. Bulls see an entrenched insurance-data utility with pricing power; skeptics point to decelerating growth and a valuation that leaves little room for disappointment.

The most recent quarter, Q2 2026, brought revenue of ~$806 million (up ~4.4% year over year) and adjusted EPS of $1.98 against a $1.93 consensus, the fourth straight quarter ahead of estimates. The share price has not followed: as of October 16, 2026 VRSK closed near $187.51, down ~15% year to date and ~18% over one year, well off a 52-week high near $239. Several brokers trimmed price targets in early October (Morgan Stanley to $215, BMO to $217, Deutsche Bank to $200) amid the debate over growth and AI. Q3 2026 results are due November 5, 2026, with consensus at ~$1.92 of EPS on ~$807 million of revenue.

The most cited risk is valuation versus growth: the stock trades at a premium multiple (~29x trailing and ~22x forward earnings as of October 2026) while organic growth sits in the mid-single digits, so any deceleration can pressure the multiple. That pressure is already visible in a ~15% year-to-date decline despite four straight earnings beats. Verisk's near-total concentration in insurance means an industry downturn, consolidation among carriers, or pricing pushback would hit it broadly. Free cash flow softened in Q1 2026 (down roughly 17% year over year), and trailing free cash flow now stands near $1.06 billion. Leverage has also risen with buybacks, to ~$4.6 billion of debt against ~$0.55 billion of cash. Competition from Fair Isaac, LexisNexis Risk Solutions, CoreLogic, and Moody's RMS in catastrophe modeling could erode share in specific niches. Finally, AI is a double-edged sword that could either widen or, over time, commoditize parts of its data moat.

17 analysts publish price targets on VRSK, averaging $227.94 against a $190.90 price as of October 2026, or +19.4%. The published targets run from $195.00 to $260.00, a narrow spread, and the ratings split 11 buy, 8 hold, 0 sell. Over the last six months there have been 5 raises and 4 cuts among the published actions. A price target is what an analyst published on a date, not a prediction, and sell-side ratings skew positive across the whole market.

Read the full VRSK forecast and price target for the target table, the recent rating actions by firm, and how the consensus has shifted.

We give no verdict on Verisk Analytics, Inc.. Both cases are real, which is why the question is contested at all, so here is the strongest version of each.

The case for buying. Recurring, subscription-heavy revenue. About 83% of Verisk's revenue is recurring and client retention exceeds 95%, which gives the model unusual visibility and resilience through insurance cycles. The most optimistic published target, $260.00, assumes this works close to its best case.

The case against. The most cited risk is valuation versus growth: the stock trades at a premium multiple (~29x trailing and ~22x forward earnings as of October 2026) while organic growth sits in the mid-single digits, so any deceleration can pressure the multiple. The most pessimistic target, $195.00, is roughly what VRSK is worth if this bites instead.

Read the full bull and bear case on VRSK, including what would have to change to break either one. Walnut is not an investment adviser.

No. Verisk Analytics, Inc. (VRSK) has not split its stock in the last 10 years. That is a statement about the window we check rather than about the company’s entire history, so an older split is possible. It also matters less than it once did: fractional shares mean a high price per share no longer keeps smaller investors out, which removed most of the practical reason to split.

A simple financial snapshot. These are approximations and refresh quarterly; for current figures see Verisk Analytics, Inc.'s investor relations page or your broker.

• Revenue (TTM): ~$3.14B, up ~4.4% year over year in Q2 2026
• Margins (TTM): ~70% gross, ~45% operating, ~28% net
• Net income (TTM): ~$886M; trailing EPS ~$6.51
• Trailing P/E: ~29x
• Forward P/E: ~22x
• Dividend: ~$2.00 per share, ~1.1% yield
• Market cap: ~$24.6B at ~$187.51 per share
• 2026 consensus: ~$3.22B revenue, ~$7.70 EPS

As of October 16, 2026, Verisk traded near $187.51 with a market cap of about $24.6 billion, an EV/EBITDA near 19 and a ~1.1% dividend yield. The forward multiple has eased to ~22x as the shares fell ~15% this year while earnings estimates held, with analysts looking for EPS of ~$7.70 in 2026 and ~$8.70 in 2027. The premium still reflects the recurring-revenue quality, and modest top-line growth is why some observers flag valuation risk.

Other names that sit close to VRSK: same theme, named as a direct competitor, or held beside it in the same funds. Each entry says which. Worth a look if you are thinking about diversification within a thesis rather than concentration on one ticker.

There are three common ways to get VRSK exposure. Buy shares (or fractional shares) directly at any major broker. Hold an ETF that includes it, which spreads the position across many companies. Or build it into a focused thematic portfolio, so VRSK sits alongside other stocks that express the same thesis.

Walnut takes the portfolio route. Describe a thesis where VRSK fits (for example “AI infrastructure” or “dividend-growth large-caps”) and the AI proposes 5 to 6 constituents with target weights. You review the plan and fund it through your own broker when you're ready.

New to this? Start with how to invest in stocks, see how to analyze a stock with AI, or compare the best AI stock analyzers.

VRSK is a high-margin, insurance-focused data monopoly-like business whose appeal rests on durable recurring revenue, while its risk sits in a rich valuation against modest growth.

Whether VRSK is worth buying today depends more on your time horizon and what you already hold than on any single call. We walk through valuation, what would have to go right, and the risks in is VRSK a buy or a sell?, and where the stock could go from here in the VRSK stock forecast.

For income investors, whether VRSK pays a dividend and how the payout looks is covered in does VRSK pay a dividend? And to weigh VRSK against a peer, read the full side-by-side comparisons: VRSK vs FICO and VRSK vs MCO.