logo
Kingsway Financial Services (KFS) Targets Aggressive Growth Through Strategic Acquisitions

Kingsway Financial Services (KFS) Targets Aggressive Growth Through Strategic Acquisitions

Yahoo11-07-2025
Alphyn Capital Management, an investment management firm, released its second-quarter 2025 investor letter. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. The Master Account of the fund returned 12.4% net in the second quarter compared to 10.9% for the S&P 500 Index. As of the second quarter of 2025, the top ten holdings accounted for approximately 65% of the portfolio, and approximately 17% of the portfolio was held in cash. Market conditions remained volatile in Q2 due to ongoing tariff developments and evolving interest rate projections. In addition, please check the fund's top five holdings to know its best picks in 2025.
In its second quarter 2025 investor letter, Alphyn Capital Management highlighted stocks such as Kingsway Financial Services Inc. (NYSE:KFS). Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, Kingsway Financial Services Inc. (NYSE:KFS) engages in extended warranty and business services. The one-month return of Kingsway Financial Services Inc. (NYSE:KFS) was 6.91%, and its shares gained 73.72% of their value over the last 52 weeks. On July 10, 2025, Kingsway Financial Services Inc. (NYSE:KFS) stock closed at $14.54 per share, with a market capitalization of $413.374 million.
Alphyn Capital Management stated the following regarding Kingsway Financial Services Inc. (NYSE:KFS) in its second quarter 2025 investor letter:
"Kingsway Financial Services Inc.'s (NYSE:KFS) shares spent most of the past year moving sideways, which is unsurprising for a roughly $400 million market cap company that receives little sell-side coverage and whose value depends more on future acquisition-driven growth than on reported earnings today. Execution across the portfolio has been uneven. Acquisitions such as Ravix and SPI have performed well, while CSuite has proven difficult, and Secure Nursing has faced soft demand for travel nurses and wage pressure, resulting in revenue remaining flat and margins under strain as the industry normalizes following the pandemic. At the May Investor Day, management reaffirmed its goal of two to three acquisitions a year at 5-7x EBITDA on companies earning $1.5 - $3 million and walked through an operating playbook for their most recent acquisition Buds Plumbing that showed how pricing, service mix expansion, and bolt-on M&A can double profits within three years. Two weeks later, Kingsway closed a $15.7 million PIPE at $11.75 per share, lifting its acquisition cadence target to three to five deals per year. The share price has run up on that news and could be volatile until the playbook is proven; but if management executes on a handful of high quality acquisitions a year and brings solid operational discipline to formerly lifestyle family businesses, the earnings base could expand meaningfully over the next few years."
A service technician with a tool belt, inspecting an HVAC unit in a customer's home.
Kingsway Financial Services Inc. (NYSE:KFS) is not on our list of 30 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds. As per our database, 4 hedge fund portfolios held Kingsway Financial Services Inc. (NYSE:KFS) at the end of the first quarter, compared to 5 in the last quarter. While we acknowledge the potential of KFS as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock.
In another article, we covered Kingsway Financial Services Inc. (NYSE:KFS) and shared Greenhaven Road Capital's views on the company in the previous quarter. In addition, please check out our hedge fund investor letters Q2 2025 page for more investor letters from hedge funds and other leading investors.
READ NEXT: The Best and Worst Dow Stocks for the Next 12 Months and 10 Unstoppable Stocks That Could Double Your Money.
Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

BRBR LOSS ALERT: BellRing Brands, Inc. Investors with Losses are Reminded of the Ongoing Securities Fraud Investigation – Contact BFA Law (NYSE:BRBR)
BRBR LOSS ALERT: BellRing Brands, Inc. Investors with Losses are Reminded of the Ongoing Securities Fraud Investigation – Contact BFA Law (NYSE:BRBR)

Business Upturn

time16 minutes ago

  • Business Upturn

BRBR LOSS ALERT: BellRing Brands, Inc. Investors with Losses are Reminded of the Ongoing Securities Fraud Investigation – Contact BFA Law (NYSE:BRBR)

NEW YORK, Aug. 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Leading securities law firm Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP announces an investigation into BellRing Brands, Inc. (NYSE: BRBR) for potential violations of the federal securities laws. If you invested in BellRing, you are encouraged to obtain additional information by visiting: Why is BellRing Being Investigated? BellRing Brands operates in the convenient nutrition category. The Company's primary brands include Premier Protein and Dymatize, which offer ready-to-drink ('RTD') protein shakes and powders. During the relevant period, the Company stated that Premier Protein 'hit an all-time high in household penetration' and that 'demand remains strong.' The Company also stated that its growth was 'strong in all channels,' driven by 'distribution expansion, accelerating velocities and incremental promotional activity.' In truth, the Company's sales growth during the relevant period may have been driven by temporary trade inventory loading at several key retailers, not sustainable end-consumer demand. The Stock Declines as the Truth Is Revealed On May 5, 2025, after market hours, BellRing revealed that starting in Q2 2023, 'several key retailers lowered their weeks of supply on hand,' which would create a headwind to Q3 2025 growth. The Company also announced it was expanding promotions to boost sales and 'offset [] third quarter reductions in retailer trade inventory levels.' On this news, the price of BellRing stock fell $13.96 per share, or more than 18%, from $77.34 per share on May 5, 2025, to $63.38 per share on May 6, 2025. Then, on August 4, 2025, after market hours, BellRing announced disappointing quarterly consumption of Premier Protein RTD Shakes, which had been expected to outpace shipments by a wider margin given previously announced retailer destocking, but instead came 'more in line' with shipments. On this news, the price of BellRing Brands stock fell $17.46 per share, or nearly 33%, from $53.64 per share on August 4, 2025, to $36.18 per share on August 5, 2025. Click here for more information: What Can You Do? If you invested in BellRing you may have legal options and are encouraged to submit your information to the firm. All representation is on a contingency fee basis, there is no cost to you. Shareholders are not responsible for any court costs or expenses of litigation. The firm will seek court approval for any potential fees and expenses. Submit your information by visiting: Or contact:Ross Shikowitz [email protected] 212.789.3619

CNC LOSS ALERT: Centene Corporation Investors with Losses are Reminded of the September 8 Class Action Deadline – Contact BFA Law (NYSE:CNC)
CNC LOSS ALERT: Centene Corporation Investors with Losses are Reminded of the September 8 Class Action Deadline – Contact BFA Law (NYSE:CNC)

Business Upturn

time16 minutes ago

  • Business Upturn

CNC LOSS ALERT: Centene Corporation Investors with Losses are Reminded of the September 8 Class Action Deadline – Contact BFA Law (NYSE:CNC)

NEW YORK, Aug. 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Leading securities law firm Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP announces that a lawsuit has been filed against Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC) and certain of the Company's senior executives for potential violations of the federal securities laws. If you invested in Centene, you are encouraged to obtain additional information by visiting: Investors have until September 8, 2025, to ask the Court to be appointed to lead the case. The complaint asserts claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 on behalf of investors who purchased Centene securities. The case is pending in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and is captioned: Lunstrum v. Centene Corporation, et al. , No. 25-cv-05659. Why was Centene Sued for Securities Fraud? Centene is a healthcare company that focuses on providing services to consumers enrolled in government-sponsored healthcare programs like Medicaid and Medicare, as well as those that purchase insurance under the Affordable Care Act from the Health Insurance Marketplace. On December 12, 2024, Centene announced financial guidance for fiscal year 2025 which the company said reflected '[s]tability in earnings power in the face of unprecedented headwinds.' Next, on February 4, 2025, Centene increased its 2025 guidance due to enrollment 'overperformance.' Then, on April 25, 2025, Centene again increased 2025 guidance due to continued strong growth in enrollment and retention, while touting the 'progress we are making as an organization while navigating a dynamic policy landscape.' In truth, the majority of the market that Centene serves was experiencing lower than expected enrollment growth and increased morbidity rates, or frequency of disease and illness. The Stock Declines as the Truth is Revealed On July 1, 2025, Centene abruptly withdrew its previous guidance after reviewing an independent actuarial report from Wakely Consulting Group which showed that overall market growth in 22 of the 29 states Centene serves was lower than expected and that morbidity in those states was significantly higher than expected. On this news, the price of Centene stock fell $22.87 per share, or more than 40%, from $56.65 per share on July 1, 2025 to $33.78 per share on July 2, 2025. Click here for more information: What Can You Do? If you invested in Centene you may have legal options and are encouraged to submit your information to the firm. All representation is on a contingency fee basis, there is no cost to you. Shareholders are not responsible for any court costs or expenses of litigation. The firm will seek court approval for any potential fees and expenses. Submit your information by visiting: Or contact:Ross Shikowitz [email protected] 212.789.3619

Why Investors Never Seem To Earn the ‘Average' Market Return
Why Investors Never Seem To Earn the ‘Average' Market Return

Yahoo

time25 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Why Investors Never Seem To Earn the ‘Average' Market Return

Over the short-term, it's entirely possible to beat the return of the stock market, as measured by the S&P 500. The return of the S&P 500 index is a weighted average of its individual components, meaning by definition some of the stocks within the index outperform the 'average' return — and if you're an investor owning one of these stocks, you can beat the market average, as well. Find Out: Read More: But over the long run, topping the 'average' market return is exceedingly hard to do. Research from J.P. Morgan Asset Management shows that over the 20-year period from 1998 to 2017, the S&P 500 returned an average of 7.1% annually, while the average investor only posted gains of 2.6% annually, barely above inflation. Why the huge discrepancy? Here are the main reasons why it's so hard for investors to outperform. They Don't Stay Invested Investing can be an emotional business. When the market rallies, investors can get euphoric, throwing additional money in right as the market peaks. On the flip side, many investors get nervous and panic when the market sells off by 20% or more, dumping their stocks as the market approaches a low. Investors that merely hold onto their positions and ride them out for the long-term have a much better chance of matching or beating market averages than those who let emotions dictate their strategy. Try This: They Try To Time the Market The market typically undergoes a correction of 10% or more roughly every 2.5 years, while bear markets, defined by a drop of at least 20%, generally happen about every six years, according to American Century Investments. Theoretically, if you can sell your positions before these major market drops and buy back in at market lows, you could easily outperform the market. But the reality is that timing the market with precision is exceedingly hard to do. In most cases, those who try to make a living timing the market get whipsawed and end up underperforming the market averages. This is due in part to the fact that the bulk of market gains come from just a few days. From Jan. 1, 1999 through Mar. 31, 2025, a $10,000 investment in the S&P 500 index would have grown to $71,309, according to FactSet. But missing even a few of the best market days would result in considerably lower returns. Here's how much you'd have if you missed the best 10, 20, and 30 best days in the market over those past 26 years: Missing 10 best days: $32,682 Missing 20 best days: $19,242 Missing 30 best days: $12,298 Trying to time the market and missing even a few of the best days will annihilate your long-term returns. They Chase Hot Trends It takes patience to succeed at investing. Those who trade in and out of stocks trying to catch lightning in a bottle may succeed over the short run, but it's almost impossible to keep that up over time. Unfortunately, the popularization of 'meme' stocks and other trendy investment options in the financial press and on online message boards makes it seem like 'everyone else' is getting rich off these investment fads. This can instill a 'fear of missing out' (FOMO) among investors who may view 'buy-and-hold' as 'boring,' when in reality, slow and steady wins the race over the long run. They Pay Fees One advantage the market average will always have over investors is that it isn't susceptible to management fees. This requires investors to actually outperform the market simply to 'break even.' Even a low-cost S&P 500 index fund that charges a minuscule 0.03% management fee will significantly eat at returns over time. If you put $100,000 into such a fund and the index earns a 10% average annual return for 30 years, you'd come up about $15,000 short of the index. If you paid a 1% annual fee, which many actively managed equity funds charge, the shortfall would reach over $418,000. It's Hard To Pick Winning Stocks One way to avoid mutual fund and ETF fees is by owning individual stocks bought through a zero-commission broker. However, picking individual stocks comes with its own level of difficulty, as well. While owning individual stocks can lead to outperformance, it requires a level of skill that's hard to come by. One academic paper by Hendrik Bessembinder, Te-Feng Chen, Goeun Choi and K.C. John Wei found that from 1990 through 2018, 56% of U.S. stocks underperformed the essentially risk-free one-month Treasury bill. That's a terrible record and means that a handful of stocks provided the bulk of market returns — and picking the wrong ones could lead to definitively sub-par results. More From GOBankingRates 5 Ways Trump Signing the GENIUS Act Could Impact Retirees10 Unreliable SUVs To Stay Away From Buying This article originally appeared on Why Investors Never Seem To Earn the 'Average' Market Return

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store