Assured Guaranty COO Sells 50,000 Shares for $3.93 Million
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 1 hour ago
0mins
Source: Fool
- Executive Transaction Overview: On May 11, 2026, Assured Guaranty COO Robert Bailenson sold 50,000 common shares directly in the market for approximately $3.93 million, indicating his ongoing commitment to the company's stock.
- Historical Trading Comparison: This sale represents Bailenson's largest single direct disposition in the past three years, exceeding his historical average sell-only trade size of about 29,200 shares, suggesting a cautious approach to reducing his holdings.
- Holding Proportion Analysis: After the transaction, Bailenson retains 256,251 common shares, representing approximately 59.4% of his pre-transaction direct position, highlighting his long-term alignment with the company.
- Company Financial Status: Despite Bailenson's solid holding position, Assured Guaranty's Q1 2026 revenue fell sharply year-over-year, with net income halved, reflecting a complex performance landscape within the insurance sector that warrants close monitoring for future developments.
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Analyst Views on AGO
Wall Street analysts forecast AGO stock price to rise
3 Analyst Rating
2 Buy
1 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 73.200
Low
94.00
Averages
104.00
High
110.00
Current: 73.200
Low
94.00
Averages
104.00
High
110.00
About AGO
Assured Guaranty Ltd. is a Bermuda-based holding company. Through its subsidiaries, the Company provides credit enhancement products to the United States and non-United States public finance, infrastructure and structured finance markets. The Company also participates in the asset management business through its ownership interest in Sound Point Capital Management, LP and certain of its investment management affiliates and in the annuity reinsurance business through Assured Life Reinsurance Ltd. Its segments include Insurance and Asset Management. Through its insurance subsidiaries, the Company applies its credit underwriting judgment, risk management skills and capital markets experience primarily to offer financial guaranty insurance that protects holders of debt instruments and other monetary obligations from defaults in scheduled payments. Asset management segment serves as an investment advisor to primarily collateralized loan obligations and opportunity funds.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
- Executive Transaction Overview: On May 11, 2026, Assured Guaranty COO Robert Bailenson sold 50,000 common shares directly in the market for approximately $3.93 million, indicating his ongoing commitment to the company's stock.
- Historical Trading Comparison: This sale represents Bailenson's largest single direct disposition in the past three years, exceeding his historical average sell-only trade size of about 29,200 shares, suggesting a cautious approach to reducing his holdings.
- Holding Proportion Analysis: After the transaction, Bailenson retains 256,251 common shares, representing approximately 59.4% of his pre-transaction direct position, highlighting his long-term alignment with the company.
- Company Financial Status: Despite Bailenson's solid holding position, Assured Guaranty's Q1 2026 revenue fell sharply year-over-year, with net income halved, reflecting a complex performance landscape within the insurance sector that warrants close monitoring for future developments.
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- Executive Share Sale: Assured Guaranty COO Robert Bailenson sold 50,000 common shares on May 11, 2026, for approximately $3.93 million, representing 16.33% of his direct holdings, which raises questions about insider confidence.
- Holding Status: Despite this sale, Bailenson retains over 256,000 shares, indicating a continued alignment with the company's long-term interests, which may bolster market confidence in Assured Guaranty's stability.
- Complex Financial Performance: In Q1 2026, Assured Guaranty reported a sharp year-over-year revenue decline and a net income cut by half, leading to underperformance against peers in the insurance sector, highlighting competitive pressures.
- Strategic Expansion Risks: The recent acquisition of a UK-based annuity reinsurance business could represent a smart diversification; however, it may also distract from the core guaranty model, with upcoming quarters critical to assessing the effectiveness of this strategic move.
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- Rating Upgrade: UBS upgraded Assured Guaranty (AGO) from Neutral to Buy, citing the current stock price of $75.55 as an attractive entry point with a price target set at $94, reflecting confidence in the company's future growth prospects.
- Market Performance Pressure: Analysts noted that AGO's performance has been pressured by Brightline-related headlines, and a near-term slowdown in share repurchases has contributed to a valuation disconnect, indicating a misunderstanding of the company's fundamentals in the market.
- Strong Fundamentals: While near-term sentiment may remain influenced by Brightline developments, analysts believe AGO's fundamentals are intact and expect greater clarity around the situation to support a re-rating over time, bolstering confidence for long-term investors.
- Consensus Divergence: UBS's rating contrasts with the average sell-side analyst rating of Hold and Seeking Alpha's quantitative rating of Sell, highlighting a divergence in market views on AGO, which may present potential buying opportunities for investors.
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- Adjusted Operating Income: Assured Guaranty reported an adjusted operating income of $115 million for Q1 2026, translating to $2.50 per share, which, while down from $162 million in Q1 2025, still indicates the company's resilience and profitability in a challenging market.
- New Business Production Surge: The company achieved $73 million in new business production (PVP) in Q1 2026, nearly doubling from $39 million in the same quarter of 2025, demonstrating significant progress in expanding its market presence and client base.
- Asset Management Segment Growth: The asset management segment generated $44 million in income for Q1 2026, nearly quadrupling from the previous year, highlighting the strong growth potential and demand in the asset management sector.
- Shareholder Return Strategy: Despite repurchasing 882,000 shares for $75 million at an average price of $85.58 per share in Q1 2026, the company plans to reduce buybacks over the next three months to allocate capital for growth opportunities, reflecting its focus on effective capital management.
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