Analyst outlook negative on Old Republic International’s latest plan

When Old Republic International (ORI) originally announced its spin-off plan, which was going to place its troubled mortgage insurance segment into a separate subsidiary, its stock rose and credit analysts showed great approval. So when the national insurer retracted that plan after a thorough discussion with its stakeholders, there was bound to be some negative publicity and backlash, regardless of how sound an idea it might be. And that’s what is happening now, with two ratings firms announcing changes in outlooks for ORI.