AGO

Financial Services

Assured Guaranty Ltd. · Insurance - Specialty · $3B

UQS Score — Balanced Preset
58.6
Good

Assured Guaranty Ltd. scores 58.6/100 using the Balanced preset.

UQS vs Financial Services Sector
AGO
58.6
Sector avg
39.7
Quality
Strong
Moat
Neutral
Growth
Weak
Risk
Neutral
Valuation
Attractive

What is Assured Guaranty Ltd.?

Assured Guaranty Ltd. is a specialty financial guaranty company headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda. It protects debt holders from payment defaults across public finance, infrastructure, and structured finance markets in the U.S. and internationally.

The company operates through two segments — Insurance and Asset Management. Its core business is wrapping debt obligations with financial guaranty insurance, ensuring bondholders receive scheduled payments even if the underlying issuer defaults. Clients include U.S. state and local governments, infrastructure project sponsors, and structured finance issuers. Internationally, the company insures regulated utilities, sovereign bonds, and renewable energy obligations.

Assured Guaranty was established in 2004 and is domiciled in Hamilton, Bermuda.

  • Financial guaranty insurance for municipal and public finance bonds
  • Infrastructure and project finance credit protection
  • Structured finance guaranty (mortgage-backed securities, consumer receivables)
  • Asset management services for insured portfolios

Is AGO a Good Stock to Buy?

UQS Score rates AGO as Good overall, reflecting a balanced but nuanced profile across its five pillars.

Assured Guaranty's strongest dimension is Quality, which ranks among the more compelling attributes in its peer group. The Valuation pillar is rated Attractive, suggesting the market may not be fully pricing in the company's underlying financial strength relative to peers.

Growth is the most notable weak point — the financial guaranty market is mature, and new business generation faces structural headwinds. Moat and Risk both sit at Neutral, indicating neither a wide competitive buffer nor alarming downside exposure.

See the exact pillar breakdown and full financial metrics by signing up for a UQS Pro account. Sign up free →

Past performance does not guarantee future results. UQS Score is based on fundamental data and is not a buy/sell recommendation.

Does AGO pay dividends?

Yes — Assured Guaranty Ltd. pays a dividend.

Assured Guaranty pays a regular dividend, consistent with its position as a mature specialty insurer generating steady cash flows. The dividend reflects management's confidence in capital generation from the run-off and active insurance portfolios. Income-oriented investors may find the payout cadence appealing alongside the Attractive Valuation rating.

When does AGO report earnings?

Assured Guaranty reports earnings on a quarterly cadence, standard for U.S.-listed financial services companies.

The company's Quality pillar remains Strong, suggesting disciplined underwriting and capital management have held up across reporting periods. Growth, however, has been constrained — results tend to reflect the slow-moving nature of the financial guaranty market rather than rapid top-line expansion.

For the most recent quarter's results and guidance, visit Assured Guaranty's investor relations page directly.

AGO Price History

+88.4% over 5Y

Monthly close, adjusted for stock splits and dividend reinvestment.

Return Calculator

What if I invested in Assured Guaranty Ltd.?

$
Today it would be worth
$20,198
That's a +102% total return, or +15.1% annualized.

Based on Assured Guaranty Ltd.'s historical closing prices, adjusted for stock splits and dividend reinvestment. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This is for informational purposes only and is not financial advice.

AGO Long-term Outlook

The fundamental outlook for Assured Guaranty is shaped by its Strong Quality profile offset by Weak Growth. The financial guaranty sector faces a structurally limited new-business pipeline, which constrains upside. However, the Attractive Valuation and steady capital returns may provide a floor for long-term holders. Risk is rated Neutral, meaning the balance sheet does not appear to carry outsized tail risk relative to peers.

Growth drivers

  • International public finance and infrastructure guaranty expansion
  • Structured finance opportunities in mortgage-backed and consumer receivable markets
  • Asset management fee income from managed insured portfolios

Key risks

  • Mature domestic municipal bond market limiting new premium volume
  • Macro credit deterioration increasing claims on guaranteed obligations
  • Valuation re-rating risk if interest rate dynamics shift investor appetite for insured bonds

AGO vs Peers

Assured Guaranty operates in a niche corner of financial services, but several specialty insurance and credit-risk peers offer useful context.

NMIHAGO scores lower
NMI Holdings, Inc.

NMI Holdings focuses on private mortgage insurance rather than municipal bond guaranty, giving it more direct exposure to residential housing credit cycles.

RDNAGO scores lower
Radian Group Inc.

Radian competes in private mortgage insurance and also offers real estate services, making its revenue mix more housing-market dependent than AGO's public finance focus.

RYANAGO scores higher
Ryan Specialty Holdings, Inc.

Ryan Specialty is a wholesale insurance broker and managing underwriter — a different business model, but it competes for capital in the broader specialty insurance space.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Assured Guaranty do?

Assured Guaranty provides financial guaranty insurance, protecting bondholders from payment defaults on municipal bonds, infrastructure debt, and structured finance securities. If an issuer misses a scheduled payment, Assured Guaranty steps in to cover it. The company also manages assets tied to its insured portfolios through its Asset Management segment.

Does AGO pay dividends?

Yes, Assured Guaranty pays a regular dividend. The company's mature business model and steady capital generation from its insurance book support consistent distributions to shareholders. Investors should check the company's investor relations page for the current dividend rate and payment schedule.

When does AGO report earnings?

Assured Guaranty reports on a quarterly cadence, as is standard for U.S.-listed financial companies. For the exact date of the next earnings release, refer to the company's investor relations page or financial calendar.

Is AGO a good stock to buy?

UQS Score rates AGO as Good overall. Its Quality pillar is Strong and Valuation is Attractive, which are positive signals. However, Growth is rated Weak, reflecting the limited expansion potential of the financial guaranty market. Whether AGO fits your portfolio depends on your goals — see the full pillar breakdown on UQS Pro.

Is AGO overvalued?

The UQS Valuation pillar for AGO is rated Attractive, suggesting the stock may be trading at a reasonable or favorable price relative to its financial profile. This does not guarantee future returns, but it indicates the market may not be fully pricing in the company's Quality strengths.

How does AGO compare to its competitors?

Assured Guaranty occupies a unique niche in financial guaranty insurance, distinct from private mortgage insurers like NMI Holdings and Radian Group. Its public finance and infrastructure focus gives it a different risk and revenue profile. The UQS platform provides side-by-side pillar comparisons for a deeper look.

What is AGO's market cap bracket?

Assured Guaranty is classified as a mid-cap company. This places it in a range that typically offers more liquidity than small-cap peers while still carrying some of the volatility and growth optionality absent in large-cap financial institutions.

Who founded Assured Guaranty?

Assured Guaranty was established in 2004. Details on its founding leadership are widely available through the company's official history and public filings on its investor relations site.

Is AGO a long-term quality investment?

As a long-term quality indicator, AGO's Strong Quality pillar and Attractive Valuation are encouraging. The Weak Growth rating is a consideration for investors seeking capital appreciation over time. The UQS Score is designed to surface exactly these trade-offs — Pro members can view the complete multi-pillar analysis.

What is the main competitive advantage of Assured Guaranty?

Assured Guaranty's primary advantage lies in its specialized expertise and regulatory capital position within the financial guaranty insurance market — a space with very few active participants. Its long track record of claims-paying ability underpins the trust that municipal issuers and bondholders place in its guaranty products.

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Pro Analysis

AGO — Score History

50556065Apr 2Apr 12Apr 22May 2May 12May 22May 24v5
Score changes· 30/40 most recent
DateUQSQualityMoatGrowthRiskValueChange
May 23, 202658.384.246.024.852.086.5+0.3
May 22, 202658.084.246.024.852.084.9+1.7
May 21, 202656.384.246.022.144.484.8-0.3
May 20, 202656.684.246.022.144.486.6-0.2
May 19, 202656.884.246.022.144.487.70.0
May 17, 202656.884.246.022.144.487.9-0.1
May 16, 202656.984.246.022.144.488.4+0.2
May 15, 202656.784.246.022.144.487.1-0.1
May 14, 202656.884.246.022.144.487.7+0.2
May 13, 202656.684.246.022.144.486.3+0.2

AGO — Pillar Breakdown

Quality

84.2/100 (25%)

Assured Guaranty Ltd. demonstrates outstanding capital efficiency and profitability, placing it among the highest-quality businesses in the market.

Return on EquityWeak

Profitability relative to shareholders' equity.

Operating ProfitabilityStrong

Ability to convert revenue into operating profit.

Net ProfitabilityStrong

Bottom-line profit as a share of revenue.

Cash GenerationStrong

Free cash flow relative to market value.

Growth

24.8/100 (20%)

Assured Guaranty Ltd. faces growth headwinds with declining or stagnant revenue trends.

Recent Revenue TrendWeak

Revenue trajectory over the last twelve months.

3Y Revenue CAGRWeak

Compound annual revenue growth rate over 3 years.

EPS GrowthStrong

Year-over-year earnings per share growth.

Forward Revenue OutlookWeak

Analyst consensus for future revenue growth.

Forward EPS GrowthWeak

Analyst consensus for future earnings growth.

Risk

52.0/100 (15%)

Assured Guaranty Ltd. has some risk factors including moderate leverage or solvency concerns.

Debt/EquityStrong

Total debt relative to shareholder equity.

Current RatioWeak

Short-term liquidity — ability to pay near-term obligations.

Interest CoverageWeak

Earnings capacity relative to interest payments.

Valuation

88.2/100 (15%)

Assured Guaranty Ltd. appears attractively valued relative to its earnings, cash flows, and sector peers.

Earnings YieldStrong

Inverse of forward P/E — higher yield means cheaper stock.

Price to Free Cash FlowStrong

How many years of FCF the market cap represents.

EV/EBITDA vs SectorStrong

Enterprise value multiple relative to sector median.

Moat

46/100 (25%)

Assured Guaranty Ltd. possesses some competitive advantages but faces meaningful competition. The Moat pillar evaluates competitive advantages across five dimensions: Switching Costs, Network Effects, Cost Advantage, Intangible Assets, and Scale & Ecosystem. Sign in to customize moat ratings for AGO.

Score Composition

Quality
84.2×25%21.1
Growth
24.8×20%5.0
Risk
52.0×15%7.8
Valuation
88.2×15%13.2
Moat
46.0×25%11.5
Total
58.6Good

Financial Data

More Stock Analysis

How is the AGO UQS Score Calculated?

The UQS (Unified Quality Score) for Assured Guaranty Ltd. is calculated using a proprietary 6-pillar framework with 29 financial metrics. Each pillar evaluates a different dimension on a 0–100 scale, then combines into a single weighted score. Scoring thresholds are calibrated per sector. Momentum is an optional Pro toggle — without it, you get the 5-pillar / 25-metric core shown below.

Quality (25%) measures profitability and capital efficiency — ROIC, ROE, margins, GP/Assets, and FCF Yield.

Moat (25%) assesses Assured Guaranty Ltd.'s competitive advantages across switching costs, network effects, cost advantages, intangible assets, and ecosystem scale.

Growth (20%) tracks revenue trajectory and earnings momentum, combining historical results with analyst forward estimates.

Risk (15%) is inversely scored — lower leverage and strong balance sheet health result in higher scores.

Valuation (15%) measures whether Assured Guaranty Ltd. is fairly priced using earnings yield, price-to-FCF, PEG ratio, and EV/EBITDA relative to sector peers.

Six investor-inspired presets are available, each with different pillar weights: Balanced, Buffett, Munger, Lynch, Cathie Wood, and Graham. The public score shown here uses the Balanced preset. Learn more in our FAQ.