AllianceBernstein (NYSE:AB) Stock Passes Below 50-Day Moving Average - What's Next?

Key Points

• Technical drop: AllianceBernstein shares slipped below their 50‑day moving average, trading as low as $37.30 and last at $37.62 (50‑day MA $39.15), down about 1.4% on the session, signaling near‑term weakness.
• Analyst consensus: Two analysts rate the stock Buy and six rate it Hold, leaving an average rating of "Hold" with an average price target of $42.17, implying some upside but neutral sentiment overall.
• Dividend vs. sustainability: The company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.96 (annualized $3.84) for a 10.2% yield, but a 128% payout ratio raises questions about the dividend's sustainability.

AllianceBernstein Holding L.P. (NYSE:AB - Get Free Report) shares crossed below its 50-day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a 50-day moving average of $39.15 and traded as low as $37.30. AllianceBernstein shares last traded at $37.6210, with a volume of 242,646 shares trading hands.

Analyst Ratings Changes

AB has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of AllianceBernstein in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of AllianceBernstein from $39.00 to $41.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of AllianceBernstein from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Finally, TD Cowen reissued a "hold" rating on shares of AllianceBernstein in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, AllianceBernstein presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $42.17.

AllianceBernstein Trading Down 1.4%

The firm has a market capitalization of $3.47 billion, a PE ratio of 12.54, a PEG ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 0.86. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $39.15 and its 200 day simple moving average is $39.39.

AllianceBernstein (NYSE:AB - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 5th. The asset manager reported $0.96 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.92 by $0.04. AllianceBernstein had a net margin of 6.62% and a return on equity of 21.17%. The business had revenue of $957.31 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $956.45 million. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.05 EPS. The business's revenue was down 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that AllianceBernstein Holding L.P. will post 3.58 earnings per share for the current year.

AllianceBernstein Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 12th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 20th were issued a $0.96 dividend. This is a boost from AllianceBernstein's previous quarterly dividend of $0.86. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 20th. This represents a $3.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 10.2%. AllianceBernstein's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 128.00%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AllianceBernstein

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of AllianceBernstein in the 2nd quarter worth about $3,135,000. Moody Aldrich Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of AllianceBernstein by 131.6% in the 3rd quarter. Moody Aldrich Partners LLC now owns 137,341 shares of the asset manager's stock worth $5,249,000 after acquiring an additional 78,047 shares during the last quarter. Payne Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of AllianceBernstein in the 3rd quarter worth about $1,055,000. Second Line Capital LLC lifted its holdings in shares of AllianceBernstein by 14.0% in the 2nd quarter. Second Line Capital LLC now owns 9,295 shares of the asset manager's stock worth $379,000 after acquiring an additional 1,140 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fortis Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of AllianceBernstein in the 3rd quarter worth about $289,000. Institutional investors own 19.25% of the company's stock.

AllianceBernstein Company Profile

AllianceBernstein is a global investment management firm that offers a broad range of research-driven strategies across equities, fixed income, multi-asset solutions and alternative investments. The firm provides active and quantitative portfolio management, drawing on in-house research capabilities to serve the needs of institutional clients, private wealth investors and intermediaries. Its product lineup encompasses mutual funds, separately managed accounts and customized investment vehicles designed to meet diverse risk-return objectives.

The firm's roots date back to 1967 with the founding of Sanford C.

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