Barclays Issues Positive Forecast for Prudential Financial (NYSE:PRU) Stock Price

Key Points

• Barclays raised its Prudential Financial price target from $94 to $98 but kept an “underweight” rating, implying about 22.7% downside from the stock’s then-current price.
• Analyst sentiment remains cautious: MarketBeat reported a consensus “Reduce” rating and an average price target of $111.53, with six Sell, nine Hold, and two Buy ratings.
• Prudential reported quarterly EPS of $3.77, beating estimates, while revenue of $13.49 billion missed consensus and earnings declined from $4.26 a year earlier.

Prudential Financial (NYSE:PRU - Get Free Report) had its price target upped by Barclays from $94.00 to $98.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an "underweight" rating on the financial services provider's stock. Barclays's target price would indicate a potential downside of 22.68% from the stock's current price.

PRU has been the topic of a number of other research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on Prudential Financial from $127.00 to $124.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, October 22nd. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on shares of Prudential Financial from $105.00 to $100.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a report on Monday, October 19th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on Prudential Financial from $90.00 to $120.00 and gave the company an "underperform" rating in a report on Friday, August 21st. Mizuho set a $108.00 price target on shares of Prudential Financial in a report on Monday, October 12th. Finally, Bank of America restated a "neutral" rating on shares of Prudential Financial in a report on Wednesday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and six have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Reduce" and a consensus target price of $111.53.

Prudential Financial Price Performance

Prudential Financial stock traded up $7.94 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $126.75. 1,699,366 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,009,202. The company has a market cap of $43.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.48, a PEG ratio of 1.98 and a beta of 0.85. Prudential Financial has a 12-month low of $91.89 and a 12-month high of $127.79. The company has a quick ratio of 0.16, a current ratio of 0.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $116.83 and a two-hundred day moving average of $108.81.

Prudential Financial (NYSE:PRU - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 3rd. The financial services provider reported $3.77 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.34 by $0.43. The company had revenue of $13.49 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.66 billion. Prudential Financial had a net margin of 6.51% and a return on equity of 16.68%. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $4.26 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Prudential Financial will post 13.51 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Ann Kappler sold 7,652 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $125.01, for a total transaction of $956,576.52. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 14,407 shares in the company, valued at $1,801,019.07. The trade was a 34.69% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Company insiders own 0.05% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new stake in Prudential Financial during the 2nd quarter worth $3,507,481,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Prudential Financial in the 2nd quarter valued at about $209,055,000. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new position in Prudential Financial during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $208,957,000. Deutsche Bank AG acquired a new position in Prudential Financial in the second quarter worth $157,752,000. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership grew its position in shares of Prudential Financial by 95.3% during the 1st quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 2,556,748 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $249,769,000 after buying an additional 1,247,371 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 56.83% of the company's stock.

Key Prudential Financial News

Here are the key news stories impacting Prudential Financial this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Adjusted earnings of $3.77 per share beat analyst estimates of about $3.31–$3.34, with strength in PGIM and U.S. protection businesses. The earnings beat is the clearest positive catalyst. PRU Q3 Earnings Beat Estimates on PGIM and U.S. Protection Strength
• Positive Sentiment: Annuity sales reached a 13-year high, suggesting strong demand in a significant business line. Prudential annuity sales hit a 13-year high
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue of $13.49 billion fell short of the $14.66 billion consensus, and EPS was below the $4.26 reported a year earlier. This tempers the earnings beat. Prudential misses Q3 2026 revenue estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Japan business headwinds include a suspension that cut income by $191 million and a reported $1.3 billion Japan-related cost as Prudential reshapes its regional footprint. Prudential counts Japan cost as it reshapes its footprint
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks added PRU to its Rank #5 (Strong Sell) list, a negative analyst signal that may weigh on sentiment despite the quarterly EPS beat. New Strong Sell Stocks for November 4th

Prudential Financial Company Profile

Prudential Financial, Inc NYSE: PRU is a global financial services company that provides insurance, retirement, investment management and related financial products. Founded in Newark, New Jersey, in 1875, the company serves individuals, businesses and institutional investors through a range of businesses and distribution channels.

In the United States, Prudential offers life insurance, annuities, retirement plans and employee benefits, including group life, disability and dental insurance.

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