Fidelity National Financial (NYSE:FNF) Sets New 1-Year Low - Time to Sell?

Key Points

• FNF hit a new 52-week low, trading as low as $45.94 and last at $46.11 (down about 4.4%) on volume of ~281,212 shares.
• Latest quarter showed mixed results: EPS of $1.41 missed estimates by $0.10 while revenue of $4.05 billion beat expectations and rose 11.9% year‑over‑year.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.52 (annualized yield ~4.6%) but with a high payout ratio of 97.65%, and analysts hold a consensus "Moderate Buy" with a $68.33 target.

Fidelity National Financial, Inc. (NYSE:FNF - Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week low during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $45.94 and last traded at $46.1120, with a volume of 281212 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $47.66.

Analyst Ratings Changes

FNF has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Fidelity National Financial from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Barclays cut their target price on shares of Fidelity National Financial from $64.00 to $63.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Fidelity National Financial from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, January 26th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price target on shares of Fidelity National Financial from $70.00 to $71.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. Finally, National Bank Financial set a $71.00 price objective on Fidelity National Financial in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Fidelity National Financial presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $68.33.

Fidelity National Financial Stock Down 4.4%

The business has a fifty day moving average of $52.99 and a 200 day moving average of $55.92. The stock has a market cap of $12.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.45, a P/E/G ratio of 0.62 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49, a current ratio of 0.24 and a quick ratio of 0.24.

Fidelity National Financial (NYSE:FNF - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 19th. The financial services provider reported $1.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.51 by ($0.10). Fidelity National Financial had a return on equity of 15.06% and a net margin of 4.17%.The business had revenue of $4.05 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.66 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.34 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 11.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that Fidelity National Financial, Inc. will post 6.28 earnings per share for the current year.

Fidelity National Financial Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 17th will be issued a dividend of $0.52 per share. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.6%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 17th. Fidelity National Financial's dividend payout ratio is 97.65%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Fidelity National Financial

In other news, Director Halim Dhanidina sold 6,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.90, for a total value of $335,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 13,186 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $737,097.40. This represents a 31.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 5.50% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Fidelity National Financial

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of FNF. Quent Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Fidelity National Financial during the third quarter valued at $26,000. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp grew its holdings in shares of Fidelity National Financial by 997.7% in the 3rd quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp now owns 472 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 429 shares during the last quarter. Mather Group LLC. bought a new stake in shares of Fidelity National Financial in the 3rd quarter worth about $29,000. Canton Hathaway LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Fidelity National Financial during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Finally, Commonwealth Retirement Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Fidelity National Financial during the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. 81.17% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Fidelity National Financial

Fidelity National Financial NYSE: FNF is a leading provider of title insurance and transaction services to the real estate and mortgage industries. The company underwrites title insurance policies that protect property owners and lenders against title defects, liens, and other encumbrances. Alongside its core title insurance operations, FNF offers escrow and closing services, e-recording solutions, and real estate data and analytics through a network of agents and underwriters.

FNF operates through two primary segments: Title Insurance and Specialty Insurance and Services.

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