B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG Raises Stock Holdings in Principal Financial Group, Inc. $PFG

Key Points

• B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG boosted its stake in Principal Financial Group by 199.6% in Q4 to 32,911 shares valued at about $2.91 million, and institutional investors now hold roughly 75.08% of the company.
• Q1 results were mixed: EPS beat and margins improved, but revenue fell short of consensus; management reiterated its 2026 targets (9–12% EPS growth and 15–17% ROE), supporting the outlook despite top‑line weakness.
• The board raised the quarterly dividend to $0.82 (annualized $3.28, ~3.3% yield) with an ex‑dividend date of June 1, while CEO Deanna Strable‑Soethout sold 7,340 shares, trimming her holdings by about 5.09%.

B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG lifted its holdings in shares of Principal Financial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:PFG - Free Report) by 199.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 32,911 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 21,925 shares during the quarter. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG's holdings in Principal Financial Group were worth $2,908,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. bought a new position in shares of Principal Financial Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. FWL Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Principal Financial Group during the third quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Rialto Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Principal Financial Group by 3,754.5% during the fourth quarter. Rialto Wealth Management LLC now owns 424 shares of the company's stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 413 shares in the last quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Principal Financial Group by 315.7% during the fourth quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC now owns 424 shares of the company's stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 322 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Principal Financial Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.08% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently weighed in on PFG. Weiss Ratings raised Principal Financial Group from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Monday, December 29th. UBS Group upped their price target on Principal Financial Group from $92.00 to $94.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reaffirmed a "hold" rating and issued a $92.00 price target on shares of Principal Financial Group in a research note on Thursday, March 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and issued a $103.00 price target on shares of Principal Financial Group in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on Principal Financial Group from $91.00 to $87.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Principal Financial Group currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $93.78.

Principal Financial Group Trading Up 2.4%

Principal Financial Group stock opened at $99.34 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 0.27 and a quick ratio of 0.27. Principal Financial Group, Inc. has a one year low of $71.54 and a one year high of $101.54. The stock has a market capitalization of $21.52 billion, a PE ratio of 14.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.89 and a beta of 0.87. The business's fifty day moving average is $91.71 and its 200 day moving average is $88.70.

Principal Financial Group (NASDAQ:PFG - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 18th. The company reported $2.20 EPS for the quarter. Principal Financial Group had a return on equity of 16.30% and a net margin of 10.10%.The company had revenue of $4.58 billion for the quarter. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Principal Financial Group, Inc. will post 9.32 EPS for the current year.

Principal Financial Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 26th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 1st will be paid a $0.82 dividend. This represents a $3.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.3%. This is an increase from Principal Financial Group's previous quarterly dividend of $0.80. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 1st. Principal Financial Group's dividend payout ratio is 45.78%.

Key Principal Financial Group News

Here are the key news stories impacting Principal Financial Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 earnings topped expectations and profitability strengthened: EPS beat estimates (reported ~$2.07/sh) as fee income and AUM growth drove profit and margin expansion, supporting near-term earnings momentum. PFG Q1 Earnings Top Estimates, Revenues Decline Y/Y, Dividend Up
• Positive Sentiment: Management signaled confidence in its 2026 targets after Q1 margin gains — reiterating 9%–12% EPS growth and a 15%–17% ROE target — which supports the stock’s re-rating on expectations of sustainable profitability improvement. Principal signals confidence in 2026 targets...
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend raised: the board approved a quarterly payout of $0.82 (up 2.5%), implying a ~3.3% yield — a shareholder-friendly move that supports income-focused investor demand.
• Neutral Sentiment: The full Q1 earnings call transcript is available for details on segment performance and capital deployment — useful for investors wanting color on sustainability of fee income and reserve trends. PFG Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue declined year-over-year and missed consensus materially (reported ~$3.52B vs. ~4.11B consensus), reflecting weaker top-line activity despite margin gains — a risk if revenue trends persist. View Press Release

Insider Transactions at Principal Financial Group

In related news, CEO Deanna D. Strable-Soethout sold 7,340 shares of Principal Financial Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $95.00, for a total transaction of $697,300.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 136,828 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $12,998,660. This trade represents a 5.09% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 1.08% of the company's stock.

Principal Financial Group Profile

Principal Financial Group NASDAQ: PFG is a global financial services company headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, that provides a range of retirement, investment and insurance solutions to individuals, employers and institutional clients. The firm's business is organized around retirement services, asset management, and insurance products designed to help clients plan, invest for, and protect income over the long term.

Principal's product and service offerings include retirement plan recordkeeping and administration for employer-sponsored plans, individual and group retirement annuities, life and disability insurance, employee benefits solutions, and wealth management services.

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