Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich Has $120.66 Million Stock Holdings in Citigroup Inc. $C

Key Points

• Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich sharply increased its Citigroup stake by 241.3% in the fourth quarter, ending with 1,033,379 shares valued at about $120.7 million.
• Citigroup recently beat quarterly expectations, reporting $3.06 EPS and $24.63 billion in revenue, both above analyst estimates, while revenue rose 14.1% year over year.
• The bank also announced a $30 billion share repurchase plan and a quarterly dividend of $0.60 per share, signaling strong capital returns to shareholders.

Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich lifted its stake in Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C - Free Report) by 241.3% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,033,379 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 730,643 shares during the quarter. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich owned approximately 0.06% of Citigroup worth $120,664,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of C. Elmwood Wealth Management Inc. increased its position in Citigroup by 1.3% during the fourth quarter. Elmwood Wealth Management Inc. now owns 6,845 shares of the company's stock worth $799,000 after buying an additional 85 shares during the last quarter. Park Place Capital Corp increased its position in Citigroup by 16.7% during the fourth quarter. Park Place Capital Corp now owns 595 shares of the company's stock worth $69,000 after buying an additional 85 shares during the last quarter. D.B. Root & Company LLC increased its position in Citigroup by 2.8% during the fourth quarter. D.B. Root & Company LLC now owns 3,191 shares of the company's stock worth $372,000 after buying an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC increased its position in Citigroup by 14.9% during the fourth quarter. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC now owns 703 shares of the company's stock worth $82,000 after buying an additional 91 shares during the last quarter. Finally, LeConte Wealth Management LLC increased its position in Citigroup by 3.9% during the fourth quarter. LeConte Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,502 shares of the company's stock worth $292,000 after buying an additional 94 shares during the last quarter. 71.72% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Citigroup Trading Down 1.9%

Shares of NYSE:C opened at $124.10 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $211.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.38, a P/E/G ratio of 0.57 and a beta of 1.14. The stock's 50-day moving average is $118.98 and its 200-day moving average is $113.79. Citigroup Inc. has a 52-week low of $71.65 and a 52-week high of $135.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.59, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a current ratio of 0.99.

Citigroup (NYSE:C - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 14th. The company reported $3.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.63 by $0.43. The company had revenue of $24.63 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $22.96 billion. Citigroup had a return on equity of 9.19% and a net margin of 9.35%.The firm's revenue was up 14.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.96 earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that Citigroup Inc. will post 10.65 earnings per share for the current year.

Citigroup Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 22nd. Investors of record on Monday, May 4th will be paid a $0.60 dividend. This represents a $2.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 4th. Citigroup's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.74%.

Citigroup announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase plan on Thursday, May 7th that authorizes the company to repurchase $30.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to buy up to 13.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are typically an indication that the company's board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

C has been the topic of several analyst reports. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of Citigroup from $140.00 to $144.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Citigroup from $131.00 to $135.50 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Oppenheimer reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $145.00 target price on shares of Citigroup in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Citigroup from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, May 9th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group increased their target price on shares of Citigroup from $137.00 to $151.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $137.62.

Citigroup News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Citigroup this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Citigroup’s recent earnings beat, stronger revenue, and higher profitability are reinforcing the case for the bank’s capital-return story, including its newly announced $30 billion share buyback, which signals management confidence and could help support the stock. What's Fueling Citigroup's Robust Capital Return Strategy?
• Positive Sentiment: Citigroup’s own market commentary and M&A-related media appearance keep the firm visible as a major Wall Street franchise, though this is more of a branding/leadership item than a direct earnings catalyst. AI Good for Media IP: Citigroup's Mohr
• Neutral Sentiment: The company also disclosed routine participation notifications and an insider transaction tied to director John Cunningham Dugan, but the sale was relatively small and does not appear to materially change the long-term outlook. SEC Director Sale Filing
• Negative Sentiment: Director John Cunningham Dugan sold 2,117 shares of Citigroup stock, which can create a slight overhang on sentiment even though the transaction was not large relative to the company’s size. Insider Selling: Citigroup NYSE: C Director Sells 2,117 Shares of Stock

Insider Activity at Citigroup

In related news, insider Edward Skyler sold 25,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $131.41, for a total value of $3,285,250.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 182,022 shares in the company, valued at approximately $23,919,511.02. This trade represents a 12.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Cantu Ernesto Torres sold 43,173 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $111.09, for a total transaction of $4,796,088.57. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 45,835 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,091,810.15. The trade was a 48.50% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 94,435 shares of company stock worth $11,030,074. Company insiders own 0.11% of the company's stock.

About Citigroup

Citigroup Inc is a global financial services company headquartered in New York City with roots tracing back to the City Bank of New York, founded in 1812. The modern Citigroup was created through the 1998 merger of Citicorp and Travelers Group and has since operated as a diversified bank holding company that provides a broad range of banking and financial products and services to consumers, corporations, governments and institutions worldwide.

Citi's principal businesses include retail and commercial banking, credit card and consumer lending products, wealth management and private banking, and a full suite of institutional services.

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