Citizens Financial Group, Inc. $CFG Stock: IFP Advisors Inc Grows Stake

Key Points

• Institutional ownership increased sharply: IFP Advisors raised its Citizens Financial Group stake by 2,464.1% to 254,996 shares, while institutional investors and hedge funds collectively owned 94.9% of CFG.
• Q3 earnings beat expectations: Citizens reported $1.41 in EPS versus the $1.39 consensus, with net income up 29% year over year. Higher net interest income, improved credit quality and a 13% dividend increase supported the results.
• Outlook remains mixed: Revenue came in slightly below estimates because of weaker capital-markets fees, and some analysts issued cautious forecasts. Still, CFG carries a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating with an average price target of $79.08.

IFP Advisors Inc grew its position in shares of Citizens Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:CFG - Free Report) by 2,464.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 254,996 shares of the bank's stock after acquiring an additional 245,051 shares during the quarter. IFP Advisors Inc owned about 0.06% of Citizens Financial Group worth $16,259,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. CRA Financial Services LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Citizens Financial Group by 152.3% in the 3rd quarter. CRA Financial Services LLC now owns 11,366 shares of the bank's stock worth $725,000 after purchasing an additional 6,861 shares in the last quarter. Lee Financial Co grew its position in Citizens Financial Group by 27.2% in the 3rd quarter. Lee Financial Co now owns 45,139 shares of the bank's stock valued at $2,878,000 after purchasing an additional 9,659 shares during the period. Align Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Citizens Financial Group in the 3rd quarter valued at $35,000. Dynamic Wealth Strategies LLC bought a new stake in Citizens Financial Group during the 3rd quarter valued at $68,000. Finally, 1834 Investment Advisors Co. increased its stake in Citizens Financial Group by 2,023.0% during the 3rd quarter. 1834 Investment Advisors Co. now owns 298,616 shares of the bank's stock valued at $19,040,000 after purchasing an additional 284,550 shares in the last quarter. 94.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Transactions at Citizens Financial Group

In related news, CEO Bruce Van Saun sold 129,369 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, July 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.07, for a total value of $9,323,623.83. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,140,763 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $82,214,789.41. This represents a 10.19% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.67% of the company's stock.

Citizens Financial Group Stock Performance

Shares of Citizens Financial Group stock opened at $63.39 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $26.70 billion, a PE ratio of 12.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.58 and a beta of 0.72. Citizens Financial Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $48.31 and a 52 week high of $75.33. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $68.03 and a 200-day moving average price of $67.04. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63.

Citizens Financial Group (NYSE:CFG - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Friday, October 16th. The bank reported $1.41 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.39 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $2.32 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.34 billion. Citizens Financial Group had a return on equity of 8.85% and a net margin of 17.18%. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.05 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that Citizens Financial Group, Inc. will post 5.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have weighed in on CFG. TD Cowen initiated coverage on shares of Citizens Financial Group in a report on Thursday, October 8th. They set a "buy" rating and a $75.00 price objective on the stock. Argus set a $80.00 price objective on shares of Citizens Financial Group in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Evercore reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $78.00 price objective on shares of Citizens Financial Group in a report on Thursday, October 1st. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of Citizens Financial Group from $78.00 to $84.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of Citizens Financial Group from $78.00 to $72.50 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 2nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $79.08.

Key Headlines Impacting Citizens Financial Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Third-quarter net income rose 29% year over year to $636 million, while EPS increased 34% year over year and 8% sequentially to $1.41. The result exceeded consensus estimates of $1.39 and was well above the $1.05 reported in the prior-year quarter. Citizens Financial Group Reports Third Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Higher net interest income supported the earnings beat, and management highlighted improved credit quality. These trends suggest better core banking profitability and reduced near-term credit-loss pressure. CFG Stock Up as Q3 Earnings Top Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Citizens increased its dividend by 13%, improving the stock’s income appeal and signaling confidence in capital generation and future earnings. CFG Stock Up as Q3 Earnings Top Estimates, Dividend Hiked
• Neutral Sentiment: The earnings call and company release provide additional detail on quarterly performance and management’s outlook, but investors are balancing strong profitability against uneven revenue trends. Citizens Financial Group Q3 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue missed expectations, primarily because capital-markets fees declined. The shortfall helps explain why the market response was less favorable than the EPS beat alone might suggest. Citizens Financial Q3 Earnings Beat, Revenue Misses
• Negative Sentiment: Cantor Fitzgerald issued a pessimistic forecast for CFG, adding an additional source of downside pressure despite the quarterly earnings beat. Cantor Fitzgerald Issues Pessimistic Forecast

Citizens Financial Group Company Profile

Citizens Financial Group, Inc is a bank holding company headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island. Its principal subsidiary, Citizens Bank, provides banking and financial services to individuals, families, businesses and institutions through branches, digital channels and other delivery platforms.

The company's consumer banking activities include checking and savings accounts, residential mortgages, home equity lending, credit cards, personal loans and other lending products. Through its commercial banking operations, Citizens provides business loans, commercial real estate financing, treasury management, capital markets services and other solutions for companies and institutional clients.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CFG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Citizens Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:CFG - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.