Danske Bank A S Sells 45,182 Shares of Guidewire Software, Inc. $GWRE

Key Points

• Danske Bank sold 45,182 shares of Guidewire, cutting its stake by 98.9% to just 500 shares valued at about $101,000 after the fourth quarter.
• Guidewire beat estimates with Q results of $1.17 EPS (vs. $0.77) and $359.1M revenue (up 24% YoY), and its board authorized a $500 million repurchase program (≈3.1% of shares).
• GWRE trades near $131.77 (52-week range $115.57–$272.60) while analysts hold a "Moderate Buy" consensus with an average target of $249.85, even as some firms trimmed targets to $250 and insiders have sold roughly 31,279 shares in the past 90 days.

Danske Bank A S lowered its stake in Guidewire Software, Inc. (NYSE:GWRE - Free Report) by 98.9% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 500 shares of the technology company's stock after selling 45,182 shares during the period. Danske Bank A S's holdings in Guidewire Software were worth $101,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its holdings in Guidewire Software by 57.0% during the 3rd quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 51,694 shares of the technology company's stock worth $11,735,000 after purchasing an additional 18,774 shares during the last quarter. Scalar Gauge Management LLC acquired a new position in Guidewire Software in the 3rd quarter valued at $5,287,000. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd increased its position in Guidewire Software by 901.1% during the 3rd quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd now owns 9,110 shares of the technology company's stock worth $2,094,000 after buying an additional 8,200 shares during the period. BDF Gestion bought a new position in Guidewire Software during the 4th quarter worth $1,803,000. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Guidewire Software by 3.4% during the third quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 520,390 shares of the technology company's stock worth $119,617,000 after buying an additional 17,104 shares in the last quarter.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on GWRE shares. Oppenheimer reduced their target price on shares of Guidewire Software from $300.00 to $250.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Guidewire Software from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Friday, March 13th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price objective on shares of Guidewire Software from $300.00 to $250.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Friday, March 6th. DA Davidson restated a "buy" rating and set a $246.00 target price on shares of Guidewire Software in a research report on Tuesday, March 10th. Finally, BTIG Research raised their target price on shares of Guidewire Software from $175.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $249.85.

Insider Activity

In related news, CAO David Franklin Peterson sold 273 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $163.86, for a total value of $44,733.78. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 12,533 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,053,657.38. This trade represents a 2.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CFO Jeffrey Elliott Cooper sold 1,935 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $163.86, for a total value of $317,069.10. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 66,061 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $10,824,755.46. The trade was a 2.85% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 31,279 shares of company stock valued at $4,843,478. Corporate insiders own 0.46% of the company's stock.

Guidewire Software Stock Down 5.9%

GWRE stock opened at $131.77 on Thursday. Guidewire Software, Inc. has a 52 week low of $115.57 and a 52 week high of $272.60. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $145.87 and a 200 day simple moving average of $174.88. The company has a quick ratio of 2.93, a current ratio of 2.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45. The company has a market cap of $11.16 billion, a PE ratio of 59.90 and a beta of 0.91.

Guidewire Software (NYSE:GWRE - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 5th. The technology company reported $1.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.77 by $0.40. The firm had revenue of $359.10 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $342.88 million. Guidewire Software had a net margin of 14.11% and a return on equity of 13.44%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 24.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.51 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Guidewire Software, Inc. will post 1.84 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Guidewire Software announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock repurchase plan on Thursday, January 8th that authorizes the company to buyback $500.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the technology company to repurchase up to 3.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are generally a sign that the company's management believes its stock is undervalued.

Guidewire Software Profile

Guidewire Software, Inc develops software products and cloud services for property and casualty (P&C) insurance carriers. Headquartered in San Mateo, California, the company's offerings are designed to help insurers manage the core functions of their business—policy administration, billing and claims—while supporting digital engagement, analytics and operational modernization.

Guidewire's core product portfolio is commonly known as the InsuranceSuite, which includes PolicyCenter for policy administration, BillingCenter for billing and receivables, and ClaimCenter for claims management.

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