Fermata Advisors LLC Sells 1,592 Shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co. $JPM

Key Points

• Fermata Advisors LLC reduced its holdings in JPMorgan Chase & Co. by 52.7%, selling 1,592 shares and leaving them with 1,430 shares valued at $414,000.
• JPMorgan Chase & Co. announced an increase in its quarterly dividend from $1.40 to $1.50 per share, which reflects a yield of 1.9%.
• The company reported $4.96 earnings per share for the last quarter, surpassing analysts' estimates and indicating a net margin of 20.52% despite a 10.5% year-over-year revenue decline.

Fermata Advisors LLC lessened its holdings in JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM - Free Report) by 52.7% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,430 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 1,592 shares during the period. Fermata Advisors LLC's holdings in JPMorgan Chase & Co. were worth $414,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. MJT & Associates Financial Advisory Group Inc. acquired a new position in JPMorgan Chase & Co. in the first quarter worth approximately $28,000. University of Illinois Foundation acquired a new stake in shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co. in the 1st quarter valued at $30,000. Curat Global LLC bought a new position in shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co. in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Christopher J. Hasenberg Inc raised its position in shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co. by 212.0% in the second quarter. Christopher J. Hasenberg Inc now owns 156 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 106 shares during the period. Finally, Capital A Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in JPMorgan Chase & Co. during the 4th quarter worth $64,000. 71.55% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. Stock Up 0.3%

Shares of JPM traded up $1.02 on Friday, hitting $314.25. The company's stock had a trading volume of 23,513,937 shares, compared to its average volume of 9,678,109. JPMorgan Chase & Co. has a fifty-two week low of $202.16 and a fifty-two week high of $315.80. The company has a quick ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.25. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $295.88 and its 200-day moving average price is $268.71. The firm has a market capitalization of $864.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.12, a P/E/G ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 1.13.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, July 15th. The financial services provider reported $4.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.48 by $0.48. JPMorgan Chase & Co. had a return on equity of 16.93% and a net margin of 20.52%.The firm had revenue of $44.91 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $43.76 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $6.12 EPS. The company's revenue was down 10.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that JPMorgan Chase & Co. will post 18.1 EPS for the current year.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, October 6th will be paid a $1.50 dividend. This represents a $6.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, October 6th. This is a positive change from JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s previous quarterly dividend of $1.40. JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.79%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Linda Bammann sold 9,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $297.94, for a total transaction of $2,830,430.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 82,207 shares of the company's stock, valued at $24,492,753.58. This trade represents a 10.36% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.47% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the company. Hsbc Global Res cut JPMorgan Chase & Co. from a "hold" rating to a "moderate sell" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 8th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $325.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $296.00 to $298.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 16th. Cowen restated a "buy" rating on shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co. in a research report on Wednesday, July 16th. Finally, HSBC reaffirmed a "reduce" rating and set a $259.00 price objective on shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co. in a research report on Tuesday, July 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $292.78.

About JPMorgan Chase & Co.

JPMorgan Chase & Co is a financial holding company, which engages in the provision of financial and investment banking services. It focuses on investment banking, financial services for consumers and small businesses, commercial banking, financial transaction processing, and asset management. It operates through the following segments: Consumer and Community Banking (CCB), Commercial and Investment Bank (CIB), Asset and Wealth Management (AWM), and Corporate.