Hsbc Holdings PLC Buys 42,478 Shares of H&R Block, Inc. $HRB

Key Points

• Hsbc Holdings PLC has increased its stake in H&R Block, Inc. by 184.8%, holding 65,459 shares valued at approximately $3.55 million at the end of the first quarter.
• H&R Block recently announced a quarterly dividend increase from $0.38 to $0.42 per share, which represents a 3.3% dividend yield.
• The company reported $2.27 EPS for the last quarter, falling short of the consensus estimate of $2.81 EPS, although revenue increased by 4.6% year-over-year.

Hsbc Holdings PLC increased its position in shares of H&R Block, Inc. (NYSE:HRB - Free Report) by 184.8% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 65,459 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 42,478 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC's holdings in H&R Block were worth $3,553,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of HRB. Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC bought a new stake in H&R Block during the 4th quarter worth $306,000. Boothbay Fund Management LLC bought a new stake in H&R Block during the 4th quarter worth $534,000. Northern Trust Corp grew its position in H&R Block by 8.9% during the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 2,345,222 shares of the company's stock worth $123,922,000 after acquiring an additional 191,595 shares during the last quarter. AdvisorShares Investments LLC bought a new stake in H&R Block during the 4th quarter worth $402,000. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC grew its position in H&R Block by 5.6% during the 4th quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 2,250,059 shares of the company's stock worth $118,871,000 after acquiring an additional 120,181 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 90.14% of the company's stock.

H&R Block Trading Up 0.5%

HRB traded up $0.23 during trading on Monday, reaching $50.36. 2,240,143 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,127,650. The company has a quick ratio of 0.90, a current ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 12.86. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.75 billion, a PE ratio of 11.27, a P/E/G ratio of 0.82 and a beta of 0.26. The stock's 50-day moving average is $53.99 and its 200 day moving average is $55.50. H&R Block, Inc. has a 12 month low of $47.00 and a 12 month high of $64.90.

H&R Block (NYSE:HRB - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 12th. The company reported $2.27 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $2.81 by ($0.54). The firm had revenue of $1.11 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.07 billion. H&R Block had a net margin of 16.11% and a negative return on equity of 191.38%. The business's revenue was up 4.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.89 EPS. H&R Block has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.850-5.000 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that H&R Block, Inc. will post 5.25 earnings per share for the current year.

H&R Block Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, October 6th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, September 4th will be given a dividend of $0.42 per share. This represents a $1.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.3%. This is an increase from H&R Block's previous quarterly dividend of $0.38. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 4th. H&R Block's payout ratio is currently 33.56%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their target price on H&R Block from $54.00 to $48.00 and set a "sell" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, August 13th. Barrington Research lowered their target price on H&R Block from $70.00 to $62.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, August 13th. Wall Street Zen raised H&R Block from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 9th. Finally, Zacks Research lowered H&R Block from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $55.00.

H&R Block Company Profile

H&R Block, Inc engages in the provision of tax return preparation solutions, financial products and small business solutions. The company was founded by Henry W. Bloch and Richard A. Bloch on January 25, 1955, and is headquartered in Kansas City, MO.