Merit Financial Group LLC Buys 16,113 Shares of Capital One Financial Corporation $COF

Key Points

• Merit Financial Group boosted its stake in Capital One by 66.4% in Q4, buying 16,113 shares to own 40,364 shares worth about $9.78 million.
• Institutional investors own roughly 89.8% of the stock and analysts have a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” with a $261.60 price target, while upcoming Q1 results are viewed as a near-term catalyst.
• Fundamentals are mixed: Capital One missed Q4 EPS ($3.86 vs. $4.14) despite a 53% revenue jump, the stock trades at a high P/E (~69.8) and pays a 1.5% yield with a 108% payout ratio, and insiders sold about 50,047 shares last quarter.

Merit Financial Group LLC boosted its stake in Capital One Financial Corporation (NYSE:COF) by 66.4% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 40,364 shares of the financial services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 16,113 shares during the quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC's holdings in Capital One Financial were worth $9,783,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Olistico Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Capital One Financial during the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Strive Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Capital One Financial during the 3rd quarter valued at about $28,000. Westfuller Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Capital One Financial by 661.1% during the 4th quarter. Westfuller Advisors LLC now owns 137 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 119 shares during the last quarter. NBT Bank N A NY bought a new stake in shares of Capital One Financial during the 4th quarter valued at about $36,000. Finally, WFA of San Diego LLC bought a new stake in shares of Capital One Financial during the 2nd quarter valued at about $32,000. Institutional investors own 89.84% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

COF has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. UBS Group dropped their price target on Capital One Financial from $286.00 to $283.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. TD Cowen dropped their price target on Capital One Financial from $290.00 to $260.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Evercore dropped their price target on Capital One Financial from $265.00 to $222.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price target on Capital One Financial from $260.00 to $290.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, January 2nd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $300.00 price target on shares of Capital One Financial in a research report on Monday, March 16th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $261.60.

Capital One Financial Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE COF opened at $206.47 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $128.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 69.75, a P/E/G ratio of 0.63 and a beta of 1.14. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44. Capital One Financial Corporation has a 1-year low of $161.51 and a 1-year high of $259.64. The stock's 50-day moving average is $193.18 and its 200 day moving average is $214.39.

Capital One Financial (NYSE:COF - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 22nd. The financial services provider reported $3.86 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $4.14 by ($0.28). The firm had revenue of $15.62 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $15.49 billion. Capital One Financial had a net margin of 3.54% and a return on equity of 10.68%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 53.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.67 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Capital One Financial Corporation will post 15.65 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Capital One Financial Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 2nd. Investors of record on Thursday, February 19th were issued a dividend of $0.80 per share. This represents a $3.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 19th. Capital One Financial's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 108.11%.

Insider Transactions at Capital One Financial

In related news, insider Celia Karam sold 2,108 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $218.25, for a total transaction of $460,071.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 59,269 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $12,935,459.25. This trade represents a 3.43% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Jason P. Hanson sold 3,729 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $205.00, for a total value of $764,445.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 40,230 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,247,150. This represents a 8.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders sold 50,047 shares of company stock valued at $9,742,217. 0.78% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Capital One Financial News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Capital One Financial this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street is focused on Capital One’s upcoming Q1 report (after the close Apr 21). Revenue estimates show ~+54% YoY driven by the Discover deal and card spending strength, making the earnings event a near-term catalyst. Capital One Q1 Earnings on Deck: What's in Store for the Stock?
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst previews dive into key Q1 metrics beyond headline EPS/revenue—expectations on loan growth, net interest margin and card spend will shape the post-earnings move. These previews support risk-on positioning ahead of results. Gear Up for Capital One (COF) Q1 Earnings: Wall Street Estimates for Key Metrics
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry and media coverage includes product reviews and comparisons of Capital One cards (Quicksilver, Savor, student cards) — useful for consumer awareness but unlikely to move the stock materially in the short term. Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards review
• Neutral Sentiment: Payments/SMB coverage highlights operational frictions (personal cards used for business) and features a Capital One executive; suggests product/opportunity focus for small-business solutions but not an immediate stock driver. The Hidden Cost of Swiping Personal Credit Cards for Business
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor commentary (Middle Coast Investing) touches on market “meme” dynamics and whether COF is sensitive to sentiment-driven flows — interesting contextual reading but not a clear directional catalyst. Do You Think Capital One Financial (COF) is a Sensitive Company?
• Negative Sentiment: Legislative proposal H.R.7638 (Fifth Amendment Integrity Restoration Act) would change civil forfeiture rules—requiring judicial processes, higher burdens of proof and redirecting forfeiture funds to the Treasury. The bill could force banks (including Capital One) to adjust policies around seized/blocked accounts and compliance workflows; impact is regulatory/operational and likely gradual. New Bill: Representative Tim Walberg introduces H.R. 7638

Capital One Financial Company Profile

Capital One Financial Corporation NYSE: COF is a diversified bank holding company headquartered in McLean, Virginia. The company's core businesses include credit card lending, consumer and commercial banking, and auto finance. Capital One issues a wide range of credit card products for consumers and small businesses, and it operates deposit and digital banking services aimed at retail customers and small to midsize enterprises.

Products and services include credit and charge cards, checking and savings accounts (including the online-focused Capital One 360 platform), auto loans, and commercial lending solutions.

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