Natixis Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Principal Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:PFG - Free Report) by 8.0% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 77,331 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 5,755 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors LLC's holdings in Principal Financial Group were worth $6,524,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.
Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. von Borstel & Associates Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Principal Financial Group during the 1st quarter worth about $32,000. Ameriflex Group Inc. bought a new stake in Principal Financial Group in the fourth quarter worth about $37,000. Navigoe LLC bought a new position in shares of Principal Financial Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Covestor Ltd grew its stake in shares of Principal Financial Group by 144.3% during the fourth quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 540 shares of the company's stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 319 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MorganRosel Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Principal Financial Group in the first quarter worth approximately $46,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.08% of the company's stock.
Principal Financial Group Stock Up 0.9%
PFG stock traded up $0.69 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $76.81. 1,438,489 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,426,370. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $78.50 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $79.84. The company has a quick ratio of 0.30, a current ratio of 0.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. The firm has a market capitalization of $17.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.50, a PEG ratio of 0.76 and a beta of 1.00. Principal Financial Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $68.39 and a 1 year high of $91.97.
Principal Financial Group (NYSE:PFG - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, July 28th. The company reported $2.16 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.97 by $0.19. Principal Financial Group had a return on equity of 14.68% and a net margin of 9.74%. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.63 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Principal Financial Group, Inc. will post 8.5 EPS for the current year.
Principal Financial Group Increases Dividend
The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 26th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, September 4th will be given a $0.78 dividend. This represents a $3.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 4th. This is an increase from Principal Financial Group's previous quarterly dividend of $0.76. Principal Financial Group's payout ratio is presently 62.78%.
Analyst Ratings Changes
A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on PFG shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Principal Financial Group from $92.00 to $101.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 8th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of Principal Financial Group from $73.00 to $72.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 30th. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Principal Financial Group from $85.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 29th. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Principal Financial Group from $76.00 to $80.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a report on Monday, July 7th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their target price on shares of Principal Financial Group from $90.00 to $88.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $86.70.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Principal Financial Group
Principal Financial Group Profile
(
Free Report)
Principal Financial Group, Inc provides retirement, asset management, and insurance products and services to businesses, individuals, and institutional clients worldwide. The company operates through Retirement and Income Solutions, Principal Asset Management, and Benefits and Protection segments. The Retirement and Income Solutions segment provides retirement, and related financial products and services.
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