Principal Financial Group Inc. Buys 72,626 Shares of Sezzle Inc. $SEZL

Key Points

• Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its Sezzle stake by 41.6% in the first quarter, buying 72,626 additional shares to own 247,407 shares valued at about $15.7 million.
• Sezzle reported strong quarterly results, with earnings of $1.43 per share topping estimates and revenue of $135.54 million beating expectations. Revenue rose 29.2% year over year, and the company’s FY 2026 EPS guidance was set at 5.10.
• Insider selling was notable, as COO Amin Sabzivand and CFO Lee Dickson Brading sold shares in July under pre-arranged trading plans. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 124,382 shares worth $17.4 million, while insiders still hold 49.49% of the stock.

Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its stake in Sezzle Inc. (NASDAQ:SEZL - Free Report) by 41.6% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 247,407 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 72,626 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned 0.73% of Sezzle worth $15,658,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its holdings in Sezzle by 429.0% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 132,361 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,618,000 after acquiring an additional 107,340 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Sezzle by 3,973.6% during the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 34,626 shares of the company's stock worth $1,208,000 after purchasing an additional 33,776 shares during the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its holdings in Sezzle by 2,241.4% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 30,906 shares of the company's stock worth $1,078,000 after purchasing an additional 29,586 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Sezzle by 321.7% in the 1st quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 115,525 shares of the company's stock worth $4,031,000 after purchasing an additional 88,127 shares during the period. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Sezzle by 1,068.2% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 169,487 shares of the company's stock worth $5,913,000 after purchasing an additional 154,978 shares during the period. 2.02% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Sezzle Price Performance

Sezzle stock opened at $159.01 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.77 and a beta of 6.70. Sezzle Inc. has a 52-week low of $49.50 and a 52-week high of $195.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 3.65 and a current ratio of 3.65. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $146.07 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $97.95.

Sezzle (NASDAQ:SEZL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported $1.43 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.24 by $0.19. Sezzle had a net margin of 30.83% and a return on equity of 87.46%. The company had revenue of $135.54 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $127.74 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.98 EPS. Sezzle's revenue for the quarter was up 29.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Sezzle has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.100 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Sezzle Inc. will post 5.1 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Sezzle

In other news, COO Amin Sabzivand sold 6,930 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $179.91, for a total transaction of $1,246,776.30. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 259,780 shares in the company, valued at approximately $46,737,019.80. This represents a 2.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CFO Lee Dickson Brading sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $178.23, for a total transaction of $1,782,300.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 296,931 shares in the company, valued at $52,922,012.13. This trade represents a 3.26% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 124,382 shares of company stock valued at $17,416,662. 49.49% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently weighed in on SEZL. Northland Securities set a $170.00 price objective on shares of Sezzle in a research report on Thursday, June 25th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Sezzle from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. B. Riley Financial reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $141.00 price target (up from $117.00) on shares of Sezzle in a research report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reiterated a "market perform" rating and set a $190.00 price target (up from $115.00) on shares of Sezzle in a report on Monday, July 13th. Finally, Freedom Capital upgraded Sezzle to a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Sezzle has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $151.33.

Sezzle Company Profile

Sezzle Inc is a financial technology company specializing in buy now, pay later (BNPL) services that enable consumers to split purchases into interest-free installment payments. By integrating its platform with e-commerce merchants, Sezzle provides shoppers with flexible payment options at checkout while merchants benefit from increased conversion rates and average order values. The company's technology is designed to offer a seamless user experience, with instant approval decisions and no hidden fees, positions it as a consumer-friendly alternative to traditional credit products.

Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Sezzle completed its initial public offering on the Nasdaq under the ticker SEZL.

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