Principal Financial Group Inc. Increases Stock Position in U.S. Bancorp $USB

Key Points

• Principal Financial Group boosted its stake in U.S. Bancorp by 2.9% in Q4 to 1,769,589 shares—about 0.11% of the company—worth roughly $94.4 million.
• U.S. Bancorp beat quarterly estimates with EPS of $1.18 (vs. $1.14) and $7.32 billion in revenue, pays a $0.52 quarterly dividend (≈3.7% yield), and carries a consensus analyst rating of "Moderate Buy" with an average target of $61.20.
• Insiders have been net sellers recently—106,717 shares (~$6.15 million) sold in the past three months, including sizeable reductions by Mark G. Runkel and EVP Venkatachari Dilip—which may be viewed as a near‑term negative signal.

Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its holdings in U.S. Bancorp (NYSE:USB - Free Report) by 2.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,769,589 shares of the financial services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 49,733 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned about 0.11% of U.S. Bancorp worth $94,425,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Guerra Advisors Inc purchased a new stake in shares of U.S. Bancorp in the third quarter valued at about $25,000. Financial Life Planners purchased a new position in shares of U.S. Bancorp during the third quarter worth about $25,000. Clayton Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in U.S. Bancorp in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in U.S. Bancorp during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Finally, JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in U.S. Bancorp during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.60% of the company's stock.

U.S. Bancorp Price Performance

Shares of NYSE USB opened at $56.19 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $87.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.78, a PEG ratio of 1.00 and a beta of 1.00. U.S. Bancorp has a one year low of $41.13 and a one year high of $61.19. The company's fifty day moving average is $54.05 and its two-hundred day moving average is $53.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 0.81.

U.S. Bancorp (NYSE:USB - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $1.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.14 by $0.04. U.S. Bancorp had a net margin of 18.01% and a return on equity of 13.55%. The business had revenue of $7.32 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.27 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.03 EPS. The business's revenue was up 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that U.S. Bancorp will post 5.09 EPS for the current fiscal year.

U.S. Bancorp Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 31st were given a dividend of $0.52 per share. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.7%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 31st. U.S. Bancorp's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 43.61%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have weighed in on USB shares. Morgan Stanley set a $64.00 target price on U.S. Bancorp in a research note on Friday, April 17th. HSBC reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $62.00 price target on shares of U.S. Bancorp in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a "hold" rating and issued a $60.00 price objective on shares of U.S. Bancorp in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. Truist Financial dropped their price objective on shares of U.S. Bancorp from $63.00 to $62.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Finally, DA Davidson restated a "buy" rating and issued a $65.00 target price on shares of U.S. Bancorp in a research note on Friday, April 17th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $61.20.

U.S. Bancorp News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting U.S. Bancorp this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street analysts and market commentators remain constructive — several outlets compiled recent analyst target prices and maintained a measuredly optimistic outlook, supporting demand for the shares. What are Wall Street analysts' target price for US Bancorp stock?
• Positive Sentiment: Momentum-focused research (Zacks and other pieces) highlights USB as a long-term momentum name based on style scores and recent performance, which attracts trend-following and quantitative funds. Why U.S. Bancorp (USB) is a Top Momentum Stock for the Long-Term
• Positive Sentiment: Valuation write-ups argue USB still shows modest upside after a strong one‑year gain, keeping value-oriented investors engaged. Is U.S. Bancorp (USB) Still Attractive After A 41.4% One-Year Share Price Gain
• Positive Sentiment: CEO interviews (WSJ event and other profiles) reinforce management’s strategy on marketing, technology and AI adoption — narratives that can bolster investor confidence in execution and growth prospects. US Bank CEO on AI Popularity in the Workforce
• Neutral Sentiment: MarketWatch notes the stock rose on Wednesday but still underperformed the broader market, a reminder traders are balancing sector rotation and macro factors. U.S. Bancorp stock rises Wednesday, still underperforms market
• Neutral Sentiment: U.S. Bank’s CFO Insights Report highlights CFOs’ focus on cost control and dealmaking — macro guidance that affects banks broadly but doesn’t single out USB. U.S. Bank CFO Survey: Geopolitics and Inflation Rise on the Risk Agenda, but CFOs Keep Moving on Growth, Deals
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry data (U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index) shows higher shipping costs and mixed volumes — relevant for loan and payments exposure but not an immediate USB-specific catalyst. U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index: Shipper Spending Surges Amid Modest Freight Volumes
• Negative Sentiment: An executive insider sale: EVP Venkatachari Dilip sold 34,522 shares (~$1.92M at ~$55.52), reducing his ownership ~40% — a near-term negative signal that some investors may interpret as caution by insiders. SEC filing: SEC Filing - Insider Sale

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Mark G. Runkel sold 32,195 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.65, for a total value of $1,952,626.75. Following the sale, the insider owned 97,728 shares in the company, valued at $5,927,203.20. This represents a 24.78% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Venkatachari Dilip sold 34,522 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.52, for a total value of $1,916,661.44. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 51,292 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,847,731.84. The trade was a 40.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders sold 106,717 shares of company stock worth $6,149,288. Company insiders own 0.21% of the company's stock.

U.S. Bancorp Profile

U.S. Bancorp NYSE: USB is a bank holding company and the parent of U.S. Bank, a national commercial bank that provides a wide range of banking, investment, mortgage, trust and payment services. The company operates through consumer and business banking, commercial banking, payment services, and wealth management segments. Its product set includes deposit accounts, consumer and commercial lending, mortgage origination and servicing, credit and debit card services, treasury and cash management, merchant processing, and institutional and trust services.

Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.

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